Essential Site Maintenance: Authorea-powered sites will be updated circa 15:00-17:00 Eastern on Tuesday 5 November.
There should be no interruption to normal services, but please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any issues.

loading page

Species assemblage turnover is greater horizontally than vertically in a complex habitat
  • +1
  • Shuang Xing,
  • Amelia Hood,
  • Roman Dial,
  • Tom Fayle
Shuang Xing
Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Amelia Hood
University of Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
Author Profile
Roman Dial
Alaska Pacific University
Author Profile
Tom Fayle
University of South Bohemia and Institute of Entomology
Author Profile

Abstract

Abiotic and biotic factors structure species assembly in ecosystems both horizontally and vertically. However, the way community composition changes along comparable horizontal and vertical distances in complex three-dimensional habitats, and the factors driving these patterns, remain poorly understood. By sampling ant assemblages at comparable vertical and horizontal spatial scales in a tropical rain forest, we compared observed patterns with those predicted according to decreased resource availability in the upper canopy, environmental filtering by microclimate and microhabitat structure, presence of competition in the form of ant mosaics, and structural connectivity. We found although dissimilarity between ant assemblages increased with vertical distance, the dissimilarity was higher horizontally but was independent of distance in this dimension. Moreover, there was not a more rapid increase in horizontal distance-dissimilarity at greater heights in the canopy, as would be predicted if large competitive ant colonies drove these patterns. The pronounced horizontal and vertical structuring of ant assemblages across short distances is likely explained by a combination of microclimate and microhabitat connectivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering three-dimensional spatial variation in local assemblages and reveal how highly diverse communities can be supported by complex habitats.