Classification and distribution of functional groups of birds and mammals in Mexico

Abstract

There has been a recent exponential growth in the study of functional trait ecology. Nonetheless, the study of functional traits and functional groups has been limited for terrestrial vertebrates. We conducted a classification update of functional groups (FG) of birds and mammals in Mexico, and determined the distribution patterns of FG species richness in different ecosystems nationwide. We selected six functional traits (feeding habit, locomotion, feeding substrate and technique, activity period, seasonality, and body size) obtained for 987 and 496 species of birds and mammals, respectively. A cophenetic correlation analyses resulted in values of 0.82 for the bird species dendrogram, and 0.79 for the mammal species dendrogram showing that the structures adequately reflected the similarity between observations. We obtained 52 FG for birds, assembled into 9 broader groups based on their feeding habits (16 invertivores, 6 carnivores: 5 herbivores, 9 aquatic vertivore/invertivore, 5 granivores, 1 scavenger, 3 nectarivores, 4 frugivores, and 3 omnivores). We obtained 35 FG for mammals, assembled into 9 broader groups based on their feeding habits (4 granivores, 10 herbivores, 1 nectarivore, 4 frugivores, 8 invertivores, 3 omnivores, 2 aquatic vertivore/invertivore, 1 hematophagous, and 2 carnivores). Overall, the distribution of FG species richness for birds and mammals gradually increased from the Nearctic to the Neotropical region, following a typical latitudinal species richness pattern. Few FG of migratory birds, and FG of granivore and herbivore mammals showed more species in the Nearctic and in the transitional regions. Our study provides a baseline for identifying ecological functions of species of birds and mammals in different ecosystems in Mexico, and contributes to understand the relationship between species diversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning. Identifying spatial patterns of functional trait diversity is important as biodiversity loss has a negative impact on ecosystem functioning and provision of environmental services.

Determinants of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in breeding birds within urban remnant woodlots: Implications for conservation

“…The incorporation of functional and phylogenetic diversities provides a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying ecological processes that drive changes in community composition (Zhao et al., 2021 ). Phylogenetic diversity integrates information about the evolutionary relationships among species in the community (Webb et al., 2002 ), while functional diversity is intimately linked to the ecological roles of species, their interactions among themselves, and their interactions with the environment (Basile, 2022 ; Mayani‐Paras et al., 2023 ). The partitioning of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities may not follow identical patterns across fragmented habitats (Si et al., 2016 ; Zhao et al., 2021 ).…”