RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Dimensions of passerine biodiversity along an elevational gradient: a nexus for historical biogeography and contemporary ecology
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 842138
DO 10.1101/842138
A1 Kevin R. Burgio
A1 Steven J. Presley
A1 Laura M. Cisneros
A1 Katie E. Davis
A1 Lindsay M. Dreiss
A1 Brian T. Klingbeil
A1 Michael R. Willig
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/11/14/842138.abstract
AB Aim The incorporation of functional and phylogenetic information is necessary to comprehensively characterize spatial patterns of biodiversity and to evaluate the relative importance of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms in molding such patterns. We evaluated the relative importance of mechanisms that shape passerine biodiversity along an extensive elevational gradient.Location Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Peruvian AndesTaxon Songbirds (order Passeriformes)Methods We quantified elevational gradients of species richness, phylogenetic biodiversity, and functional biodiversity for all passerines as well as separately for suboscines and oscines; determined if phylogenetic or functional biodiversity was consistent with random selection or if there was evidence of particular mechanisms dominating community assembly; and compared patterns for each dimension of biodiversity for the two suborders.Results For all passerines and for suboscines, species richness decreased in a saturating fashion, phylogenetic biodiversity declined linearly, and functional biodiversity was stochastic along the elevation gradient. For oscines, species richness and phylogenetic biodiversity decreased linearly, and functional biodiversity decreased in a saturating fashion.Main conclusions Elevational gradients of biodiversity at Manu result from a combination of adaptations associated with radiations that occurred elsewhere (suboscines in Amazonian lowlands, oscines in colder climes of North America) and an in situ radiation in the Andes (tanagers). Our results suggest a combination of temperature-related physiological constraints and a reduction in functional redundancy associated with decreasing resource abundance at higher elevations molded the passerine assemblages along this elevational gradient. Explicit consideration of historical biogeography and conservatism of ancestral niches is necessary to comprehensively understand the mechanisms that mold gradients of biodiversity.