Patterns of beta diversity in Europe: the role of climate, land cover and distance across scales

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02701.x
• Publication Date: 2012-04-17T15:43:11Z
• Authors: Petr Keil; Oliver Schweiger; Ingolf Kühn; William E. Kunin; Mikko Kuussaari; Josef Settele; Klaus Henle; Lluís Brotons; Guy Pe’er; Szabolcs Lengyel; Aristides Moustakas; Henning Steinicke; David Storch
• Keywords: Land Cover; Distance decay; Jaccard index; Geographical distance

Abstract Aim We test the prediction that beta diversity (species turnover) and decay of community similarity with distance depend on spatial resolution (grain). also study whether patterns are related to variability in climate, land cover or geographic how independent effects these variables grain data. Location Europe, Great Britain, Finland Catalonia. Methods used data European birds, plants, butterflies, amphibians reptiles, British Catalonian birds Finnish butterflies. fitted two three nested grids varying resolutions each datasets. For grid we calculated differences land‐cover composition (CORINE) (β sim , β Jaccard ) between all pairs cells. In a separate analysis looked specifically at adjacent cells (the first class). then variation partitioning identify magnitude statistical associations (i.e. sense) diversity. Results Beta any given decreased increasing grain. Geographic was always most important predictor for pairwise comparisons extent Europe. Climate had weaker but distinct grain‐dependent effects. more relatively coarse grains, whereas were stronger finer grains. country‐wide analyses, climate than distance. Climatic models performed poorly showed no systematic dependence Main conclusions found relationships diversity, as well environmental correlates systematically dependent. The strong effect indicates that, contrary current belief, substantial fraction species missing from areas suitable environment. Moreover, (at continental extents) fine grains) indicate distribution modelling should take both environment dispersal limitation into account.