TY - JOUR

T1 - Morphological and phylogenetic factors structure the distribution of damselfly and dragonfly species (Odonata) along an environmental gradient in Amazonian streams

AU - Costa Bastos, R.

AU - Schlemmer Brasil, L.

AU - Oliveira-Junior, J.M.B.

AU - Geraldo Carvalho, F.

AU - Lennox, G.D.

AU - Barlow, J.

AU - Juen, L.

PY - 2021/3/1

Y1 - 2021/3/1

N2 - A range of factors may determine the structure of ecological communities in time and space, in particular niches, dispersal limits, and the evolutionary history of the species. In the last decades, the traditional focus of community ecology on species diversity and composition have been supplemented by approaches incorporating functional traits and phylogeny. Following this perspective, we evaluated the response pattern of adult damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) along a gradient of environmental disturbance in Brazilian Amazonia, with the objective of identifying subgroups of species that respond in a similar manner to environmental filters. The study tested the hypothesis that the subgroups of species with similar responses to the environmental gradient are structured phylogenetically and will be morphologically more similar to one another than they are to the other species. Adult odonates were sampled in 98 Amazonian streams, 48 in the region of Santarém and Belterra and 50 in the municipality of Paragominas, both located in the Brazilian state of Pará. The study was based on an ecological niche modeling approach and statistical significance testing methods to identify groups of species. These species groups (latent classes) were then associated with their morphological characteristics (Abdomen Length and Thorax Length) and phylogenetic relationships. Four latent classes, containing 34 species, were generated for each region. The latent classes of the Odonata formed along the gradient of anthropogenic impact had effects of phylogenetic proximity and the species' morphological similarity. Therefore, species belonging to the same latent class are more morphologically similar and have greater similarities in evolutionary history. It seems likely, however, that other processes may be important for the understanding of the structuring of the latent classes, such as intra- and interspecific relationships, environmental plasticity, and the history of land use. Both morphology and phylogeny are important for understanding species' responses to environmental gradients.

AB - A range of factors may determine the structure of ecological communities in time and space, in particular niches, dispersal limits, and the evolutionary history of the species. In the last decades, the traditional focus of community ecology on species diversity and composition have been supplemented by approaches incorporating functional traits and phylogeny. Following this perspective, we evaluated the response pattern of adult damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) along a gradient of environmental disturbance in Brazilian Amazonia, with the objective of identifying subgroups of species that respond in a similar manner to environmental filters. The study tested the hypothesis that the subgroups of species with similar responses to the environmental gradient are structured phylogenetically and will be morphologically more similar to one another than they are to the other species. Adult odonates were sampled in 98 Amazonian streams, 48 in the region of Santarém and Belterra and 50 in the municipality of Paragominas, both located in the Brazilian state of Pará. The study was based on an ecological niche modeling approach and statistical significance testing methods to identify groups of species. These species groups (latent classes) were then associated with their morphological characteristics (Abdomen Length and Thorax Length) and phylogenetic relationships. Four latent classes, containing 34 species, were generated for each region. The latent classes of the Odonata formed along the gradient of anthropogenic impact had effects of phylogenetic proximity and the species' morphological similarity. Therefore, species belonging to the same latent class are more morphologically similar and have greater similarities in evolutionary history. It seems likely, however, that other processes may be important for the understanding of the structuring of the latent classes, such as intra- and interspecific relationships, environmental plasticity, and the history of land use. Both morphology and phylogeny are important for understanding species' responses to environmental gradients.

KW - Anisoptera

KW - Evolutionary history

KW - Latent classes

KW - Morphological similarity

KW - Response pattern

KW - Zygoptera

KW - Biology

KW - Land use

KW - Anthropogenic impacts

KW - Ecological niche modeling

KW - Environmental disturbances

KW - Environmental gradient

KW - Morphological characteristic

KW - Phylogenetic proximity

KW - Phylogenetic relationships

KW - Statistical significance

KW - Ecosystems

KW - Anisoptera (dragonflies)

KW - Odonata

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107257

DO - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107257

M3 - Journal article

VL - 122

JO - Ecological Indicators

JF - Ecological Indicators

SN - 1470-160X

M1 - 107257

ER -