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Dissimilarity of stream insect assemblages: effects of multiple scales and spatial distances

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Abstract

In addition to the effects of environmental conditions, biotic assemblages may exhibit spatial structure depending on the scale of study. We tested whether the dissimilarity of stream insect assemblages is related to two types of spatial distances (stream corridor and overland distance), and evaluated the relative importance of diversity components at multiple spatial scales. Field data included assemblages of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera found in 16 streams in four microbasins. We evaluated the relationship of the dissimilarity of assemblages with the distance types, using Mantel tests. In addition, we evaluated the relationships among the diversity components at multiple spatial scales, using additive partitioning analysis. The biological dissimilarities were correlated only with the geographical distances. Additive partitioning showed that the values of richness observed in the β1 (among Surber), β2 (among riffles), β3 (among streams), and β4 (among microbasins) were higher than those expected. The highest variation of the richness was found in β3 (30.6%). We conclude that stream faunas are distributed in patches all over the studied spatial extent, causing a weak relationship of biological dissimilarity with distance but important beta components when compared to a completely homogenous distribution of the fauna.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Igré Amigos da Água and its former president Georgina Bond-Buckup for logistical support during fieldwork. Silvia Vendruscolo Milesi assisted in fieldwork. Rodrigo Fornel assisted in formatting the figure. Janet Reid revised the English. Two referees provided useful comments. ASM received a research grant (476304/2007-5) and a research fellowship (302482/2008-3) from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CP 15007, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 91501-970, Brazil

    Luiz Ubiratan Hepp & Adriano S. Melo

  2. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões, Campus de Erechim, Av. Sete de Setembro, 1621, Erechim, RS, CEP 99700-000, Brazil

    Luiz Ubiratan Hepp

  3. Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, CP 131, Goiânia, GO, CEP 74001-970, Brazil

    Adriano S. Melo

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  1. Luiz Ubiratan Hepp
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  2. Adriano S. Melo
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Correspondence to Luiz Ubiratan Hepp.

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Handling editor: Sonja Stendera

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Hepp, L.U., Melo, A.S. Dissimilarity of stream insect assemblages: effects of multiple scales and spatial distances. Hydrobiologia 703, 239–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1367-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1367-7

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