Occupancy and environmental responses of habitat specialists and generalists depend on dispersal traits
2018
Ecologists have been interested in understanding communities through the lens of specialists and generalists to predict species diversity and distribution patterns and to ameliorate worldwide declines in specialist species.
Dispersaltraits are assumed to be associated with specialization (specialists are weaker
dispersersthan generalists), but
dispersalmodes can be variable within groups. Niche-based predictions of occupancy and environmental responses were assessed using invertebrates from California
vernal poolsthat were categorized by specialization (endemic or widespread taxa) and
dispersalmode (passive or active
dispersal). Data from a latitudinal gradient resulted in widespread taxa with greater percent occupancy than endemic taxa as predicted, but passive
dispersershad greater occupancy than active
dispersersin contrast to predictions. Endemic species and widespread-active
dispersersexhibited similar levels of specialization measured as coefficient of variation among treatments in a
mesocosmexperiment. This suggested that habitat choice was important, and these differences in specialization were scale dependent (generalists across habitat types and specialists within a habitat type). A negative correlation between latitudinal occupancy and level of specialization demonstrated how local-scale responses and landscape patterns were related and depend on both specialization and
dispersaltraits. This study underscores how habitat heterogeneity and species traits, including specialization and
dispersal, can interact to affect community patterns at different spatial scales.
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