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Body size and species richness along geographical gradients in Albertan diving beetle (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) communities
- Source :
- Canadian Journal of Zoology. 85:443-449
- Publication Year :
- 2007
- Publisher :
- Canadian Science Publishing, 2007.
-
Abstract
- Species richness and body size often vary predictably along latitudinal and elevational gradients. Although these patterns have been well documented for a variety of taxa, the vast majority of studies have focused on terrestrial plants and animals. We used species lists of predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) collected from >400 lentic water bodies in southern Alberta to investigate the influences of latitude and elevation on species richness and body size. Because our data were based on species lists, we used proportion of, and probability of encountering at least one, large (i.e., mean body length >10 mm) diving beetle species as surrogates for the mean body size of diving beetles in a given water body. Species richness did not change with latitude and displayed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation, peaking at mid-elevations. High elevation (>2000 m) water bodies had markedly low species richness. Proportion of large species increased with latitude, although there was no effect on probability of occupancy by large species. Conversely, both measures tended to decrease with elevation, suggesting that large species are less prevalent at high elevations. We discuss potential factors contributing to the observed responses to latitude and elevation, with an emphasis on the potential impacts of oxygen limitation, productivity, and isolation at high elevation.
- Subjects :
- biology
ved/biology
Ecology
ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species
Lake ecosystem
Dytiscidae
Body size and species richness
biology.organism_classification
Latitude
Taxon
Altitude
Terrestrial plant
Animal Science and Zoology
Species richness
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14803283 and 00084301
- Volume :
- 85
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Canadian Journal of Zoology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........de76a073792c89eaa0a2c8c6e1a6252f