Abstract
While considerable evidence exists of biogeographic patterns in the intensity of species interactions, the influence of these patterns on variation in community structure is less clear. Studying how the distributions of traits in communities vary along global gradients can inform how variation in interactions and other factors contribute to the process of community assembly. Using a model selection approach on measures of trait dispersion in crustaceans associated with eelgrass (Zostera marina) spanning 30° of latitude in two oceans, we found that dispersion strongly increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude. Ocean and epiphyte load appeared as secondary predictors; Pacific communities were more overdispersed while Atlantic communities were more clustered, and increasing epiphytes were associated with increased clustering. By examining how species interactions and environmental filters influence community structure across biogeographic regions, we demonstrate how both latitudinal variation in species interactions and historical contingency shape these responses. Community trait distributions have implications for ecosystem stability and functioning, and integrating large-scale observations of environmental filters, species interactions and traits can help us predict how communities may respond to environmental change.
Highlights
Community ecology is fundamentally concerned with the assembly and maintenance of diversity across space and time
Peracarid assemblages at Pacific sites had greater trait dispersion than Atlantic sites, and dispersion increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude, though there were some differences among the two oceans that we outline below
Using a global dataset of eelgrass-associated peracarid crustaceans, we found a strong increase in community trait dispersion with decreasing latitude and increasing predation
Summary
Community ecology is fundamentally concerned with the assembly and maintenance of diversity across space and time. Strong environmental filters (i.e. abiotic filters sensu [3]) such as climate are thought to act on large spatial scales to constrain trait diversity such that species are more alike (clustered) in traits that respond to these factors 2 than we would expect under a purely random assembly process [2,4,5,6]. Intense predation, competition, and mutualistic interactions at lower latitudes [12,13,16], may lead to the predominance of biotic interactions over environmental filters in structuring low-latitude communities This may cause stronger trait clustering near the poles that shifts towards more overdispersed communities at lower latitudes. We test these predictions in separate ocean basins with largely unique fauna, allowing us to assess whether the unique histories of these zoogeographic provinces result in different patterns and drivers of trait distribution in each ocean basin [32,33]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
