Mountain Biodiversity Research Articles

Area protection safeguards mountain biodiversity against forest loss

Area protection safeguards mountain biodiversity against forest loss

Mountain Biodiversity in Romania

There exists a strong link between mountain regions and biodiversity. These regions represent the most important source of regional and global ecosystems forming the core elements of environmental and sustainable development policies. Mountains operate as true refuge for endemic species but are affected by uncontrolled human actions, while alpine meadows are exposed to losses of traditional pasture practices. Mountains can be analyzed from the economic, ecological, environmental, social, cultural viewpoints and their multidisciplinary nature is acknowledged both in the academic milieu and by decision makers involved in territorial development policy. The negative impact of economic activities in mountain regions is becoming more visible, therefore, necessitating a sustainable approach to preserve the biodiversity and habitat in order to salvage the fragile ecological balance. The present paper gives an overview of the relationship between biodiversity and sustainability within mountain regions and its implications on the economic and social development process. By interpreting the finding of previous research and studies, the article presents the current knowledge of mountain biodiversity in Europe and Romania and its relationship with sustainable development process.

Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal) - setting the scene for mountain biodiversity monitoring.

Mountain insect biodiversity is unique, but is menaced by different drivers, particularly climate and land-use changes. In mainland Portugal, the highest mountain - Serra da Estrela - is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots, being classified as Natural Park since 1976. Many lepidopteran and odonate species, including rare and protected species, are known to occur in Serra da Estrela, but basic knowledge on their abundance, distribution and ecology is still lacking. Standardised sampling of these communities is crucial to provide valuable biological information to support short-term decision-making for conservation management, setting simultaneously the standards for mountain biodiversity monitoring aiming to tackle the effects of environmental change in the long-term. This study reports novel information on lepidopteran and odonate species diversity, distribution and abundance from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal). Seventy-two lepidopteran and 26 odonate species were sampled in this protected area, including the first findings of Apaturailia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775), Macromiasplendens (Pictet, 1843) and Vanessavirginiensis (Drury, 1773). New populations of Euphydriasaurinia (Rottemburg, 1775) and Oxygastracurtisii (Dale, 1834), protected species under the Habitats Directive, were found in this Natural Park and novel distribution and ecological data were collected for most species, including several rare species and subspecies [e.g. Aeshnajuncea (Linnaeus, 1758), Coenonymphaglycerioniphioides Staudinger, 1870, Cyanirissemiargus (Rottemburg, 1775) and Sympetrumflaveolum (Linnaeus, 1758)]. All data were collected using standardised sampling allowing its use as a baseline for biodiversity monitoring in Serra da Estrela.

Multiple origins of mountain biodiversity in New Zealand's largest plant radiation

AbstractAimHow mountains accumulate species diversity remains poorly understood, particularly the relative role of in situ cladogenesis compared with colonization from lower elevations. Here, we estimated the contributions of in situ cladogenesis and colonization in generating biodiversity of a large mountain plant radiation and determined the importance of niche adaptation and divergence in these processes. We expected cladogenesis would accompany novel habitats formed by mountain uplift, but colonization would become more important with time as dispersal opportunities accrue.LocationNew Zealand, Southern Alps.TaxonVeronica sect. Hebe (Plantaginaceae).MethodsWe estimated the most complete time‐calibrated phylogeny to date for Veronica sect. Hebe to quantify rates of in situ cladogenesis and colonization of mountain habitat based on historical biogeographical models. We used environmental niche modelling to quantify species' climate niches and estimate niche disparity and divergence over time.ResultsIn situ cladogenesis generated more species in the mountains than colonization from lowlands. Whereas cladogenesis slowed over time, colonization increased, especially in the alpine zone. Both adaptive ecological speciation along climate niche axes and non‐adaptive, vicariant speciation contributed to cladogenesis. However, climate niche disparity through time became saturated, suggesting competition for niche space was important. Colonization brought more divergent species into mountain niches.Main ConclusionsWe suggest mountain diversity accumulates through three main stages: high cladogenesis after initial colonization, decreasing cladogenesis with increasing competition and increasing colonization after niches saturate, likely promoted by niche divergence. Combining lineage and mountain uplift trajectories, these stages provide a conceptual model to understand how diversity accumulates elsewhere. Assuming these deep‐time findings apply to anthropogenic conditions, alpine specialists could struggle to outcompete colonizers facilitated by climate change, especially from generalist clades. Considering novel competitive interactions alongside niche traits and biogeographical processes will be crucial for predicting the fate of alpine biodiversity in a changing world.

Drivers of Insect Community Change along the Margins of Mountain Streams in Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal).

Mountain ecosystems are important biodiversity hotspots and valuable natural laboratories to study community assembly processes. Here, we analyze the diversity patterns of butterflies and odonates in a mountainous area of high conservation value-Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal)-and we assess the drivers of community change for each of the two insect groups. The butterflies and odonates were sampled along 150 m transects near the margins of three mountain streams, at three elevation levels (500, 1000, and 1500 m). We found no significant differences in odonate species richness between elevations, but marginal differences (p = 0.058) were found for butterflies due to the lower number of species at high altitudes. Both insect groups showed significant differences in beta diversity (βtotal) between elevations, with species richness differences being the most important component for odonates (βrich = 55.2%), while species replacement drove the changes between butterfly assemblages (βrepl = 60.3%). Climatic factors, particularly those depicting harsher conditions of temperature and precipitation, were the best predictors of total beta diversity (βtotal) and its components (βrich, βrepl) for the two study groups. The study of insect biodiversity patterns in mountain ecosystems and of the role played by different predictors contribute to further our understanding on the community assembly processes and may help to better predict environmental change impacts on mountain biodiversity.

The “eco-story” of a mountain range: the development of Socio-Ecological Disturbance Regimes in the northern Drakensberg and consequences for grassland-plant diversity

The phenomenal level of biodiversity in the Drakensberg mountains was shaped by and depends on the disturbance regimes which prevailed before the intensification of human settlement in the region. Global change has, however, changed these disturbance regimes leaving an uncertain future for biodiversity. In order to reduce uncertainty around the influence of human society on biodiversity, we propose the Socio-Ecological Disturbance Regime (S-EDR) construct, which implicitly considers the effects of interactions between society, ecosystems, and associated disturbance regimes. We aimed to provide insight into how disturbance regimes have deviated from their “natural” range of variation, and developed into novel S-EDRs that are increasing uncertainty around the fate of plant diversity in the region. Drakensberg grasslands house high levels of indigenous grassland-plant species, many of which only occur in this mountain range. To achieve this we present findings from palaeoecological, through to more recent history, to establish the context of disturbance regimes in this landscape. Over the last 150–200 years there have been rapid and large changes in disturbance regimes, and these novel S-EDRs are demonstrated to have been shaped by interactions between the dominant “social systems” in the study area, that is, communal, private, and protected areas, and the nature of the ecosystems they inhabit. Owing to their prevalence in the landscape the disturbance regime components, fire and herbivory, and land transformation, are focused on. Understanding the nature of developed S-EDRs will be important for understanding contemporary research, guiding future investigations, and the maintenance of plant diversity in Drakensberg grasslands.

Vegetação Natural de Ambientes Montanhosos: Morraria do Urucum e Serra do Amolar, Pantanal, Brasil

Mountainous environments are considered unique habitats with distinct ecosystem characteristics. Therefore, more studies must understand and characterize these habitats to improve their preservation. Therefore, this paper aims to characterize two mountainous areas in Central Brazil, Morraria do Urucum and Serra do Amolar to address a discussion about the ‘Campos de Altitude’ (altitude grasslands) vegetation above 700 m altitude. Differently from Serra do Amolar, Morraria do Urucum does not have Conservation Units in its territory, raising concerns related to its preservation. Actions are urgent to prevent the loss of mountainous biodiversity, but these must reflect ecological properties and successional processes and, therefore, allow adequate management practices

Establish of important habitats for dryland mountain biodiversity by their lichen species

The study of lichens, which are species sensitive to environmental changes, is of great use. As a result of our analysis of lichen biodiversity, it is shown that the habitats of dry grass meadows from the Baraat ridge of the village Hujirt-Bagh from the somon Must, Khuvd Aimak are extremely rare in the Altai-Sayan region and are important habitats for the gene pool and habitat of the rare genetic resources of lichens.
 As a result of the research, 52 species from 32 genera of 17 families were registered, of which 7 species were found for the first time in the mountainous dry steppe vegetation of the geographical region of Mongolia Altai. And also found extremely rare and Altai-Sayan endemics Evernia terrestris and another 12 species with the status of rarity. According to available data, this mountainous area can be considered the southernmost boundary of the lichen range, for which a question of protection should be raised. The study also determined that the diversity of substrate habitats is more important than the size of the area of the species range, taking into account, all known lichen species as referring to the environment and the availability of moisture on the surface of the growth, and how they adapt. In the modern era of climate change, local protection of this unique ecosystem of habitats isolated in dry and arid mountainous areas will help the Bodonchu River, which is important for the diversity of extremely rare and rare vascular and nonvascular (cryptogam) plant species also small mammals of reptiles and birds. The protection of the habitat of one of the main sources of the Bodonça River Basin and the livelihoods of pastoralists must be valued.
 Хуурай гандуу уулархаг нутгийн биологийн олон янз байдалд чухал амьдрах орчинг хагийн төрөл зүйлээр тогтоох нь(Ховд аймгийн Мөст сум, Хужирт багийн Бараат уулын жишээн дээр)
 Хураангуй: Орчны өөрчлөлтийн мэдрэг төрөл зүйл болох хагийн судалгаагаар Ховд аймгийн Мөст сум, Хужирт багийн Бараат уулын алаг өвст бушилзат нугажуу хээрийн амьдрах орчинг Алтай-Соёны бүс нутгийн хувьд нэн ховор, ховор хагийн генетик нөөцийн удмын сан, амьдрах орчны хувьд чухал газар нутаг болохыг нотлов. Судалгааны үр дүнд 17 овгийн 32 төрлийн 52 зүйл бүртгэснээс Монгол-Алтайн уулын хээрийн тойрогт шинээр 7 зүйл, Алтай-Соёны эндемик бөгөөд нэн ховор Evernia terrestris, мөн ховор статустай 12 зүйл хагийн тархацын хамгийн өмнөд хязгаартаа орших уулархаг бүс нутаг гэж үзэн Ховд аймгийн орон нутгийн хамгаалалтад авах асуудлыг хөндөж байна. Мөн судалгаагаар мэдэгдэж буй нийт зүйл хагийг хүрээлэн буй орчны болон ургах гадаргуун хур чийгийн хүртээмжтэй хэрхэн холбогдож, хэрхэн дасан зохицож буй шинжийг тус тус харгалзан зүйлийн тархцад талбайн их багаас илүүтэй амьдрах орчны субстратын олон янз байдал чухал гэдгийг тогтоов. Уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтийн өнөө цаг үед хуурай гандуу уулархаг нутагт тусгаарлагдсан энэхүү өвөрмөц амьдрах орчны экосистемийг орон нутгийн хамгаалалтад авснаар нэн ховор, ховор цэцэгт гуурст болон спорт гуурсгүй (криптогам) ургамлын төрөл зүйлийн олон янз байдал, жижиг хөхтөн, хэвлээр явагчид болон шувуудад ач холбогдол бүхий Бодонч голын ай савын нэг томоохон эх ундрагын амьдрах орчныг хамгаалах, малчдын амьжиргааг тэтгэх зэрэгт үнэлж баршгүй ач холбогдол өгөх учиртай.
 Түлхүүр үгс: Бараат уул, нэн ховор, ховор хаг, үйл ажиллагааны мэдрэг шинж

Genetic differentiation, demographic history and distribution models of high alpine endemic vicariants outline the response of species to predicted climate changes in a Central Asian biodiversity hotspot

Understanding species distribution, genetic diversification and evolutionary history is extremely important for mountainous regions with a high diversity of endemic species, which are particularly sensitive to climate change. In this study, we use environmental and molecular data obtained from genome-wide analyses to infer the genetic variability, demographic processes, and response of the cold-adapted, endemic geographical-vicariants Stipa gracilis (distributed in the Tian Shan Mts) and S. zeravshanica (distributed in the western Pamir-Alai Mts) to Quaternary climatic oscillations in a Central Asian mountain biodiversity hotspot. Genomic-based reconstructions of demographic history indicate that the examined endemics presented larger effective population sizes during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period and experienced parallel demographic declines afterward. The results of fastSTRUCTURE analysis revealed three genetic clusters within S. gracilis populations and two within S. zeravshanica. The past distribution models reveals the glacial connectivity of both species, resulting in the detection of an admixture of S. zeravshanica genes in the specimens from the westernmost ‘Alaian’ population of S. gracilis. Although the occurrence of both species is closely associated with calcareous rocks, the differences in the ranges of the species distributions depend mostly on climatic factors, especially temperature and precipitation. The wider realized ecological niche of S. gracilis allows it to better adapt to global warming and potentially extend its range in the future, while S. zeravshanica, with its narrower niche, is more susceptible to environmental changes and potentially at risk of extinction. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the factors shaping the distribution and genetic differentiation of mountain endemic species and provide a theoretical basis for their conservation by identifying areas sensitive to climate change in biodiversity hotspots.

Demographic history, local adaptation and vulnerability to climate change in a tropical mountain bird in New Guinea

AbstractAimTo investigate how and when allopatric populations of a widely spread mountain bird in New Guinea, Amblyornis macgregoriae, have diversified, how they differ genetically, and how they may respond to future climate conditions.LocationNew Guinea.MethodsUsing whole‐genome resequencing data for 26 individuals of A. macgregoriae, we studied how geographically separate populations of this species have responded to past environmental change and how this may have shaped their current genomic structure. We estimated genotype–environment associations and variation in genomic offset to predict how the different populations may respond to climate change.ResultsA. macgregoriae today has six allopatric mountain populations, occupying sky‐islands with limited gene flow between them. We show that these populations fall into three distinct genetic clusters. Through genotype–environment modelling, we identified annual precipitation and seasonal and day‐to‐night temperature fluctuations as the environmental factors that explain most of the genetic variation in A. macgregoriae. By comparing current and predicted future (RCP 8.5 greenhouse gas scenario for year 2070) genomic variation, we found that the populations close to the Strickland Gorge region in Central Range are those most heavily affected by the predicted climate conditions.Main conclusionsThe A. macgregoriae populations have fluctuated in size as the glacial cycles caused their montane habitats to repeatedly expand and contract. Low gene flow between populations promoted local adaptation and increased genetic divergence, resulting in a considerable variation in their genomic offset to future climate conditions. Understanding populations' differential response to the ongoing global warming is important for conservation strategy planning, not least for the sensitive mountainous biodiversity in New Guinea.

Land use and land cover change in a tropical mountain landscape of northern Ecuador: Altitudinal patterns and driving forces

Tropical mountain ecosystems are threatened by land use pressures, compromising their capacity to provide ecosystem services. Although local patterns and interactions among anthropogenic and biophysical factors shape these socio-ecological systems, the analysis of landscape changes and their driving forces is often qualitative and sector oriented. Using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, we characterized land use land cover (LULC) dynamics using Markov chain probabilities by elevation and geographic settings and then integrated them with a variety of publicly available geospatial and temporal data into a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to evaluate factors driving such landscape dynamics in a sensitive region of the northern Ecuadorian Andes. In previous agricultural land located at lower elevations to the east of the studied territory, we found a significant expansion of floriculture (13 times) and urban areas (25 times), reaching together almost 10% of the territory from 1990 to 2014. Our findings also revealed an unexpected trend of páramo stability (0.75-0.90), but also a 40% reduction of montane forests, with the lowest probability (<0.50) of persistence in the elevation band of 2800-3300 m; agricultural land is replacing this LULC classes at higher elevation. These trends highlight the increasing threat of permanently losing the already vulnerable native mountain biodiversity. GAMs of socio-economic factors, demographic, infrastructure variables, and environmental parameters explained between 21 to 42% of the variation of LULC transitions observed in the study region, where topographic factors was the main drivers of change. The conceptual and methodological approach of our findings demonstrate how dynamic patterns through space and time and their explanatory drivers can assist local authorities and decision makers to improve sustainable resource land management in vulnerable landscapes such as the tropical Andes in northern Ecuador.

Understanding climate change impacts on biome and plant distributions in the Andes: Challenges and opportunities.

AimClimate change is expected to impact mountain biodiversity by shifting species ranges and the biomes they shape. The extent and regional variation in these impacts are still poorly understood, particularly in the highly biodiverse Andes. Regional syntheses of climate change impacts on vegetation are pivotal to identify and guide research priorities. Here we review current data, knowledge and uncertainties in past, present and future climate change impacts on vegetation in the Andes. Location: Andes. Taxon: Plants.MethodsWe (i) conducted a literature review on Andean vegetation responses to past and contemporary climatic change, (ii) analysed future climate projections for different elevations and slope orientations at 19 Andean locations using an ensemble of model outputs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5, and (iii) calculated changes in the suitable climate envelope area of Andean biomes and compared these results to studies that used species distribution models.ResultsFuture climatic changes (2040–2070) are projected to be stronger at high‐elevation areas in the tropical Andes (up to 4°C under RCP 8.5), while in the temperate Andes temperature increases are projected to be up to 2°C. Under this worst‐case scenario, temperate deciduous forests and the grasslands/steppes from the Central and Southern Andes are predicted to show the greatest losses of suitable climatic space (30% and 17%–23%, respectively). The high vulnerability of these biomes contrasts with the low attention from researchers modelling Andean species distributions. Critical knowledge gaps include a lack of an Andean wide plant checklist, insufficient density of weather stations at high‐elevation areas, a lack of high‐resolution climatologies that accommodates the Andes' complex topography and climatic processes, insufficient data to model demographic and ecological processes, and low use of palaeo data for distribution modelling.Main conclusionsClimate change is likely to profoundly affect the extent and composition of Andean biomes. Temperate Andean biomes in particular are susceptible to substantial area contractions. There are, however, considerable challenges and uncertainties in modelling species and biome responses and a pressing need for a region‐wide approach to address knowledge gaps and improve understanding and monitoring of climate change impacts in these globally important biomes.

The uplift of the Hengduan Mountains contributed to the speciation of three Rhododendron species

Plant speciation in mountain systems is crucial for shaping plant biodiversity, particularly for those endemic species with small populations. The mountain-geobiodiversity hypothesis (MGH) is among the possible mechanisms underlying mountain biodiversity. To test the MGH, we selected three Rhododendron species occupying the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) as focal species and then genotyped 12 populations using Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to reveal their speciation and divergence history. We found that there was high interspecific differentiation, low gene flow, and a high genetic drift among three Rhododendron species, suggesting that founder effects might play a key role in their differentiation. Historical gene flow occurred from R. brachypodum to R. calophytum var. pauciflorum. The effective population size of three Rhododendron species declined about 1 Kya ago. Rhododendron brachypodum experienced a bottleneck event during the Last Glacial Maximum (15–20 Kya). Three Rhododendron species diverged between 15.5 Mya and 3.13 Mya, which might be associated with the uplift of the HDM. These findings suggest that the speciation of three Rhododendron may be partly attributable to geological processes and climate fluctuations, strongly supporting the MGH. Additionally, our results provide new insights into the speciation patterns of endemic species and the protection of narrow-ranged species in mountain systems.

Identifying Connectivity Conservation Priorities among Protected Areas in Qinling-Daba Mountains, China

Mountain biodiversity is under unprecedented threat due to climate change and excessive human activity. Although protected areas (PAs) are the cornerstone of nature conservation, it is increasingly hard for isolated PAs to maintain the species and ecological processes they depend on in the long term. Linking nature reserves to form a large and connected conservation network is regarded as the optimal measure, but research in this field is lacking in China. We mapped PAs in the Qinling-Daba Mountains in China and identified corridors among PAs and the corridors’ key nodes using a least-cost analysis and circuit theory to model an ecological connectivity conservation network for the region. The results showed that this large ecological network has 46 habitat patches connected by 88 corridors, with 69 pinchpoints, 86 barriers and 37 stepping stones in and around the corridors. In this study, 34.86% of suitable habitats have little or no protection and, in the future, these areas should be developed with caution, with more emphasis on protecting their ecological connectivity. This study used connectivity analysis to construct large ecological corridors based on PAs, providing a framework for connectivity conservation at the biogeographic scale and a scientific reference for further, subsequent conservation actions.

A hierarchical inventory of the world\u2019s mountains for global comparative mountain science

A standardized delineation of the world’s mountains has many applications in research, education, and the science-policy interface. Here we provide a new inventory of 8616 mountain ranges developed under the auspices of the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA). Building on an earlier compilation, the presented geospatial database uses a further advanced and generalized mountain definition and a semi-automated method to enable globally standardized, transparent delineations of mountain ranges worldwide. The inventory is presented on EarthEnv at various hierarchical levels and allows users to select their preferred level of regional aggregation from continents to small subranges according to their needs and the scale of their analyses. The clearly defined, globally consistent and hierarchical nature of the presented mountain inventory offers a standardized resource for referencing and addressing mountains across basic and applied natural as well as social sciences and a range of other uses in science communication and education.

Elevational patterns of phylogenetic structure of angiosperms in a biodiversity hotspot in eastern Himalaya

AbstractAimsThe tropical niche conservatism (TNC) hypothesis and the out of the tropics (OTT) hypothesis propose mechanisms generating patterns of species diversity across warm‐to‐cold thermal gradients at large spatial scales. These two hypotheses both integrate ecological and biogeography‐related evolutionary factors, but they predict opposite patterns for phylogenetic structure. Mount Namjagbarwa possesses one of the longest elevational gradients for flowering plant diversity in the world. We aim to analyse the elevational patterns of the phylogenetic structure of flowering plants in this mountain, and investigate underlying causes for the emergence of the patterns.LocationMt. Namjagbarwa located at the eastern edge of the Himalaya.MethodsSpecies distribution data of Mt. Namjagbarwa were extracted from specimen records in online sources, literature, herbarium and our fieldwork. Bioclimatic data were extracted from the CHELSA database. Mt. Namjagbarwa was divided into 100‐m elevational belts, which were grouped into three elevation segments (100–2000 m, 2000–4000 m and 4000–5200 m) for data analysis. We calculated phylogenetic metrics for each belt. The relationships of phylogenetic metrics with elevation and climatic factors were analysed using generalized additive models and structural equation models.ResultsA typical hump‐shaped pattern of species richness was observed along the elevational gradient of Mt. Namjagbarwa. However, the phylogenetic structure showed a zig‐zag pattern with the three elevation segments, each of which has different formation mechanisms. Temperature tolerance played important roles throughout the entire elevational gradient in species richness and phylogenetic structure.Main conclusionsNeither TNC nor OTT alone can fully explain the patterns of floristic assembly of the entire elevational gradient of Mt. Namjagbarwa. OTT and TNC are better explanation for the patterns of low and middle elevations respectively. Potential mechanisms for species assembly of different elevation segments in Mt. Namjagbarwa region alternate between niche convergence and niche conservatism. The patterns observed in this study are likely to be common across the entire Himalaya. This is important for preserving the evolutionary potential of mountain biodiversity. However, more studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms generating the zig‐zag pattern of the phylogenetic structure in the Himalaya.

Seasonal elevational patterns and the underlying mechanisms of avian diversity and community structure on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga

AbstractAimMountain ecosystems harbour significant biodiversity across elevations and seasons. This biodiversity, however, is increasingly under threat from climate change and human land use. While much work has been done to characterize biodiversity in tropical mountains, far less is known about the environmental, seasonal and spatial factors that impact diversity and community structure in subtropical and temperate regions.LocationMt. Gongga, Sichuan, China: the eastern‐most peak in Asia above 7000‐m elevation and the main peak of the Hengduan Mountains.MethodWe examined elevational patterns and ecological variables underlying taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), functional diversity (FD) and community structure in birds on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga between 1100‐ and 4400‐m elevation. We assessed biodiversity patterns between species with different elevational range sizes (small‐ vs. large‐ranged species) and between seasons (breeding vs. non‐breeding season).ResultsWe recorded 230 bird species across seven field surveys. TD, PD and FD showed similar hump‐shaped elevational patterns in both seasons. In the breeding season, TD, PD and FD for small‐ranged species were highly correlated with climatic factors (mean daily temperature, seasonal temperature range) and vegetation factors (enhanced vegetation index), while large‐ranged species were correlated with spatial factors (mid‐domain effect). In the non‐breeding season, TD, PD and FD for all species groupings were positively correlated with climate factors. For small‐ranged species in both seasons, community structure was more overdispersed at low and high elevations, and more clustered at middle elevations. For large‐ranged species, community structure differed between seasons, showing a general trend towards clustering as elevations increase in the breeding season and trends towards overdispersion and/or evenness as elevations increase in the non‐breeding season.ConclusionsWe found that different factors shape elevational patterns of diversity for small‐ and large‐ranged species in the breeding season; small‐ranged species are shaped by climate and vegetation structure, while large‐ranged species are shaped by spatial factors. This difference is likely explained by differences in ecological niche breadth (physiological tolerance and/or habitat specialization) between small‐ranged species and large‐ranged species. In the non‐breeding season, however, when climate is seasonally harsher, we found that patterns of diversity for all range‐size groupings were driven by climatic factors. We also found that community structure generally becomes more overdispersed as resource availability decreases and environmental conditions become harsher, like at higher elevations and in the non‐breeding season, suggesting that competition for limited resources is important for shaping communities in seasonal environments. These findings highlight how avian diversity and community structure are dynamic across a local elevational gradient and seasonally, shifting across the annual cycle, which has implications for conservation strategies and land management.

山地景观遗传学研究文献综述

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 山地景观遗传学研究文献综述 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202106191631 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金面上项目31970431；生态环境部生物多样性调查、观测与评估项目（2019HJ2096001006） Research progress and future outlook of mountain landscape genetics studies Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:山地生态系统是生物多样性分布与保护的热点。山地景观遗传学（Mountain Landscape Genetics）研究在山地景观尺度上野生生物的种群遗传格局及其驱动机制和影响因素，是景观遗传学（Landscape Genetics）的重要分支。山地景观遗传学研究对于深入理解物种的空间遗传结构、形成过程、物种形成与分化机制具有重要意义与价值，同时可以为珍稀濒危物种和山地生物多样性的有效保护与管理提供科学指导。为了更好地掌握目前山地景观遗传学的发展趋势与重点研究问题，为未来生物多样性与山地生态系统的保护管理提供科学参考，基于对Web of Science核心数据库和中国知网数据库的系统检索，全面汇总分析了1999-2020年山地景观遗传学领域发表的192篇英文文献与31篇中文文献。结果显示，该领域自2008年起迅速发展，截至2020年共有46个国家的研究机构发表了山地景观遗传相关研究，研究热点地区包括北美洲的落基山脉、内华达山脉、阿巴拉契亚山脉，欧洲的阿尔卑斯山脉、比利牛斯山脉，以及亚洲的喜马拉雅-横断山脉。研究对象类群涵盖真菌、植物、节肢动物、脊椎动物，其中脊椎动物是研究发表最多的类群，占发表文献总数的62.0%；脊椎动物中，又以对哺乳类（占脊椎动物发表文献总数的52.9%）与两栖类（23.5%）的研究最多。目前主要的研究方向包括：（1）识别山地景观中的基因流路径或阻碍；（2）量化山地景观特征对种群遗传结构时空变化的影响。中国是发表山地景观遗传学文章数量最多的亚洲国家，近十年来相关研究发展迅速，研究类群以植物（占在中国发表文献总数的62.3%）与脊椎动物（35.8%）为主，对脊椎动物的研究中以两栖动物为最多（占所有脊椎动物发文数量的52.6%），研究区域主要集中在喜马拉雅-横断山脉与秦岭。本文进一步对目前山地景观遗传学研究中存在的空缺及未来重点关注问题提出建议。 Abstract:Mountain ecosystems are hotspots of biodiversity distribution and conservation. Mountain landscape genetics is an important branch of the subject Landscape Genetics, which studies the genetic patterns of wild populations, their underlining mechanisms and influencing factors at the mountain landscape scale. Mountain landscape genetics research is of great significance for in-depth understanding of the formation of species’ spatial genetic structure, speciation and differentiation mechanism, and can provide important guidance for the effective conservation and management of rare and endangered species and mountain biodiversity. To better understand the development trend and key research issues in the field of mountain landscape genetics, and to provide scientific reference for protection and management of biodiversity and mountain ecosystems in the future, we systematically reviewed relevant studies retrieved from the core database of Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). A total of 192 English and 31 Chinese literatures in the field of mountain landscape genetics published from 1999 to 2020 were summarized and analyzed. The results showed that the field has been developing rapidly since 2008, with numerous research institutions from 46 nations involved in these published studies. The geographical research hotspots included the Rockies, Sierra Nevada, and Appalachians in North America, the Alps and Pyrenees in Europe, and the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains in Asia. The studied taxa included fungi, plants, arthropods and vertebrates, where vertebrates were the most studied taxon accounting for 62.0% of the total number of published English articles. Among the vertebrates, mammals (accounting for 52.9% the total number of vertebrate articles) and amphibians (23.5%) were the most studied taxa. Current research directions of mountain landscape genetics mainly include: (1) identifying paths or barriers of gene flow in the mountain landscapes; and (2) quantifying the effects of mountain landscape characteristics on the temporal and spatial variations of population genetic structure. Of all Asian countries, China has published the largest number of articles on mountain landscape genetics. Research on mountain landscape genetics in China has been rapidly advancing in the past decade, with plants (accounting for 62.3% the total number of Chinese studies) and vertebrates (35.8%) being the focal taxa. The largest number of vertebrate studies were conducted on amphibians (accounting for 52.6% the total number of vertebrate publications). Himalayas and Qinling Mountains were the focal mountainous regions in China. In this review, we also provide suggestions about the gaps existing in mountain landscape genetics and the key research issues to be addressed for current and future studies. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Evolutionary history of Massartella (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae) suggests ancient vicariant event between biotas of the Pantepui and Atlantic Forest highlands

AbstractSouth America's complex geological and environmental dynamics contributed to the origin of Neotropical biodiversity and shaped the pattern of species distribution on the continent. Massartella Lestage (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae, Atalophlebiinae) is a genus currently composed of five species endemic to South America, with a disjunct distribution, occurring in mountains along the Atlantic Forest and in the Venezuelan Pantepui region. Here, we use Bayesian phylogenetic trees, fossil‐based molecular dating and ancestral range estimation to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Massartella. Results recovered the genus and the Pantepui and Atlantic Forest lineages as reciprocally monophyletic, and suggest that a vicariant event separated populations of the last common ancestor of these clades ca. 66 Ma, between the Middle Cretaceous and the Palaeogene. The diversification processes started at the same time in both lineages, and the reciprocal monophyly of clades indicates no subsequent connections between these areas, or the extinction of intermediates. Mountain biodiversity has the signature of both ancient and recent geoclimatic events and ecological processes that probably were responsible for isolating the Pantepui and Atlantic Forest lineages, as well as the speciation processes within these regions.

Climate change effects on multi-taxa pollinator diversity and distribution along the elevation gradient of Mount Olympus, Greece

Climate change is predicted to dramatically affect mountain biodiversity and especially mountain pollination systems due to the mutual dependence between plants and pollinators. In this work, we investigate climate change effects on pollinator distribution and diversity along the altitudinal gradient of Mt. Olympus, a biodiversity hotspot.We used a species distribution modelling framework and predicted species richness hotspots, potential distribution and altitude change for 114 pollinator species, comprising bees, butterflies, and hoverflies along the altitudinal gradient (327–2596 m a.s.l.).We projected potential loss of suitable habitat and upward shift for most pollinator groups, with the exception of bumblebees and hoverflies which were predicted to descend. Pollinator extinctions were not forecasted; instead, we observed a pronounced species-specific response to climate change. Species richness hotspots will be relocated to higher altitudes and to the north-eastern mountain side.Projections for substantial but not detrimental climate change effects on pollinator fauna may be due to species differential resilience to climate change along with the existence of microrefugia on Mt. Olympus. Divergent response to global warming by bumblebees and hoverflies is probably due to species distribution modelling limitations, resulting in exclusion of the rarest species. We conclude that the predicted climate change impact stresses for the need of urgent conservation measures, including the expansion of the protection status over the whole mountain.