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The scale of analysis determines the spatial pattern of woody species diversity in the Mediterranean environment

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Abstract

We examine the spatial pattern of woody species diversity at different scales, in two sites of Mt. Holomontas in northern Greece, which falls within the transitional zone between temperate forests and Mediterranean-type ecosystems. We investigate how diversity is distributed in space and whether the perceived pattern changes with the scale of observation. We use two different metrics of diversity: species richness and species turnover. Our main finding is that the spatial pattern of diversity changes with the scale of observation or analysis. For a given scale, the pattern of species richness (alpha diversity) is negatively correlated with the pattern of species turnover (beta diversity). Species-rich areas have more species in common with their neighbors than species-poor areas. The between-scale disparity of the spatial pattern of diversity may be a general feature of ecological systems. For this to be validated, studies with different groups of species in different biomes and in different biogeographical areas are required; our study contributes to this direction providing evidence that this holds true for woody species in Mediterranean communities. Finally, we discuss how these findings might affect important issues in theoretical and applied ecology, such as identifying the environmental factors driving biodiversity.

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Acknowledgments

Prof. S. Kokkini, from the Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Phytogeography, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, identified the plant species collected. Research was funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development of the Hellenic Republic (grant 97EL-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Aristotle University, U.P.B. 119, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Athanasios S. Kallimanis, John M. Halley, Despina Vokou & Stefanos P. Sgardelis

  2. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, 30100, Agrinio, Greece

    Athanasios S. Kallimanis

  3. Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece

    John M. Halley

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  1. Athanasios S. Kallimanis
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  2. John M. Halley
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  3. Despina Vokou
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  4. Stefanos P. Sgardelis
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Correspondence to Athanasios S. Kallimanis.

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Kallimanis, A.S., Halley, J.M., Vokou, D. et al. The scale of analysis determines the spatial pattern of woody species diversity in the Mediterranean environment . Plant Ecol 196, 143–151 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-007-9341-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-007-9341-6

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