Ecological Diversity in South American Mammals: Their Geographical Distribution Shows Variable Associations with Phylogenetic Diversity and Does Not Follow the Latitudinal Richness Gradient

The extent to which the latitudinal gradient in species richness may be paralleled by a similar gradient of increasing functional or phylogenetic diversity is a matter of controversy. We evaluated whether taxonomic richness (TR) is informative in terms of ecological diversity (ED, an approximation to functional diversity) and phylogenetic diversity (AvPD) using data on 531 mammal species representing South American old autochthonous (marsupials, xenarthrans), mid-Cenozoic immigrants (hystricognaths, primates) and newcomers (carnivorans, artiodactyls). If closely related species are ecologically more similar than distantly related species, AvPD will be a strong predictor of ED; however, lower ED than predicted from AvPD may be due to species retaining most of their ancestral characters, suggesting niche conservatism. This pattern could occur in tropical rainforests for taxa of tropical affinity (old autochthonous and mid-Cenozoic immigrants) and in open and arid habitats for newcomers. In contrast, higher ED than expected from AvPD could occur, possibly in association with niche evolution, in arid and open habitats for taxa of tropical affinity and in forested habitats for newcomers. We found that TR was a poor predictor of ED and AvPD. After controlling for TR, there was considerable variability in the extent to which AvPD accounted for ED. Taxa of tropical affinity did not support the prediction of ED deficit within tropical rainforests, rather, they showed a mosaic of regions with an excess of ED interspersed with zones of ED deficit within the tropics; newcomers showed ED deficit in arid and open regions. Some taxa of tropical affinity showed excess of ED in tropical desert areas (hystricognaths) or temperate semideserts (xenarthrans); newcomers showed excess of ED at cold-temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. This result suggests that extreme climatic conditions at both temperate and tropical latitudes may have promoted niche evolution in mammals.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; ArgentinaFil: Ruggiero, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentin

R as a GIS: WorldClim climate data extraction

Caracterizar los sitios de muestreo en base a datos climáticos es una necesidad clave para un número importante de profesionales que trabajan en ecología. De manera más general, también lo es utilizar herramientas SIG (Sistemas de Información Geográfica). Sin embargo, acceder al uso de las bases de datos climáticas disponibles en línea y a las herramientas SIG supone un desafío. En este trabajo se muestra de qué manera usar R como un SIG para obtener valores de variables climáticas para sitios de muestreo georreferenciados. Se utiliza la base de datos WorldClim, que contiene información climática para todo el globo. En primer lugar, se describe en qué consiste la base de datos WorldClim. En base a una búsqueda bibliográfica, se analiza cuánto se la usa en la actualidad y en qué temas. Se concluye que el uso de esta base de datos a través de los años escreciente y en la actualidad es masivo. Estados Unidos es el país en el que se la utiliza con mayor frecuencia. En la Argentina, 420 publicaciones citan a esta base de datos, y los temas que se abordan con mayor frecuencia están vinculados a la ecología. En segundo lugar, se presenta el paso-a-paso para extraer datos de la base de datos de WorldClim en una rutina de R. De manera complementaria, se describen las razones para usar R como un SIG y se incluye una introducción al manejo de objetos espaciales en R. Al completar la rutina se obtienen los valores de 19 variables bioclimáticas relacionadas con la precipitación y temperatura para una serie de sitios de muestreo, y se muestran los resultados en mapas. El desarrollo de la rutina es una introducción al usode R como SIG. La información presentada tiene aplicación directa para los profesionales relacionados con la ecología. Las explicaciones se complementan con gráficos para que se pueda incluir el material en guías de trabajo práctico en las materias de grado o en cursos de posgrado.Characterizing sampling sites based on climatic data is a key need for a significant number of professionals working in ‘ecology. In general terms, so is the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) tools. However, accessing the use of available online climatic databases and GIS tools is a challenge. This paper shows how to use R as a GIS to obtain values of climatic variables for geo-referenced sampling sites, using the WorldClim database, which contains climatic information for the entire globe. Firstly, there is a description of the WorldClim database. A bibliographic search shows the frequency of use of WorldClim and the topics of study. It is concluded that the use of this database has been increasing over the years, and currently it is massively used. The United States is the country that uses it most frequently. In Argentina, 420 publications cite this database, and the topics that are most frequently addressed are linked to ecology. Secondly, a step-by-step routine for extracting data from WorldCim data base is presented. In addition, the reasons for using R as a GIS are described and an introduction to the management of spatial objects in R is included. Upon completion of the routine, the values ‘of 19 bioclimatic variables related to precipitation and temperature are obtained for a series of sampling sites and the results are displayed on maps. The routine is also an introduction to the use of R as a GIS. The information presented has direct application for professionals in the field of ecology. The explanations are complemented with graphics so that the material can be included in exercise guides in undergraduate or graduate courses.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin

From Rapoport’s areography to 30 years of macroecology: A synthesis of the Argentinian contribution

Desde que apareció el libro Areografía y se consolidó la macroecología en la década del ochenta, la investigación centrada en las leyes generales que gobiernan la distribución de los organismos en el planeta creció de forma marcada. Eduardo Rapoport dejó un legado en la Argentina y en el mundo. Nos preguntamos en qué medida los ecólogos argentinos incorporamos el enfoque macroecológico e interactuamos con investigadores extranjeros, cómo es la inserción internacional y en qué aspectos nos centramos. Realizamos una búsqueda de artículos en Scopus incluyendo las palabras macroecology, areography, macroecología y areografía, y Argentina en la filiación. Encontramos 253 artículos que muestran que el número de artículos de macroecología publicados por autores argentinos en el tiempo es creciente y con tendencia similar a la global. El número de citas anuales a Areografía se estabilizó en 30 en trabajos internacionales. La mayoría de los autores argentinos publicó dos artículos como máximo, mientras que la minoría publicó entre 3 y 22, lo que sugiere un crecimiento basado en contribuciones eventuales más que en programas de investigación en macroecología. La mayor parte de los artículos publicados por argentinos se centró en el estudio de las áreas de distribución, patrones en los rangos geográficos y en la riqueza de especies. El grupo taxonómico más estudiado fue el de los invertebrados, una característica idiosincrática de la macroecología argentina. En el 70% de los trabajos, el autor de correspondencia fue argentino, lo cual sugiere un rol protagónico. Las revistas que publicaron con mayor frecuencia los trabajos argentinos coinciden con las que publicaron los trabajos internacionales. La inserción de la Argentina en la macroecología internacional es clara. El establecimiento de programas regulares de investigación con enfoque macroecológico es un área relativamente vacante con muchas posibilidades de expansión.Since the appearance of Areography and the consolidation of macroecology in the ‘80s, research focused on the general laws that govern the distribution of organisms on the planet has increased markedly. Eduardo Rapoport has left a legacy in Argentina and in the world. We ask to what extent Argentinian ecologists incorporate the macroecological approach, interact with foreign researchers, are inserted in the international level and what are the main focuses of their studies. We searched for articles in Scopus containing the words macroecología, areografía, macroecology and areography, and Argentina in the affiliation. We found 253 articles that show that, with a decade of delay, the number of macroecological articles published by Argentinian authors over time increases with a trend similar to the global one. Currently, 30 citations are made to Areography per year in international studies. Most of the Argentinian authors published a maximum of two articles, while the minority published between 3 and 22, suggesting that the increasing trend is based on eventual contributions rather than on research programs on macroecology. Most of the Argentinian articles focused on the study of distribution areas, geographic species ranges and their pa�erns and species richness. The most studied taxonomic group was that of invertebrates, likely explained by Argentinian macroecology idiosyncrasy. In 70% of the studies, the correspondence author was Argentinian, suggesting a leading role. The journals in which Argentinian manuscripts were published most frequently matched with those where international papers were published. Argentina is clearly inserted in international macroecology; the establishment of regular programs with a macroecological focus is a relatively vacant area plenty of possibilities for its expansion.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Filloy, Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Large-scale patterns in morphological diversity and species assemblages in Neotropical Triatominae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)

We analysed the spatial variation in morphological diversity (MDiv) and species richness (SR) for 91 species of Neotropical Triatominae to determine the ecological relationships between SR and MDiv and to explore the roles that climate, productivity, environmental heterogeneity and the presence of biomes and rivers may play in the structuring of species assemblages. For each 110 km x 110 km-cell on a grid map of America, we determined the number of species (SR) and estimated the mean Gower index (MDiv) based on 12 morphological attributes. We performed bootstrapping analyses of species assemblages to identify whether those assemblages were more similar or dissimilar in their morphology than expected by chance. We applied a multi-model selection procedure and spatial explicit analyses to account for the association of diversity-environment relationships. MDiv and SR both showed a latitudinal gradient, although each peaked at different locations and were thus not strictly spatially congruent. SR decreased with temperature variability and MDiv increased with mean temperature, suggesting a predominant role for ambient energy in determining Triatominae diversity. Species that were more similar than expected by chance co-occurred near the limits of the Triatominae distribution in association with changes in environmental variables. Environmental filtering may underlie the structuring of species assemblages near their distributional limits.Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore

Environmental Determinants of the Distribution and Abundance of the Ants, Lasiophanes picinus and L. valdiviensis, in Argentina

The distribution and abundance variation of the terrestrial ants, Lasiophanes picinus and Lasiophanes valdiviensis Emery (Formicinae: Lasiini), which are endemic in Patagonia (Argentina and Chile), are described and a set of environmental factors are examined to explain the observed patterns. Ants were collected using 450 pitfall traps arranged in 50, 100 m2 grid plots each with nine traps within a roughly 150 × 150 km area representative of the subantartic-patagonian transition of Argentina. Five sampling periods each 8-days long were carried out between November 2004 and March 2006. To understand the distributional patterns and their link to environmental variables discriminant analysis was used. Path analysis was performed to test for direct and indirect effects of a set of environmental variables on species abundance variation. L. picinus was more frequently captured and attained higher abundance in the forests, while L. valdiviensis was more frequently captured and more abundant in the scrubs. The maximum daily temperature and mean annual precipitation explained L. picinus distribution (i.e. presence or absence) with an accuracy of 90%. L. valdiviensis distribution was predicted with almost 70% accuracy, taking into account herbal richness. The maximum daily temperature was the only climatic variable that affected ant abundance directly; an increase in temperature led to an increase of L. picinus abundance and a decrease of L. valdiviensis abundance. The amount of resources, as indicated by the percent plant cover, explained the variation of the abundance of both species better than the variety of resources as indicated by plant richness (i.e. models including plant richness had low fit or no fit at all). A direct effect of habitat use by cattle was found, as indicated by the amount of feces in the plots, only when variables related to the amount of resources were replaced by variables with less explanatory power related to the variety of resources. This study provides new data on the ecology of Lasiophanes species in relation to existing hypotheses proposed to explain patterns of abundance variation. Evidence is provided that changes in temperature (i.e. global climate change) may have important consequences on populations of these species

Biogeographical affinity shapes relationships between ecological and phylogenetic mammal diversity and associations with their environmental correlates in the Americas

We evaluate the role of biogeographical affinity in shaping relationships between ecological diversity as a proxy of functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity and their association with environmental variation, across tropical and temperate latitudes of the Americas. If environmental niches are evolutionarily conserved, high mammal taxa of tropical and temperate affinity will show consistent differences in these relationships. Accordingly, mammal groups of tropical affinity (old-autochthonous: marsupials and xenarthrans; and mid-Cenozoic immigrants: hystricognaths and primates) show stronger positive correlations between ecological and phylogenetic diversity within the tropics than those from extra-tropical latitudes where newcomers from North America (artiodactyls) show the strongest positive correlations. The other group of newcomers (carnivorans), however, show a peak in the association that include both tropical and extra-tropical latitudes of South America. Climate predominates over topographic relief in structuring the spatial variation of ecological and phylogenetic mammal diversity. The environmental structuring of ecological and phylogenetic mammal diversity across the Americas is more complex than expected from a latitudinal diversity gradient. Dry seasonal tropical habitats generated considerable heterogeneity in relationships between ecological and phylogenetic diversity and their association with environmental correlates. We conclude that biogeographical affinity and regional associations between the different components of diversity and the environment should be considered for a comprehensive explanation of covariation between ecological and phylogenetic diversity on a continental scale.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Ruggiero, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin

The oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis L.): a threat to the Americas?

Invasive alien species generate adverse ecological, economic and social impacts in the invaded area. This is particularly alarming as the establishment of alien species shows no sign of saturation worldwide. Among invasive alien species, social wasps of the Vespidae family are well known to negatively impact the biodiversity and economy in the invaded areas. In 2020, an established population of the Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis L.) was detected in central Chile. This finding represents the first successful establishment of an insect of the genus Vespa in South America and rises an alarm about its potential spread in the Americas. Here, we performed an ecological niche modelling approach using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and literature occurrences for V. orientalis and a set of environmental variables, to identify the suitable areas for the species outside its native range. The highest suitability values were predicted mostly in warm temperate regions and some arid regions of the world, with humid subtropical, Mediterranean, semi-arid or desert climates. In the Americas, we identified four main regions as moderately or highly suitable for the oriental hornet: the Gulf of Mexico and some areas in western California in the USA, central west Chile and the north-western region of Argentina. When we complemented GBIF occurrences with data from the literature, the potential areas of invasions became broader. Based on our results, we recommend the implementation of early warning monitoring schemes including citizen science initiatives to prevent the invasion of the oriental hornet.Fil: Werenkraut, Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Arbetman, Marina Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin

The spatial variation in ant species composition and functional groups across the Subantarctic-Patagonian transition zone

The role of ecotones in the maintenance of species diversity is rather controversial; they may represent either biodiversity hotspots with unique and rare forms, or be transitional areas that hold marginal populations of species. We analyse the taxonomic and functional composition of ant species assemblages across the Subantarctic-Patagonian transition to evaluate the role that transitional shrublands may play in the maintenance of the taxonomic and functional differentiation. We collected ants using 450 pitfall traps within a ~150 × 150 km area. Species were classified into functional groups in relation to stress and disturbance, and in foraging groups according to their foraging behavior. An indicator value for each species in each habitat was calculated. The steppes and the forests strongly differed in ant species and functional composition. Climatic effects combined with structural components of plant environment explained about 23–27 % of the variation in ant composition. The shrublands did not show a distinctive fauna, and show greater similarity in ant species composition and in the proportional occupancy of functional groups to the steppes than to the forests. They harbor neither rare nor indicator species, except for Lasiophanes valdiviensis, and thus this reinforces the idea that they are not a habitat source of species, but an area of encounter between two distinct forest- and steppe- ant faunas, where a high number of local distributional limits of ant species overlap.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Sackmann Braceras, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Ruggiero, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin

The latitudinal diversity gradient in South American mammals revisited using a regional analysis approach: The importance of climate at extra-tropical latitudes and history towards the tropics

The latitudinal diversity gradient has been considered a consequence of a shift in the impact of abiotic and biotic factors that limit species distributions from the poles to the equator, thus influencing species richness variation. It has also been considered the outcome of evolutionary processes that vary over geographical space. We used six South American mammal groups to test the association of environmental and evolutionary factors and the ecological structuring of mammal assemblages with spatial variation in taxonomic richness (TR), at a spatial resolution of 110 km x 110 km, at tropical and extra-tropical latitudes. Based on attributes that represent what mammal species do in ecosystems, we estimated ecological diversity (ED) as a mean pairwise ecological distance between all co-occurring taxa. The mean pairwise phylogenetic distance between all co-occurring taxa (AvPD) was used as an estimation of phylogenetic diversity. Geographically Weighted Regression analyses performed separately for each mammal group identified tropical and extra-tropical high R2 areas where environmental and evolutionary factors strongly accounted for richness variation. Temperature was the most important predictor of TR in high R2 areas outside the tropics, as was AvPD within the tropics. The proportion of TR variation accounted for by environment (either independently or combined with AvPD) was higher in tropical areas of high richness and low ecological diversity than in tropical areas of high richness and high ecological diversity. In conclusion, we confirmed a shift in the impact of environmental factors, mainly temperature, that best account for mammal richness variation in extra-tropical regions, whereas phylogenetic diversity best accounts for richness variation within the tropics. Environment in combination with evolutionary history explained the coexistence of a high number of ecologically similar species within the tropics. Consideration of the influence of contemporary environmental variables and evolutionary history is crucial to understanding of the latitudinal diversity gradient.Fil: Fergnani, Paula Nilda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Ruggiero, Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin