Liu Yu, Zhu Yun, Wu Su, Wang Yan, Xie Jie, Zhang Kai, Xu Yu
School of Life Sciences Guizhou Normal University Guiyang China.
School of Ecology and Nature Conservation Beijing Forestry University Beijing China.
Ecol Evol. 2024 May 14;14(5):e11426. doi: 10.1002/ece3.11426. eCollection 2024 May.
Examining beta diversity of animal assemblages in fragmented habitats, which measures variation in species composition among different fragments, is important for understanding the impact of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. However, relying solely on taxonomic composition may not provide a comprehensive understanding. Incorporating measures of functional and phylogenetic diversities is essential for elucidating the ecological mechanisms underlying changes in community composition. In addition, prevailing studies often prioritize the evaluation of landscape characteristics within fragments as determinants of beta diversity, neglecting differences in habitat type and plant community composition. In this study, we surveyed birds in 26 remnant woodlot patches (ranging from 0.3 to 290.4 ha) in an urban landscape, southwest China, during the breeding season from 2017 to 2022. We recorded 70 bird species (excluding those recorded only once and high-flying birds, including raptors, swallows, and swifts), with the number of species per patch varying from 14 to 56. The overall bird taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversities were primarily contributed by the turnover component, while functional beta diversity was dominated by the nestedness-resultant component. Patch area and perimeter area ratio significantly influenced the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities, primarily mediated through the nestedness-resultant component, while inter-patch distance had a significant effect via the turnover component. In addition, there was a considerable correlation of bird taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities with habitat type and woody plant beta diversities, including their respective partitioned turnover and nestedness-resultant components. Our results suggest that bird assemblages in these patches may be regulated by selective extinction, interspecific competition, and environmental filtering. The findings have significant implications for sustainable landscape planning and habitat restoration. Conserving habitat patches of different sizes and maintaining or enhancing habitat heterogeneity between patches can facilitate the persistence of metacommunities.
研究破碎化栖息地中动物群落的β多样性（衡量不同片段间物种组成的变化）对于理解栖息地破碎化对生物多样性的影响至关重要。然而，仅依靠分类组成可能无法提供全面的理解。纳入功能和系统发育多样性的衡量指标对于阐明群落组成变化背后的生态机制至关重要。此外，现有研究通常将片段内景观特征的评估作为β多样性的决定因素，而忽略了栖息地类型和植物群落组成的差异。在本研究中，我们于2017年至2022年繁殖季节对中国西南部城市景观中的26个残余林地斑块（面积从0.3公顷到290.4公顷不等）中的鸟类进行了调查。我们记录了70种鸟类（不包括仅记录一次的鸟类和高飞鸟类，如猛禽、燕子和雨燕），每个斑块的物种数量从14种到56种不等。鸟类的总体分类和系统发育β多样性主要由周转率成分贡献，而功能β多样性则由嵌套性成分主导。斑块面积和周长面积比显著影响分类、功能和系统发育β多样性，主要通过嵌套性成分介导，而斑块间距离则通过周转率成分产生显著影响。此外，鸟类的分类、功能和系统发育β多样性与栖息地类型和木本植物β多样性之间存在相当大的相关性，包括它们各自划分的周转率和嵌套性成分。我们的结果表明，这些斑块中的鸟类群落可能受到选择性灭绝、种间竞争和环境过滤的调节。这些发现对可持续景观规划和栖息地恢复具有重要意义。保护不同大小的栖息地斑块并维持或增强斑块间的栖息地异质性可以促进集合群落的持久性。
