Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Conservation implications of long-term changes detected in a lowland heath plant metacommunity
AU - Diaz, Anita
AU - Keith, Sal
AU - Bullock, James
AU - Hooftman, Danny A.P.
AU - Newton, Adrian
PY - 2013/11/1
Y1 - 2013/11/1
N2 - Conservation management that is focused on the scale of individual habitat patches rarely considers the implications for conservation of metacommunities at the regional scale. Here we examine the conservation implications of long-term changes identified in a vascular plant metacommunity associated with lowland heathland in Dorset, UK. This was achieved by re-surveying 150 patches that were first surveyed in the 1930s and assessing changes in species distributions, diversity, community composition and metacommunity structure. Results were compared for two sets: (i) all remaining heathland patches and (ii) intact heaths, excluding partly degraded sites. Overall, patterns of change were similar for the two sets. Values of γ- and α-diversity both decreased over time as individual patches shifted towards either woodland or improved grassland communities. However, only the intact heaths set exhibited a significant decrease in β-diversity. Both sets lost metacommunity structure over time, suggesting a change in underlying processes. These changes were attributable both to management regimes adopted at local sites, relating to their differing ownership, and to wider processes of environmental change. These results highlight the need to place site-based conservation actions in the context of regional-scale processes, to ensure the long-term conservation of metacommunity structure and function.
AB - Conservation management that is focused on the scale of individual habitat patches rarely considers the implications for conservation of metacommunities at the regional scale. Here we examine the conservation implications of long-term changes identified in a vascular plant metacommunity associated with lowland heathland in Dorset, UK. This was achieved by re-surveying 150 patches that were first surveyed in the 1930s and assessing changes in species distributions, diversity, community composition and metacommunity structure. Results were compared for two sets: (i) all remaining heathland patches and (ii) intact heaths, excluding partly degraded sites. Overall, patterns of change were similar for the two sets. Values of γ- and α-diversity both decreased over time as individual patches shifted towards either woodland or improved grassland communities. However, only the intact heaths set exhibited a significant decrease in β-diversity. Both sets lost metacommunity structure over time, suggesting a change in underlying processes. These changes were attributable both to management regimes adopted at local sites, relating to their differing ownership, and to wider processes of environmental change. These results highlight the need to place site-based conservation actions in the context of regional-scale processes, to ensure the long-term conservation of metacommunity structure and function.
KW - Diversity
KW - Extinction
KW - Land use change
KW - Management
KW - Succession
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.018
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.08.018
M3 - Journal article
VL - 167
SP - 325
EP - 333
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
ER -