Spatial and environmental processes show temporal variation in the structuring of waterbird metacommunities

• DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1451
• Publication Date: 2016-10-14T21:27:03Z
• Authors: Dominic A. W. Henry; Graeme S. Cumming
• Keywords: Metacommunity; Distance decay; Structuring; Explained variation

Abstract Metacommunity theory provides a framework for assessing the role of spatial and environmental processes in structuring ecological communities places emphasis on dispersal. Four metacommunity perspectives have been proposed: species‐sorting, patch dynamics, mass effects, neutral model. analysis decomposes variance into regional local dynamics ascribes it to one these perspectives, although they are not always mutually exclusive. Although birds well‐studied taxon, consensus around freshwater avian metacommunities is lacking few studies repeated samples through time. We used partitioning analyze waterbird community data collected over seven sampling periods at 60 wetland sites KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, distinguish driving beta‐diversity identify which perspective(s) best explained patterns. addressed two focal questions: (1) how do environmental, spatial, spatially structured components contribute community; (2) given significant contribution, variables were most important explaining structure? also investigated temporal variation by comparing results across periods. The underlying landscape was characterized four groups variables: vegetation structure, water quality, rainfall, land cover. Moran's eigenvector maps generate set multiscale predictor variables. Our showed that component dominant Purely contributed proportion variance, but their magnitudes considerable variation. Environmental more pronounced winter while purely augmented summer months. suggest species‐sorting primary forces communities. presence especially summer, does however operate isolation. Future efforts need address causes consequences processes.