Dominated Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Turnover but Functional Nestedness of Wetland Bird Beta Diversity in North China

Abstract

The decomposition of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity into their turnover and nestedness components could provide novel insights into biodiversity conservation, e.g., provide implications for the Single Large Or Several Small reserves debate (SLOSS debate). Due to dramatic climate change and massive anthropogenic activities in recent decades in North China, the wetlands and the associated biodiversity in this region have declined significantly. This study applied the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity decomposition for the first time in wetland bird communities in North China, aiming to propose scientific and comprehensive suggestions for bird diversity conservation in this region. A paired t-test was used to compare the differences between taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional turnover, and their nestedness components. In addition, a spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the associations between each explanatory variable (differences in mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation, as well as spatial distances) and each beta diversity index. A total of 546 bird species were found in 38 wetlands in North China, with three critically endangered species, 19 endangered species, 22 vulnerable species, and 61 near threatened species. The number of threatened species (critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable) found in these lakes was about 30% of all threatened species in China. The results showed that taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity among wetland bird communities in North China was mainly dominated by turnover, while functional beta diversity was mainly dominated by nestedness. Importantly, the phylogenetic and functional results showed similar patterns even after controlling for the effects of taxonomic beta diversity. In addition, the taxonomic and phylogenetic turnover was more associated with both climate variables and spatial distances than other components. The contrasting patterns among the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional decompositions of wetland bird communities in North China indicate that distinctive conservation strategies should be considered for different biodiversity dimensions. Specifically, the conservation of taxonomic and phylogenetic bird diversity in this region should focus on multiple wetlands, while the conservation of bird functional diversity should focus on a single wetland with high functional diversity.

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

“…Similarly, the overall phylogenetic beta diversity was primarily shaped by the turnover component, indicating that species turnover among lineages with distant phylogenies (Du et al., 2021 ; Graham & Fine, 2008 ). In contrast, the overall functional beta diversity was predominantly shaped by the nestedness‐resultant component, as also reported in several other habitat fragmentation systems (e.g., Si et al., 2016 ; Yang et al., 2022 ; Zhao et al., 2021 ). These results suggest that a higher taxonomic (or phylogenetic) turnover does not necessarily correspond to a similarly high functional turnover component.…”

The Elevational Gradient of Bird Beta Diversity in the Meili Snow Mountains, Yunnan Province, China

“…Similar to the taxonomic beta diversity, the phylogenetic dissimilarities between bird assemblies increased as the elevation distance increased, and the turnover component dominated the phylogenetic beta diversity. A similar result was found in the case of wetland birds in North China [63]. Nevertheless, this result was inconsistent with that of bird assemblies on Mt.…”

Nested Patterns of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton and Seasonal Characteristics of Their Mutualistic Networks: A Case Study of the Upstream Section of the Diannong River in Yinchuan City, China

“…Nested patterns are a principal instrument and a crucial indicator in the examination of community structure and composition mechanisms [17]. In recent years, nested patterns have found primary applications in the research of specific groups, such as avian species [18], large-sized organisms [19], and microbial assemblages [20].…”