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Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level

Author

Listed:
  • Marcell K. Peters

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • Andreas Hemp

    (University of Bayreuth)

  • Tim Appelhans

    (Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg)

  • Christina Behler

    (Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm)

  • Alice Classen

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • Florian Detsch

    (Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg)

  • Andreas Ensslin

    (Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern)

  • Stefan W. Ferger

    (Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F))

  • Sara B. Frederiksen

    (Animal Ecology, University of Marburg
    Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen)

  • Friederike Gebert

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • Michael Haas

    (Animal Ecology, University of Marburg)

  • Maria Helbig-Bonitz

    (Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm)

  • Claudia Hemp

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • William J. Kindeketa

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland
    Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology)

  • Ephraim Mwangomo

    (Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg
    Mount Kilimanjaro National Park)

  • Christine Ngereza

    (Animal Ecology, University of Marburg
    National Museum of Tanzania)

  • Insa Otte

    (Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg)

  • Juliane Röder

    (Animal Ecology, University of Marburg)

  • Gemma Rutten

    (Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern)

  • David Schellenberger Costa

    (Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg)

  • Joseph Tardanico

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • Giulia Zancolli

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland
    Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Lab, School of Biological Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University)

  • Jürgen Deckert

    (Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science)

  • Connal D. Eardley

    (Agricultural Research Council—Plant Protection Research: Plant Health and Protection
    School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal)

  • Ralph S. Peters

    (Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig)

  • Mark-Oliver Rödel

    (Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science)

  • Matthias Schleuning

    (Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F))

  • Axel Ssymank

    (Falkenweg 6)

  • Victor Kakengi

    (Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute)

  • Jie Zhang

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

  • Katrin Böhning-Gaese

    (Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)
    Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Biologicum)

  • Roland Brandl

    (Animal Ecology, University of Marburg)

  • Elisabeth K.V. Kalko

    (Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm
    Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

  • Michael Kleyer

    (Landscape Ecology Group, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg)

  • Thomas Nauss

    (Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg)

  • Marco Tschapka

    (Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm
    Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

  • Markus Fischer

    (Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern
    Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F))

  • Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter

    (Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland)

Abstract

The factors determining gradients of biodiversity are a fundamental yet unresolved topic in ecology. While diversity gradients have been analysed for numerous single taxa, progress towards general explanatory models has been hampered by limitations in the phylogenetic coverage of past studies. By parallel sampling of 25 major plant and animal taxa along a 3.7 km elevational gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro, we quantify cross-taxon consensus in diversity gradients and evaluate predictors of diversity from single taxa to a multi-taxa community level. While single taxa show complex distribution patterns and respond to different environmental factors, scaling up diversity to the community level leads to an unambiguous support for temperature as the main predictor of species richness in both plants and animals. Our findings illuminate the influence of taxonomic coverage for models of diversity gradients and point to the importance of temperature for diversification and species coexistence in plant and animal communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcell K. Peters & Andreas Hemp & Tim Appelhans & Christina Behler & Alice Classen & Florian Detsch & Andreas Ensslin & Stefan W. Ferger & Sara B. Frederiksen & Friederike Gebert & Michael Haas & Mar, 2016. "Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13736
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13736
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    Cited by:

    1. Shen, Jiashu & Li, Shuangcheng & Liang, Ze & Liu, Laibao & Li, Delong & Wu, Shuyao, 2020. "Exploring the heterogeneity and nonlinearity of trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services bundles in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    2. David Peris & Emily J. Ubbelohde & Meihua Christina Kuang & Jacek Kominek & Quinn K. Langdon & Marie Adams & Justin A. Koshalek & Amanda Beth Hulfachor & Dana A. Opulente & David J. Hall & Katie Hyma , 2023. "Macroevolutionary diversity of traits and genomes in the model yeast genus Saccharomyces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.

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