Disentangling the influence of local and landscape factors on alpha and beta diversities: opposite response of plants and ground-dwelling arthropods in wet meadows

International audienceA large number of studies have tried to understand the determinants of local species richness, i.e. α-diversity. Studies dealing with β-diversity are considerably less numerous but their number has increased in the recent years. In this study, we assessed the relative importance of local and landscape (i.e. composition and connectivity) variables in explaining α- and β-diversities (species turnover and nestedness) of three highly diverse groups, differing in mobility and dispersal: plants, spiders, and carabids. Sampling took place in 2013, using suction samplers for arthropods and phytosociological relevés for vegetation, in 77 hay meadows distributed along 200 km of the Loire Valley (France). We found plant α-diversity to be driven by local factors, whereas spider and carabid α-diversities were mostly determined by landscape factors (by composition and connectivity, respectively). Nestedness was negligible for the three groups. Plant β-diversity was also mainly influenced by local factors, whereas spider β-diversity was driven by landscape factors (composition and connectivity, equally). Surprisingly, carabid β-diversity was mainly influenced by local factors and landscape connectivity. Despite these differences, plant, spider, and carabid β-diversities were not different, suggesting comparable dispersal abilities and/or a low connectivity at large scale, which is in accordance with the high species turnover observed here. Managing biodiversity in meadows consequently necessitates acting at local and landscape scales, the first targeting plants and the second arthropod

Problématiques relatives aux zones humides

National audienc

Problématiques relatives aux zones humides

National audienc

L’écologie des communautés au service de l’ingénierie écologique en prairies de marais : consequences agro-floristique de l’allongement de la durée d’inondation au printemps

International audienc

Species competitive response along flooding gradient

International audienc

Démarches pour le suivi de la biodiversité en relation avec la gestion de l’eau

National audienc

Grasslands communities structure varies with flooding regime and management: Example form the low Loire valley

International audienc

Le traitement des données du prodrome des végétations de France via la base de données nationale VegFrance

International audienceData processing of Prodromus of French vegetations via the national database VegFrance The project VegFrance is presently designed in order to elaborate a national vegetation database covering all vegetation types and regions. Launched in January 2012, this project is commonly led by Research Institutions as National Center for Scientific Research (UMS3468, BBEES & UMR 6553 ECOBIO), the Museum National HistoireNaturelle (Service du Patrimoine naturel), Fédération des Conservatoires Botaniques Nationaux, the French phytosociological society and the Ministry of Ecology. The projected database will integrate three main types of datasets : syntaxa refl ecting the national classifi cation, relevés describing the vegetation at the landscape level (i.e. synphytosociological relevés) and analytical relevés or any plots which properly describevegetation. This project is developed in strong connection with the European Vegetation Survey. The software Turboveg will be used for managing the datasets. Some adaptations are planned with the agreement and the help of the authors (HENNEKENS & SCHAMINÉE 2001) in order to meet some special needs regarding the French habitat typology. As stated by SCHAMINÉE et al. (2007), computer sciences are improving and presently off er opportunity for managing large datasets. This opens new perspectives for vegetation analysis and, more generally, for an improved understanding of ecosystem functioning and the underlying mechanisms