Geographic Range Size Research Articles

Comparative Population Genomic Diversity and Differentiation in Trapdoor Spiders and Relatives (Araneae, Mygalomorphae).

Although patterns of population genomic variation are well-studied in animals, there remains room for studies that focus on non-model taxa with unique biologies. Here we characterise and attempt to explain such patterns in mygalomorph spiders, which are generally sedentary, often occur as spatially clustered demes and show remarkable longevity. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data were collected for 500 individuals across a phylogenetically representative sample of taxa. We inferred genetic populations within focal taxa using a phylogenetically informed clustering approach, and characterised patterns of diversity and differentiation within- and among these genetic populations, respectively. Using phylogenetic comparative methods we asked whether geographical range sizes and ecomorphological variables (behavioural niche and body size) significantly explain patterns of diversity and differentiation. Specifically, we predicted higher genetic diversity in genetic populations with larger geographical ranges, and in small-bodied taxa. We also predicted greater genetic differentiation in small-bodied taxa, and in burrowing taxa. We recovered several significant predictors of genetic diversity, but not genetic differentiation. However, we found generally high differentiation across genetic populations for all focal taxa, and a consistent signal for isolation-by-distance irrespective of behavioural niche or body size. We hypothesise that high population genetic structuring, likely reflecting combined dispersal limitation and microhabitat specificity, is a shared trait for all mygalomorphs. Few studies have found ubiquitous genetic structuring for an entire ancient and species-rich animal clade.

Global Avian Functional Diversity Depends on the World's Most Widespread and Distinct Birds.

The relationship between global trait distinctiveness and geographic range size is an emerging pattern of interest in macroecology. Early observations suggested that the relationship was positive, implying that globally widespread species hold the rarest combinations of traits. Here, we formally describe and test the relationship in the world's birds and consider its implications for global functional diversity and redundancy. We demonstrate that the relationship is best described as triangular with a positive upper boundary, with its linear model significance lost when including phylogenetic effects. The triangular relationship is formed by groups of phylogenetically related widespread species with moderate and high trait distinctiveness. Decomposing the relationship further using quantile regression highlights the unique traits of these widespread birds. Overall, the triangular relationship emphasises that while not all widespread species have rare trait combinations, those that do should not be overlooked in conservation efforts, regardless of their current threat status.

Colour polymorphism is prevalent on islands but shows no association with range size in web-building spiders.

One of the most evident sources of phenotypic diversity within a population is colouration, as exemplified by colour polymorphism. This is relevant to a greater extent in animals with visually-biased sensory systems. There is substantial evidence suggesting that different colour morphs can access a broader range of habitats or niches, leading to larger geographic range sizes. However, this hypothesis has been tested in few lineages, comprising species where colour is likely to be involved in sexual selection. Furthermore, some available evidence considers geographical variation as polymorphism, thus limiting our comprehension of how sympatric colour polymorphism can influence a species' geographic range. Through an extensive systematic literature review and a comparative analysis, we examined the relationship between colour polymorphism and range size or niche breadth in web-building spiders. We identified 140 colour polymorphic spider species, belonging mainly to the families Araneidae and Theridiidae. We found no evidence that colour polymorphic species differ significantly from non-polymorphic species in terms of range size and niche breadth, after accounting for phylogenetic relationships and other covariates. However, we did observe that colour polymorphic species were more likely to be found on islands compared to non-polymorphic species. Overall, our results indicate that the association between colour polymorphism and geographic range size may not exist among web-building spiders, or be as pronounced as in other lineages. This suggests that the strength of the association between colour polymorphism and ecological success might depend on the ecological role that colouration plays in each clade.

Identifying the multiple drivers of cactus diversification

Our understanding of the complexity of forces at play in the rise of major angiosperm lineages remains incomplete. The diversity and heterogeneous distribution of most angiosperm lineages is so extraordinary that it confounds our ability to identify simple drivers of diversification. Using machine learning in combination with phylogenetic modelling, we show that five separate abiotic and biotic variables significantly contribute to the diversification of Cactaceae. We reconstruct a comprehensive phylogeny, build a dataset of 39 abiotic and biotic variables, and predict the variables of central importance, while accounting for potential interactions between those variables. We use state-dependent diversification models to confirm that five abiotic and biotic variables shape diversification in the cactus family. Of highest importance are diurnal air temperature range, soil sand content and plant size, with lesser importance identified in isothermality and geographic range size. Interestingly, each of the estimated optimal conditions for abiotic variables were intermediate, indicating that cactus diversification is promoted by moderate, not extreme, climates. Our results reveal the potential primary drivers of cactus diversification, and the need to account for the complexity underlying the evolution of angiosperm lineages.

Low human interest for the most at-risk reef fishes worldwide.

Human interest in biodiversity is essential for effective conservation action but remains poorly quantified at large scales. Here, we investigated human interest for 2408 marine reef fishes using data obtained from online public databases and social media, summarized in two synthetic dimensions, research effort and public attention. Both dimensions are mainly related to geographic range size. Research effort is also linked to fishery importance, while public attention is more related to fish aesthetic value and aquarium trade importance. We also found a strong phylogenetic bias, with certain fish families receiving disproportional research effort and public attention. Most concerningly, species at the highest risk of extinction and those most vulnerable to future climate change tend to receive less research effort and public attention. Our results provide a lens through which examining the societal attention that species garner, with the ultimate goals to improve conservation strategies, research programs, and communication plans.

Biogeographic dynamics of graptolites during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction in South China

Studying the temporal and spatial distributions and dynamics of fossils is crucial for understanding macroevolution processes in geological history. Biodiversity data provide an overview of faunal changes during extinction events, but it cannot differentiate the impact of extinction events on different species. Biogeographic study complements these data by offering more detailed insights into evolutionary patterns. A dataset of 704 graptolite occurrence records for the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME) was compiled from 60 localities in South China. The geographic distributions of 26 species across four graptolite biochrons (from late Katian to Hirnantian) were quantitatively reconstructed using ArcGIS. Two types of geographic range indexes, including convex hull areas and maximum distribution distances, were calculated for each species in each time slice. Based on the variations in the geographic ranges, the graptolites can be divided into three types. The geographic ranges of the first type shrank before the extinction, that of the second type expanded before the extinction but shrank during the extinction, and that of the third type expanded during the extinction. The first two types include Diplograptina species; and the third of Neograptina species. The study revealed that the extinction event affected all diplograptid graptolite species, as evidenced by the rate of decrease in geographic ranges. Interestingly, the impact of the major extinction appeared to be uniform across all graptolite species, irrespective of their initial geographic range size. The distribution centers of the graptolite species remained relatively stable and predominantly surrounded the center of the sea during the LOME. The substantial reduction in the geographic ranges of diplograptid species might be due to the global factors rather than local sea level decline.

Temporal Changes in Geographic Range and Population Size of the Santa Cruz Black Salamander

Abstract The Santa Cruz black salamander Aneides niger is a priority 3 California species of special concern with a restricted geographic range confined to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Anecdotal observations suggest that the species was relatively abundant in the early 1900s, but it has become more difficult to find in the past few decades. To better understand if the species has undergone population size fluctuations, we analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data to examine levels of genetic variation and phylogeographic structure, and test for signatures of population size change. We then reconstructed the climatic suitability for the species to 1) determine if past climate fluctuations could have influenced range size and genetic diversity, and 2) estimate the effects of future climate change on geographic range suitability as a proxy for possible future population size change. Genetic analyses detected low levels of genetic variation and a general lack of genetic structuring, suggesting a recent genetic bottleneck. While neutrality tests of individual loci were nonsignificant, skyline plot and isolation-with-migration analyses detected a relatively recent reduction in population size. Interpretation of these genetic results should consider the limited number of localities and individuals sampled for this species. Climatic suitability for Santa Cruz black salamanders was much lower during the last glacial maximum, which could be the cause of the detected historical change in population size. Future projections of climatic suitability under a high-emission scenario suggest a dramatic geographic range restriction to coastal areas. These projections highlight the need for the protection of coastal habitat patches to preserve existing coastal populations, and to maintain connectivity between coastal and inland habitats to allow the westward movement of populations and genes in response to climate change.

Integrating host biological and ecological variables to predict probability of haemosporidian infection in raptors

Variations in host traits that influence their exposure and susceptibility may impact probability of vector-transmitted diseases. Therefore, identifying the predictors of infection probability is necessary to understand the risk of disease outbreaks during expanding environmental perturbation. Here, we conducted a large survey based on microscopic examination and molecular analysis of haemosporidian parasite infection in raptors rescued at the Beijing Raptor Rescue Centre. Combining these data with biological and ecological variables of the raptors, we determined predictors that affect the probability of haemosporidian infection using generalized linear mixed models and multimodel inference. Our results showed that infection probability exhibited considerable variation across host species in raptors, and body mass, sex, and evolutionary history played relatively weaker roles in driving infection probability. Instead, activity pattern, age, geographic range size, migration distance, and nest type were important predictors of the probability of haemosporidian infection, and the role of each predictor differed in the three main haemosporidian genera (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon). This macro-ecological analysis will add to our understanding of host traits that influence the probability of avian haemosporidian infection and will help inform risk of emerging diseases.

Assessment of rarity and ecological preferences of the non-marine ostracods (Crustacea) in Çanakkale Province (Türkiye)

Rarity as a multidimensional concept has not been discussed for the ostracods along with the effects of physicochemical factors and sedimentation rates of waters on their distribution. We randomly sampled 91 aquatic sites including eight habitat types in the Çanakkale Province to study ostracod species rarity, commonness, and ecological preferences, and to test the relationships between the rarity index (average of geographic range, habitat specificity, and population size indices) and environmental factors. A total of 44 ostracod taxa (25 living) were reported from 75 sites. Among the species, Candonocypris caledonica was recorded for the first time in Türkiye. Sixty percent of 25 living species exhibited cosmopolitan characteristics, making significant contributions to the diversity of ostracods. The well-known cosmopolitan species, Heterocypris salina (rr = 0.268), Cypridopsis vidua (rr = 0.289), Limnocythere inopinata (rr = 0.330), Ilyocypris bradyi (rr = 0.370), and Psychrodromus olivaceus (rr = 0.390), were identified as common species based on the rarity index (rr) values. Of the environmental variables, only sediment grain sizes (×2000, ×500, and ×63 μm) were found to be effective on the distribution of ostracod species. The Shannon index exhibited a positively significant association with ×2000, while the population size index displayed a linear relationship with ×63 μm grain size, indicating a small population size and rarity. Associations among index values, sediment grain size, and water quality variables showed that comprehensive studies on ostracods, analyzing both water and sediment, can provide a clearer and more precise information for evaluating the rarity and ecological preferences of species.

Identifying the generalizable controls on insect associations of native and non-native trees.

Trees growing outside their native geographic ranges often exhibit exceptional growth and survival due in part to the lack of co-evolved natural enemies that may limit their spread and suppress population growth. While most non-native trees tend to accumulate natural enemies over time, it remains uncertain which host and insect characteristics affect these novel associations and whether novel associations follow patterns of assembly similar to those of native hosts. Here, we used a dataset of insect-host tree associations in Europe to model which native insect species are paired with which native tree species, and then tested the model on its ability to predict which native insects are paired with which non-native trees. We show that native and non-native tree species closely related to known hosts are more likely to be hosts themselves, but that native host geographic range size, insect feeding guild, and sampling effort similarly affect insect associations. Our model had a strong ability to predict which insect species utilize non-native trees as hosts, but evolutionarily isolated tree species posed the greatest challenge to the model. These results demonstrate that insect-host associations can be reliably predicted, regardless of whether insect and host trees have co-evolved, and provide a framework for predicting future pest threats using a select number of easily attainable tree and insect characteristics.

Do aposematic species have larger range sizes? A case study with neotropical poison frogs

AbstractAimAposematic animals, i.e., those that are defended and warn potential predators through signals, are suggested to have resource‐gathering advantages against non‐aposematic ones. We here explore this in a biogeographic framework expecting that aposematic species are better dispersers, which translates into larger geographic range size.LocationSouth America.TaxonPoison frogs (Amphibia; Aromobatidae and Dendrobatidae).MethodsWe use 43 toxic and 26 non‐toxic poison frog species from the lowlands only as representatives of aposematic and non‐aposematic study organisms, respectively. Realised and potential geographic ranges are calculated using minimum convex polygon and species distribution modelling methods, respectively. Accounting for species body size and phylogeny, we test if both range and aposematism are correlated using linear mixed‐effects models.ResultsAposematic and non‐aposematic species neither differ in realised nor in potential geographic range size. There was no effect on body size.Main ConclusionsThe role of aposematism is not yet as clear as suggested and determinants of poison frog range sizes are multifaceted. A more integrative approach is needed using the information on behaviour, predation risk, and reproductive biology to assess the role of aposematism on observed species distributions. Such data are not yet available for most species, neither poison frogs nor other aposematic animals.

Tree species occurring in Amazonian wetland forests consistently show broader range sizes and niche breadths than trees in upland forests.

Generally, species with broad niches also show large range sizes. We investigated the relationship between hydrological niche breadth and geographic range size for Amazonian tree species seeking to understand the role of habitat specialization to Amazonian wetlands and upland forests on the current distribution of tree species. We obtained 571,092 valid occurrence points from GBIF and SpeciesLink to estimate the range size and the niche breadth of 76% of all known Amazonian tree species (5150 tree species). Hydrological niche breadth was measured on different unidimensional axes defined by (1) total annual precipitation; (2) precipitation seasonality; (3) actual evapotranspiration; and (4) water table depth. Geographic range sizes were estimated using alpha-hull adjustments. General linear models were used to relate niche breadth to range size while contrasting tree species occurring and not occurring in wetlands. The hydrological niche breadth of Amazonian tree species varied mostly along the water table depth axis. The average range size for an Amazonian tree species was 751,000 km2 (median of 154,000 km2 and standard deviation of 1,550,000 km2). Niche breadth-range size relationships for Amazonian tree species were positive for all models, and the explanatory power of the models improved when including whether a species occurred in wetlands or in terrestrial uplands. Wetland species had steeper positive slopes for the niche breadth-range size relationship, and consistently larger range sizes for a given niche breadth. Amazonian tree species varied strongly in hydrological niche breadth and range size, but most species had narrow niche breadths and range sizes. Our results suggest that the South American riverscape may have been acting as a corridor for species dispersal in the Neotropical lowlands.

Plant functional traits couple with range size and shape in European trees

AbstractAimPlant functional traits are frequently proposed as influential factors in species distribution. However, there is a gap in assessing how plant resource‐economic traits relate to the size and shape of a species' geographical range, and to what extent these relationships are conserved over evolutionary history. Specifically, an acquisitive strategy (characterized by heightened metabolism, shorter lifespan and quicker generation turnover) may promote isotropic range formations, resulting in less elongated and larger ranges. Here, I tested this link using data from 98 native European tree species.LocationPalaearctic.Time periodPresent.Major taxa studiedTrees.MethodsI used chorological maps to quantify two independent range attributes: species' range area and elongation. I considered 28 functional traits linked to resource‐use strategy measured in above‐ and below‐ground organs. I used multi‐response phylogenetic mixed models to calculate the conservative trait correlation (CTC) and the phylogenetically independent correlation (IND) component of each functional trait with range area and elongation.ResultsRange area positively correlated with resource acquisitive strategies, while range elongation correlated with resource conservative strategies. This pattern was consistent across the examined traits but statistically significant in seven out of the 28 traits, including specific leaf area, specific root area and root mycorrhizal colonization. Traits related to leaf and root nutritional status exhibited the weakest relationships with range attributes. Significant correlations were more frequent in the IND component and often showed contrasting trends compared to CTC.Main conclusionsPlant resource‐use strategy emerges as a relevant factor to gain insights on what shapes species' geographical distribution, alongside more established drivers such as dispersal limitation and climatic tolerance. Trait‐range relationships are driven by processes leaving a weak phylogenetic signature. These processes may result from direct selection, where functional traits impact range attributes, or indirect effects, such as the co‐variation of ranges and traits with environmental niche optima.

Evolutionary correlates of extinction risk in Chinese angiosperm

China is widely known for its rich plant diversity, being a home for over 32,000 species of vascular plants. Approximately 11 % of them are threatened and require urgent conservation efforts. Although the major cause of species disappearance is known, the human activity does not affect all species equally. In our study we tested whether, at the family level, the risk of extinction is related to the evolutionary history and the total geographical range of the comprising family species. We gathered threat status data, evolutionary history information and range data for 27,102 Chinese angiosperm species representing 233 families. Using several Bayesian statistical approaches, we found that families with lower diversification rates had smaller geographic ranges, and that family diversification rate and geographic range size were strongly negatively associated with extinction risk. In contrast, the effect of family age on extinction risk, when its indirect effect through geographic range size was accounted for, was significantly positive. Our findings highlight the importance of considering evolutionary history in understanding the extinction dynamics and prioritization of species for protection. Our results imply that a special attention in conservation decisions should be given to species from the families with low diversification rates, old age and limited geographic ranges.

Taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional nestedness of mammal assemblages in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China

Abstract Nestedness is an important part of the theoretical framework of island biogeography and community ecology. However, most previous studies focused on taxonomic dimension and overlooked functional and phylogenetic nestedness. Here, we simultaneously investigated taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic nestedness of terrestrial mammals on 39 land-bridge islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China. As mammals’ response to the environment may depend on their body size, we performed analyses for three mammal assemblages separately: overall species, large and medium-sized species, and small species. The taxonomic nestedness was quantified by organizing the species incidence matrix, while the functional and phylogenetic nestedness were estimated by combining the similarity of their ecological traits and phylogeny. Island characteristics (island area, three isolation indices, land use intensity, and habitat diversity) and species traits (body size, litter size, habitat specificity, geographic range size, and minimum area requirement) were used as predictors of nestedness. Overall and small species were significantly nested in 3 facets of nestedness, and results supported the selective extinction, selective colonization, and habitat nestedness hypotheses. Large and medium-sized species were functionally and phylogenetically nested when matrices were ordered by increasing distance to mainland, supporting the selective colonization hypothesis. Overall, differences in nestedness and its underlying mechanisms were detected not only in 3 facets of nestedness but also in the 3 mammal assemblages. Therefore, frameworks that incorporate taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional nestedness can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of nestedness processes. Additionally, it also improves our ability to understand the divergent responses of mammal assemblages to the insular environment.

Response of Mediterranean Sea bivalves to Pliocene–Pleistocene environmental changes

AbstractThe Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a hotspot of marine biodiversity. Analysing its past biodiversity can help in understanding species' response to climate change. We built a species‐level dataset of bivalve occurrences across the Zanclean–Calabrian interval, a time characterized by significant changes in climate, and by bivalve extinctions. The dataset includes more than 400 species distributed from the eastern to the western Mediterranean Sea. We measured changes in richness and turnover through time, for the entire dataset, and for different palaeoenvironments and combinations of tiering and feeding categories to test if specific environmental conditions and different lifestyles were correlated to species extinction or survival through time. We also compared niche breadth, geographical range size, and species abundance of extinct and extant species, to test which of these parameters potentially affected extinction risk. Our results confirm a loss of biodiversity between 3 Ma and the Early Pleistocene, although this loss was less intense and more gradual than previously estimated. We also found significant differences in niche breadth and geographical range size between extinct and extant species. Suspension feeders lost a higher proportion of species and suffered a higher reduction of geographical range compared to infaunal deposit feeders. Species loss was more protracted and higher on the shoreface than on the shelf, which is probably related to the reduction of shallow‐water vegetated environments and to the disaggregation of heterozoan carbonate ramp habitats with cooling and sea‐level drop at the onset of the northern hemisphere glaciation.

Reducing the number of Data Deficient plant species

Although most plant species have yet to have their extinction risk evaluated for the IUCN Red List, current knowledge of plant diversity suggests that tens of thousands (8%–38% of species) are likely to remain assessed as Data Deficient (DD). This impacts evaluations of the overall proportion of threatened species, as well as on setting appropriate priorities for biodiversity conservation. One of the principle causes of Data Deficiency is taxonomic uncertainty: data permitting an IUCN Red List assessment is often lacking, because species that are poorly known are also taxonomically uncertain. Establishing the taxonomic status of DD species thus assists in determining whether confusion over this is causing their evaluation as DD. In this paper, three separate numerical methods – hierarchical clustering, ordination and phylogenetic ordination – were applied to three independent datasets of standardized traits for plant species from China in order to identify, for each DD species, morphologically similar Non-DD species. Semi-automated analysis of morphological disparity quickly identifies which species are in need of further taxonomic research, as shared traits can indicate either potential synonymy or, otherwise, successful adaptations of distinct species to similar ecological conditions. Extinction risk assessments of morphologically and phylogenetically distinct DD species could then be informed by data on habitat preferences, geographic range or population size from Non-DD species with the most similar traits. Ultimately, determination of the morphological distance between DD species and their most similar Non-DD species, and therefore of differences in the trait space occupied by DD and Non-DD species, could be the basis of future research for improved inference of conservation priorities, and help distinct DD species with similar ecological traits as other taxonomically accepted, threatened species to be identified as being threatened themselves.

Tadpoles in lotic waters, habitat specialization, and human population density lead tree frogs (Hylinae) to higher extinction risk

Analyzing patterns of vulnerability to extinction across clades and traits that make species more prone to extinction are crucial steps towards prioritization of conservation efforts. Here we identified genera more vulnerable to extinction than expected by chance within the anuran subfamily Hylinae. We also investigated a broad range of intrinsic and extrinsic factors and their interactions as predictors of a proxy for extinction risk (IUCN Red List status). By conducting simulation analyses, we found that binary threat status is not randomly distributed across Hylinae genera, with Charadrahyla, Hyloscirtus, Isthmohyla, Plectrohyla, and Sarcohyla containing more threatened species than expected by chance. By using model selection and average approaches, we found strong support for increased likelihood of threatened status as habitat diversity decreases and human population density increases, and for species with larvae inhabiting lotic waters to be more threatened than those with larvae inhabiting lentic waters. Overall, our results were robust to different treatments of Data Deficient species (threatened or non-threatened). However, results were affected by the inclusion of geographic range size as another predictor, with habitat diversity becoming a non-significant predictor of threatened status. Our results highlight the importance of simultaneously analyzing both intrinsic and extrinsic predictors in correlative studies of extinction risk. Additionally, they underscore the need for conservation research and programs focused on both larvae and adults of organisms with biphasic life cycles and the establishment and evaluation of effectiveness of natural refuges far from areas under high human pressures, such as privately and community protected areas.

Bird specimen number linked with species trait and climate niche breadth

Biological specimens are fundamental for taxonomy and flora/fauna research. More importantly, they also play crucial roles in recording environmental impacts on morphology and behavior, which is vital for biodiversity research and conservation. However, there are few systematic studies on the patterns and drivers of bird specimen number at regional scales. This study is the first attempt to examine the relationships between bird specimen number and species traits as well as climate niche breadth in China, aiming to answer two questions: 1) how do species’ temperature niche breadth and precipitation niche breadth influence specimen number? 2) which trait is most associated with bird specimen number? The associations between bird specimen number and explanatory variables were examined using ordinary least squares, generalized linear models, phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models, and multiple comparisons. The results showed that Muscicapidae was the family with the highest specimen number, and Passeriformes was the order with the highest specimen number. Bird specimen number significantly increased with larger temperature niche breadth and precipitation niche breadth. Specimen number was also positively associated with geographic range size, habitat specificity, hunting vulnerability and clutch size, but negatively associated with body size. These findings suggest that future bird specimen collection should pay more attention to birds with limited ecological niches, large body sizes, and small clutch sizes. This research enhances the use of bird specimen data to study and preserve biodiversity.

Geographic range size and species morphology determines the organization of sponge host-guest interaction networks across tropical coral reefs.

Sponges are widely spread organisms in the tropical reefs of the American Northwest-Atlantic Ocean, they structure ecosystems and provide services such as shelter, protection from predators, and food sources to a wide diversity of both vertebrates and invertebrates species. The high diversity of sponge-associated fauna can generate complex networks of species interactions over small and large spatial-temporal gradients. One way to start uncovering the organization of the sponge host-guest complex networks is to understand how the accumulated geographic area, the sponge morphology and, sponge taxonomy contributes to the connectivity of sponge species within such networks. This study is a meta-analysis based on previous sponge host-guest literature obtained in 65 scientific publications, yielding a total of 745 host-guest interactions between sponges and their associated fauna across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. We analyzed the sponge species contribution to network organization in the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs by using the combination of seven complementary species-level descriptors and related this importance with three main traits, sponge-accumulated geographic area, functional sponge morphology, and sponges' taxonomy bias. In general, we observed that sponges with a widespread distribution and a higher accumulated geographic area had a greater network structural contribution. Similarly, we also found that Cup-like and Massive functional morphologies trend to be shapes with a greater contribution to the interaction network organization compared to the Erect and Crust-like morphos. Lastly, we did not detect a taxonomy bias between interaction network organization and sponges' orders. These results highlight the importance of a specific combination of sponge traits to promote the diversity of association between reef sponges and their guest species.