Abstract
Community classification enables us to simplify, communicate, track and assess complex distribution patterns. Yet, the distribution of organisms may not coincide with predefined geographical and environmental boundaries, and therefore, biology itself should be leading the classification. In this study, we showed how to arrive at such a biology-based classification by clustering locations based on similarity in species composition. A hierarchical classification structure allowed for the selection of classification levels that suit multiple scales of analysis. We also showed how to objectively identify the number of clusters present in a dataset based on the distribution of specific indicator species, allowing to identify clear boundaries in species composition on multiple scales. The resulting biology-based clusters were identified and characterized by local and regional environmental conditions, showing the limited explanatory power of these environmental conditions and the added value of taking biology itself as a starting point of the classification. By departing community classification from species composition, the unknown environmental, geographical, and biotic drivers influencing species composition are accounted for.
Highlights
It is inherent to humanity to try to categorize and classify our en vironments, either on local, regional or global scales
This ignores that the classification of communities can be achieved at a hierarchy of spatial scales, with each scale being characterized by multiple groups with a distinct species composition
Cluster analysis of all sites based on its species composition using presence-absence data generated an agglomerative coefficient of 0.98
Summary
It is inherent to humanity to try to categorize and classify our en vironments, either on local, regional or global scales This habit per sisted into modern sciences, by naming species and grouping these into zones, assemblages and communities (Quicke, 1993; Sokal, 1974), al though opposing currents in science perceive the environment as a continuum which cannot be classified into distinct units, except when arbitrarily done (Austin and Smith, 1989; McIntosh, 1967; Whittaker, 1967). Communities on the other hand have often been classified on single predefined spatial scales, using artificial boundaries such as legislative regions or more natural boundaries such as catchments or geomorphologic regions This ignores that the classification of communities can be achieved at a hierarchy of spatial scales, with each scale being characterized by multiple groups with a distinct species composition
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