Global gradients in intertidal species richness and functional groups

eLife

Lloyd S Peck¹  Jakob Thyrring² 

[1] British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom;British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom;Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada;Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark;Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom;Marine Ecology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark;

关键词: α-diversity;    algae;    latitudinal diversity gradient;    littoral;    predation;    rocky shore;    Other;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.64541

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Whether global latitudinal diversity gradients exist in rocky intertidal α-diversity and across functional groups remains unknown. Using literature data from 433 intertidal sites, we investigated α-diversity patterns across 155° of latitude, and whether local-scale or global-scale structuring processes control α-diversity. We, furthermore, investigated how the relative composition of functional groups changes with latitude. α-Diversity differed among hemispheres with a mid-latitudinal peak in the north, and a non-significant unimodal pattern in the south, but there was no support for a tropical-to-polar decrease in α-diversity. Although global-scale drivers had no discernible effect, the local-scale drivers significantly affected α-diversity, and our results reveal that latitudinal diversity gradients are outweighed by local processes. In contrast to α-diversity patterns, species richness of three functional groups (predators, grazers, and suspension feeders) declined with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae. Polar and tropical intertidal data were sparse, and more sampling is required to improve knowledge of marine biodiversity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY