Aim: We evaluated the relative importance of geographical and environment variables for taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional β-diversity of phyllostomid bats along
the entire Amazon biome and specifically in the lowlands.
Location: Amazon biome.
Taxon: Chiroptera.
Methods: We carried out a bibliographic review and compiled a wide and unprecedented database of 106 phyllostomid bat species at 102 sites throughout the Amazon
biome. For all possible pairs of sites in both datasets, we estimated the Jaccard pairwise dissimilarity, that is, β-diversity, considering its three dimensions—taxonomic,
phylogenetic and functional—for its two components—turnover (substitution of species) and differences in species richness. The association between dissimilarity measurements and geographical and environment variables was assessed using multiple
regressions on distance matrices (MRM).
Results: We found that turnover and differences in species richness had similar contributions to the taxonomic β-diversity. However, for phylogenetic and functional
β-diversity, lineages and functions richness differences contribute slightly more than turnover for total β-diversity. In the lowlands, species, lineages and functions richness differences were slightly higher than turnover for all diversity dimensions. When
accounting for all the sites, elevation was the main predictor of phyllostomid bats'
taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional turnover. For lowland sites, ecoregions was
the main (but relatively weak) predictor associated with all β-diversity dimensions.
Main conclusions: Analysis of filtering sites according to elevation revealed that species in the Amazonian lowlands are taxonomically and phylogenetically different from
species in the Andes, and present taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional redundancy between assemblages. When accounting for the whole range of distribution of
bats, results showed the predominant effect of elevation over other geographical and
environmental predictors. This indicates that the diversity of good dispersers such as
bats is more affected by specialisation along environment and climatic gradients than
by geographical barriers throughout the Amazon biomeBat Conservation International;
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de
Pessoal de Nível Superior; National
Geographic Society; Neotropical
Grassland Conservancy; Rufford
Foundatio