Journal Article

Three biodiversity facets and assembly mechanism of the oligochaete community in the karst spring environment

Lánczos Tomáš, Beracko Pavel, Macko Patrik, Cíbik Jakub

2022

Overview

Springs as ecotones represent a suitable environment for testing hypotheses regarding the principles of a benthic community assembly. In this study, we aimed to uncover the processes which form the oligochaete assemblages in the karst springs environment. To uncover the assembly mechanism of the oligochaete community, we applied a multidimensional approach which included taxonomic, trait, and phylogenetic data. In total, 37 aquatic/semiaquatic oligochaete taxa were found. Null model analyses did not uncover any clear evidence of a nonrandom functional/phylogenetic structure of spring oligochaete fauna. Although, for all of the springs, the observed functional/phylogenetic diversity did not differ from that of null models, the position of the majority of observed values under the mean value of null models suggests that environmental filtering may be a more important driver in the community assembly. The environmental parameters that significantly drive the three biodiversity facets of the oligochaetes were spring temperature (functional and phylogenetic diversity), trophic status (taxonomic a phylogenetic diversity), spring connection (taxonomic diversity), and substrate, as well as oxygen conditions (functional diversity). Our findings provide, therefore, robust evidence that the ecological drivers of biodiversity differ among different scales, and future research should apply the multifacet approach to determine biodiversity conservation management.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Assembly / Benthos / Biodiversity / Biodiversity conservation / Ecotones / Environment models / Environmental factors / Karst / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Substrates / Taxonomy / Trophic status / Trophic structure / Wildlife conservation