Gusha Molline Natanah C, McQuaid Christopher D
Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Makhanda (Grahamstown) South Africa.
Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science Rhodes University Makhanda (Grahamstown) South Africa.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Oct 25;14(10):e70461. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70461. eCollection 2024 Oct.
The environment shapes the spatial distribution of species, but species also comprise suites of traits which may indicate their adaptability to a specific environment. This forms the basis of trait biogeography studies. We thus examined how a species distribution is not only influenced by its environment and traits, but by interactions among its traits. Trait information was collected for 150 intertidal macroinvertebrates along a 3000 km environmental and biogeographic gradient on the South African coast. This information was analysed, as functional entities (FEs) were species performing similar functions that have the same trait values and were further condensed into two trait domains (Reproduction and Lifestyle). We then defined Life History Strategies (LHS) as specific combinations of Lifestyle and Reproduction FEs. Seven combinations of Lifestyle and Reproduction formed LHS that dominated total biomass. Some of these LHS were ubiquitous, while others showed geographic patterns across our west-east environmental gradient. For Lifestyle, filter-feeders exhibited high abundances on the East (subtropical, oligotrophic) and West (cool-temperate, eutrophic) extremes of the biogeographic gradient, but differed between the two in size at reproductive maturity and larval development type. This similarity in functionality of feeding mechanism and mobility with different reproductive strategies suggests a trait trade-off (investment in one trait reduces resources for others) between the Reproduction and Lifestyle domains. Within the Reproduction domain, gonochoristic, annual planktotrophic reproduction was common across bioregions, reflecting spin-offs (investment in one trait facilitates another trait) among these traits. Gonochoristic investment in less frequent episodic reproduction is another trade-off, with investment in large size and delayed maturation being a trade-off for many reproductive cycles. Overall, although our data supports the habitat templet model (i.e., the importance of environmental drivers), it further indicates that species distribution patterns observed along the South African coast reflect strong trait interactions and biomass patterns related to their LHS.
环境塑造了物种的空间分布，但物种也具有一系列特征，这些特征可能表明它们对特定环境的适应性。这构成了性状生物地理学研究的基础。因此，我们研究了物种分布如何不仅受其环境和特征的影响，还受其特征之间相互作用的影响。我们沿着南非海岸3000公里的环境和生物地理梯度，收集了150种潮间带大型无脊椎动物的特征信息。这些信息作为功能实体（FEs）进行分析，功能实体是指具有相同特征值且执行相似功能的物种，并进一步浓缩为两个特征域（繁殖和生活方式）。然后，我们将生活史策略（LHS）定义为生活方式和繁殖功能实体的特定组合。生活方式和繁殖的七种组合形成了主导总生物量的生活史策略。其中一些生活史策略无处不在，而另一些则呈现出沿我们东西向环境梯度的地理模式。就生活方式而言，滤食性动物在生物地理梯度的东部（亚热带、贫营养）和西部（冷温带、富营养）极端地区数量众多，但在繁殖成熟时的大小和幼体发育类型上两者有所不同。这种摄食机制和移动性的功能相似性与不同的繁殖策略表明，繁殖域和生活方式域之间存在性状权衡（对一种性状的投入会减少对其他性状的资源投入）。在繁殖域内，雌雄异体、一年生浮游幼体繁殖在各生物区域都很常见，这反映了这些性状之间的附带效应（对一种性状的投入有助于另一种性状）。对不太频繁的间歇性繁殖的雌雄异体投入是另一种权衡，对大型个体和延迟成熟的投入是许多繁殖周期的一种权衡。总体而言，虽然我们的数据支持栖息地模板模型（即环境驱动因素的重要性），但它进一步表明，在南非海岸观察到的物种分布模式反映了与其生活史策略相关的强烈性状相互作用和生物量模式。
