Papers by Pedro G da Silva
The dung beetle, Scybalocanthon nigriceps (Harold, 1868), is recorded in Rio Grande do Sul state,... more The dung beetle, Scybalocanthon nigriceps (Harold, 1868), is recorded in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, for the first time, at the Moreno Fortes Biological Reserve, municipality of Dois Irmãos das Missões, northwest region of the state, expanding the area of occurrence and distribution of this species in the country.
Ovitraps are generally used to collect immatures of Culicinae (Diptera: Culicidae). This study re... more Ovitraps are generally used to collect immatures of Culicinae (Diptera: Culicidae). This study reports eight species of beetles found in ovitraps placed in an Atlantic Forest fragment in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Seven species were classified in the family Scarabaeidae (subfamily Scarabaeinae), and one species in the family Hybosoridae (subfamily Hybosorinae). The first record of Canthon angularis Harold, 1868 in Rio Grande do Sul state is also documented. Resumo. Ocorrência de besouros (Insecta: Coleoptera) em ovitrampas de mosquitos (Diptera: Culicidae, Culicinae) em um fragmento da Mata Atlântica. Ovitrampas são geralmente usadas para coletar imaturos de Culicidae (Diptera). No entanto, este estudo reporta oito espécies de besouros encontrados em ovitrampas dispostas em um fragmento floresta de Mata Atlântica no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, sul do Brasil. Sete espécies foram classificadas na família Scarabaeidae (subfamília Scarabaeinae) e uma espécie na família Hybosoridae (subfamília Hybosorinae). O primeiro registro de Canthon angularis Harold, 1868 no estado do Rio Grande do Sul é também documentado.
| Teun Boekhout 74 | Katrin Böhning-Gaese 75,76 | Kevin J. Bonham 77 | Paulo A. V. Borges 78 | Sé... more | Teun Boekhout 74 | Katrin Böhning-Gaese 75,76 | Kevin J. Bonham 77 | Paulo A. V. Borges 78 | Sérgio H. Borges 79 | Céline Boutin 80 | Jérémy Bouyer 81,82 | Cibele Bragagnolo 83 | Jodi S. Brandt 84 | Francis Q. Brearley 85 | Isabel Brito 86 | Vicenç Bros 87,88 | Jörg Brunet 89 | Grzegorz Buczkowski 90 | Christopher M. Buddle 91 | Rob Bugter 92 | Erika Buscardo 93,94,95 | Jörn Buse 96 | Jimmy Cabra-García 97,98 | Nilton C. Cáceres 99 | Nicolette L. Cagle 100 | María
he PREDICTS project—Projec ng Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (... more he PREDICTS project—Projec ng Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representa ve database of comparable samples of biodiversity from mul ple sites that di er in the nature or intensity of human impacts rela ng to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional sta s cal models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 loca ons and represen ng over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of ques ons in ecology and conserva on biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representa ve database of spa al comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and interna onal e orts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems... more The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2
million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems... more The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems... more The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems... more The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
Ries ACR, Silva VC, da Silva PG, Blochtein B, Thyssen PJ. 2016. Record of Ataenius picinus Harold... more Ries ACR, Silva VC, da Silva PG, Blochtein B, Thyssen PJ. 2016. Record of Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) associated with exposed carcasses in Southern Brazil. Entomotropica 31(6): 48-53. Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 is a scarab beetle, which is distributed worldwide. Individuals of this species have been found associated with animal feces, soil samples, leaf litter and decaying fruit, as some cases on carcasses. In this study, we propose the extension of trophic niche of this species based on observations of alternative scavenging resources. Individuals were collected from the carcasses of domestic pigs in southern Brazil. We collected 126 individuals, which represented 68 % of beetles collected during the total decomposition period (14 days). The observed abundance was higher in the decay stage and thus, given this preference, this species may be useful for estimating the maximum postmortem interval, based on the chronology of species arrival at the resource. Resumo Ries ACR, Silva VC, da Silva PG, Blochtein B, Thyssen PJ. 2016. Record of Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) associated with exposed carcasses in Southern Brazil. Entomotropica 31(6): 48-53. Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 é um escarabeídeo com distribuição em todo mundo. Os indivíduos desta espécie têm sido encontrados associados com fezes de animais, amostras de solo, serapilheira e frutas em decomposição, e alguns casos em carcaças. Neste estudo, propomos a extensão do nicho trófico da espécie com base em observações de recursos de alimentação alternativos. Os indivíduos foram coletados a partir das carcaças de suínos domésticos no sul do Brasil. Foram coletados 126 indivíduos, o que representou 68 % dos besouros coletados durante o período de decomposição total (14 dias). A abundância observada foi maior na fase de murchamento, e dada essa preferência, a espécie pode ser útil para estimar intervalo post-mortem máximo, baseado na cronologia de chegada as espécies ao recurso. Palavras chave adicionais: Decomposição, entomologia forense, intervalo post-mortem.
Structure and organization of Scarabaeinae assemblages (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in different ve... more Structure and organization of Scarabaeinae assemblages (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in different vegetation types in Southern Brazil. Patterns of species richness, abundance, diversity, equitability and dominance, and the organization in feeding and behavioral guilds of Scarabaeinae fauna were analyzed in three different vegetation types (forest, native field and crop) in northwestern of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, among September and November 2012, with the use of pitfall traps baited with different resources (feces, rotting meat and fermented banana). A total of 9,325 specimens were captured, distributed in nine genera and 32 species. The most abundant species were Onthophagus aff. tristis Harold, 1873, Canthidium aff. trinodosum (Boheman, 1858), Canthon aff. fallax Harold, 1868, Canthon lividus Blanchard, 1845 and Deltochilum morbillosum Burmeister, 1848 which represented 65.54% of the total individuals sampled. The forest showed the highest values of number of individuals and species. The lower richness was observed in the field while the crop showed the lowest abundance of individuals. Scarabaeinae showed qualitative and quantitative differences in their assemblies across vegetation types sampled. The forest showed the highest observed species richness and a fraction of these are unique to this environment, and rarely occurs in other types of ecosystems. In general, the forest has a greater proportion of trophic generalist or copro-necrophagous species in its composition. Another part of this fauna, being largely represented by coprophagous species, is adapted to open environments indicating a change in food guild caused by replacing the forest with pasture. Thus, in a broader context the landscape can play an important role in diversity of dung beetles.
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, and is currently highl... more The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, and is currently highly fragmented and disturbed due to human activities. Variation in environmental conditions in the Atlantic Forest can influence the distribution of species, which may show associations with some environmental features. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) are insects that act in nutrient cycling via organic matter decomposition and have been used for monitoring environmental changes. The aim of this study is to identify associations between the spatial distribution of dung beetle species and Atlantic Forest structure. The spatial distribution of some dung beetle species was associated with structural forest features. The number of species among the sampling sites ranged widely, and few species were found in all remnant areas. Principal coordinates analysis indicated that species composition, abundance and biomass showed a spatially structured distribution, and these results were corroborated by permutational multivariate analysis of variance. The indicator value index and redundancy analysis showed an association of several dung beetle species with some explanatory environmental variables related to Atlantic Forest structure. This work demonstrated the existence of a spatially structured distribution of dung beetles, with significant associations between several species and forest structure in Atlantic Forest remnants from Southern Brazil.
Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 is a scarab beetle, which is distributed worldwide. Individuals of ... more Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 is a scarab beetle, which is distributed worldwide. Individuals of this species have been found associated with animal feces, soil samples, leaf litter and decaying fruit, as some cases on carcasses. In this study, we propose the extension of trophic niche of this species based on observations of alternative scavenging resources. Individuals were collected from the carcasses of domestic pigs in southern Brazil. We collected 126 individuals, which represented 68 % of beetles collected during the total decomposition period (14 days). The observed abundance was higher in the decay stage and thus, given this preference, this species may be useful for estimating the maximum postmortem interval, based on the chronology of species arrival at the resource. Resumo Ries ACR, Silva VC, da Silva PG, Blochtein B, Thyssen PJ. 2016. Record of Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) associated with exposed carcasses in Southern Brazil. Entomotropica 31(6): 48-53. Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868 é um escarabeídeo com distribuição em todo mundo. Os indivíduos desta espécie têm sido encontrados associados com fezes de animais, amostras de solo, serapilheira e frutas em decomposição, e alguns casos em carcaças. Neste estudo, propomos a extensão do nicho trófico da espécie com base em observações de recursos de alimentação alternativos. Os indivíduos foram coletados a partir das carcaças de suínos domésticos no sul do Brasil. Foram coletados 126 indivíduos, o que representou 68 % dos besouros coletados durante o período de decomposição total (14 dias). A abundância observada foi maior na fase de murchamento, e dada essa preferência, a espécie pode ser útil para estimar intervalo post-mortem máximo, baseado na cronologia de chegada as espécies ao recurso. Palavras chave adicionais: Decomposição, entomologia forense, intervalo post-mortem.
An extensive literature review was performed to determine the list of Aphodiinae species reported... more An extensive literature review was performed to determine the list of Aphodiinae species reported in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. A total of 35 Aphodiinae species belonging to two tribes and 12 genera have been recorded in southern Brazil. Twenty-nine species (82.8%) were recorded in Santa Catarina and 16 (45.7%) in Rio Grande do Sul. Only nine species (25.7%) were reported to occur in both states. Ataenius Harold, 1867 was the genus with the greatest number of species (20), followed by Saprosites Redtenbacher, 1858 with only three species. Other genera were represented by one or two species. New lists should be made for other Brazilian states. Resumo. Uma extensiva revisão da literatura foi realizada para listar as espécies de Aphodiinae dos estados de Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul. Um total de 35 espécies de Aphodiinae pertencentes a duas tribos e 12 gêneros foi registrado para a região estudada. Vinte e nove espécies (82,8%) foram registradas para Santa Catarina e 16 (45,7%) para o Rio Grande do Sul. Apenas nove espécies (25,7%) foram compartilhadas por ambos os estados. Ataenius Harold, 1867 foi o gênero com o maior número de espécies (20), seguindo por Saprosites Redtenbacher, 1858 com apenas três espécies. Os outros gêneros foram representados por uma ou duas espécies. Novas listas devem ser feitas para outros estados brasileiros. Palavras-Chave: Escarabeídeos; Mata Atlântica; Pampa; Sul do Brasil.
A primary goal of community ecologists is to understand the processes underlying the spatiotempor... more A primary goal of community ecologists is to understand the processes underlying the spatiotemporal patterns of species distribution. Understanding the dispersal process is of great interest in ecology because it is related to several mechanisms driving community structure. We investigated the mobility of dung beetles using mark-release-recapture technique, and tested the usefulness of the current recommendation for interaction distance between baited pitfall traps in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We found differences in mean movement rate between Scarabaeinae species, and between species with different sets of ecological traits. Large-diurnal-tunneler species showed greater mobility than did both large-nocturnal tunneler and roller species. Our results suggest that, based on the analyses of the whole community or the species with the highest number of recaptured individuals, the minimum distance of 50 m between pairs of baited pitfall traps proposed roughly 10 years ago is inadequate. Dung beetle species with different sets of ecological traits may differ in their dispersal ability, so we suggest a new minimum distance of 100 m between pairs of traps to minimize interference between baited pitfall traps for sampling copronecrophagous Scarabaeinae dung beetles.
Community structure is driven by mechanisms linked to environmental, spatial and temporal process... more Community structure is driven by mechanisms linked to environmental, spatial and temporal processes, which have been successfully addressed using metacommunity framework.
The relative importance of processes shaping community structure can be identified using several different approaches. Two approaches that are increasingly being used are functional
diversity and community deconstruction. Functional diversity is measured using various indices that incorporate distinct community attributes. Community deconstruction is a way to disentangle species responses to ecological processes by grouping species with similar traits. We used these two approaches to determine whether they are improvements
over traditional measures (e.g., species composition, abundance, biomass) for identification of the main processes driving dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) community structure in a fragmented mainland-island landscape in southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled five sites in each of four large forest areas, two on the mainland and two on the island. Sampling was performed in 2012 and 2013. We collected abundance and biomass data from 100 sampling points distributed over 20 sampling sites. We studied environmental, spatial and temporal effects on dung beetle community across three spatial scales, i.e., between sites, between areas and mainland-island. The γ-diversity based on species abundance was mainly attributed to β-diversity as a consequence of the increase in mean α- and β-diversity between areas. Variation partitioning on abundance, biomass and functional diversity
showed scale-dependence of processes structuring dung beetle metacommunities. We identified two major groups of responses among 17 functional groups. In general, environmental
filters were important at both local and regional scales. Spatial factors were important
at the intermediate scale. Our study supports the notion of scale-dependence of environmental, spatial and temporal processes in the distribution and functional organization of Scarabaeinae beetles.We conclude that functional diversity may be used as a complementary approach to traditional measures, and that community deconstruction allows sufficient disentangling of responses of different trait-based groups.
Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habit... more Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups – including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems – www.predicts.org.uk). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a riqueza, abundância e diversidade das espécies de Scarab... more O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a riqueza, abundância e diversidade das espécies de Scarabaeidae em duas itoisionomias (campo e loresta) e veriicar se a variação sazonal ao longo do ano está relacionada com variáveis climáticas. O estudo foi desenvolvido na Reserva Biológica de São Donato, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (bioma Pampa). As coletas foram realizadas através de armadilhas de queda, entre janeiro de 2012 e janeiro de 2013. Foram coletados 125 indivíduos e identiicados seis gêneros e 11 espécies de quatro subfamílias, sendo 54 indivíduos de cinco espécies encontradas no campo e 71 indivíduos de oito espécies na loresta. As espécies mais abundantes foram Ataenius picinus Harold, 1868, Canthon lividus Blanchard, 1845 e Leucothyreus lavipes Eschscholtz, 1822, que representaram juntas 86,4% do total de indivíduos capturados. O verão apresentou o maior número de indivíduos (78) e a primavera o maior número de espécies (nove). A diferença na estrutura do ambiente (e clima associado) e provavelmente a disponibilidade diferenciada de recurso alimentar entre as duas itoisionomias devem ser fatores limitantes e decisivos para a ocorrência de cada subfamília em determinado habitat, uma vez que várias espécies foram restritas a determinada itoisionomia ou época do ano.
Understanding the ecological mechanisms driving beta diversity is a major goal of community ecolo... more Understanding the ecological mechanisms driving beta diversity is a major goal of community ecology. Metacommunity theory brings new ways of thinking about the structure of local communities, including processes occurring at different spatial scales. In addition to new theories, new methods have been developed which allow the partitioning of individual and shared contributions of environmental and spatial effects, as well as identification of species and sites that have importance in the generation of beta diversity along ecological gradients. We analyzed the spatial distribution of dung beetle communities in areas of Atlantic Forest in a mainland-island scenario in southern Brazil, with the objective of identifying the mechanisms driving composition, abundance and biomass at three spatial scales (mainland-island, areas and sites). We sampled 20 sites across four large areas, two on the mainland and two on the island. The distribution of our sampling sites was hierarchical and areas are isolated. We used standardized protocols to assess environmental heterogeneity and sample dung beetles. We used spatial eigenfunctions analysis to generate the spatial patterns of sampling points. Environmental heterogeneity showed strong variation among sites and a mild increase with increasing spatial scale. The analysis of diversity partitioning showed an increase in beta diversity with increasing spatial scale. Variation partitioning based on environmental and spatial variables suggests that environmental heterogeneity is the most important driver of beta diversity at the local scale. The spatial effects were significant only at larger spatial scales. Our study presents a case where environmental heterogeneity seems to be the main factor structuring communities at smaller scales, while spatial effects are more important at larger scales. The increase in beta diversity that occurs at larger scales seems to be the result of limitation in species dispersal ability due to habitat fragmentation and the presence of geographical barriers.
O conhecimento sobre a variação espacial e temporal na composição e abundância das espécies é fun... more O conhecimento sobre a variação espacial e temporal na composição e abundância das espécies é fundamental para o entendimento dos processos e mecanismos que geram e mantêm a biodiversidade e os processos ecossistêmicos. Na teoria de metacomunidade as diferenças na estrutura do ambiente e na capacidade de dispersão das espécies são fundamentais na estruturação das comunidades biológicas. Os escarabeíneos realizam várias funções ecológicas importantes para a manutenção e regulação dos processos ecossistêmicos. Estes insetos são afetados negativamente pela mudança ambiental. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o efeito ambiental e espacial em comunidades de Scarabaeinae amostradas em diferentes localidades do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Foram utilizados dados publicados sobre a composição das espécies de Scarabaeinae de nove estudos realizados em diferentes habitats (campos, florestas e monoculturas florestais) no sul, centro e nordeste do estado. Foram amostradas 80 espécies de Scarabaeinae e a riqueza variou entre 10 e 31 espécies. Houve uma relação significativa de sete espécies de Scarabaeinae com algum tipo de habitat, onde seis espécies estiveram relacionadas a florestas e uma a monoculturas florestais. A maior parte da variação na composição das comunidades de Scarabaeinae foi explicada pela variação puramente ambiental. Efeitos espaciais na capacidade de dispersão das espécies também foram importantes em menor escala. O conhecimento sobre os fatores limitantes e os mecanismos envolvidos na estruturação das comunidades de Scarabaeinae é fundamental para o entendimento das relações espécieambiente das quais a diversidade beta é gerada e mantida, visando à manutenção da biodiversidade e dos processos ecológicos relacionados.
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Papers by Pedro G da Silva
million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The relative importance of processes shaping community structure can be identified using several different approaches. Two approaches that are increasingly being used are functional
diversity and community deconstruction. Functional diversity is measured using various indices that incorporate distinct community attributes. Community deconstruction is a way to disentangle species responses to ecological processes by grouping species with similar traits. We used these two approaches to determine whether they are improvements
over traditional measures (e.g., species composition, abundance, biomass) for identification of the main processes driving dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) community structure in a fragmented mainland-island landscape in southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled five sites in each of four large forest areas, two on the mainland and two on the island. Sampling was performed in 2012 and 2013. We collected abundance and biomass data from 100 sampling points distributed over 20 sampling sites. We studied environmental, spatial and temporal effects on dung beetle community across three spatial scales, i.e., between sites, between areas and mainland-island. The γ-diversity based on species abundance was mainly attributed to β-diversity as a consequence of the increase in mean α- and β-diversity between areas. Variation partitioning on abundance, biomass and functional diversity
showed scale-dependence of processes structuring dung beetle metacommunities. We identified two major groups of responses among 17 functional groups. In general, environmental
filters were important at both local and regional scales. Spatial factors were important
at the intermediate scale. Our study supports the notion of scale-dependence of environmental, spatial and temporal processes in the distribution and functional organization of Scarabaeinae beetles.We conclude that functional diversity may be used as a complementary approach to traditional measures, and that community deconstruction allows sufficient disentangling of responses of different trait-based groups.
million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of
biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
The relative importance of processes shaping community structure can be identified using several different approaches. Two approaches that are increasingly being used are functional
diversity and community deconstruction. Functional diversity is measured using various indices that incorporate distinct community attributes. Community deconstruction is a way to disentangle species responses to ecological processes by grouping species with similar traits. We used these two approaches to determine whether they are improvements
over traditional measures (e.g., species composition, abundance, biomass) for identification of the main processes driving dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) community structure in a fragmented mainland-island landscape in southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled five sites in each of four large forest areas, two on the mainland and two on the island. Sampling was performed in 2012 and 2013. We collected abundance and biomass data from 100 sampling points distributed over 20 sampling sites. We studied environmental, spatial and temporal effects on dung beetle community across three spatial scales, i.e., between sites, between areas and mainland-island. The γ-diversity based on species abundance was mainly attributed to β-diversity as a consequence of the increase in mean α- and β-diversity between areas. Variation partitioning on abundance, biomass and functional diversity
showed scale-dependence of processes structuring dung beetle metacommunities. We identified two major groups of responses among 17 functional groups. In general, environmental
filters were important at both local and regional scales. Spatial factors were important
at the intermediate scale. Our study supports the notion of scale-dependence of environmental, spatial and temporal processes in the distribution and functional organization of Scarabaeinae beetles.We conclude that functional diversity may be used as a complementary approach to traditional measures, and that community deconstruction allows sufficient disentangling of responses of different trait-based groups.