caa a22 4500 605528020 CHVBK 20210128100811.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10531-014-0808-1 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10531-014-0808-1 Ants at the edge: a sharp forest-steppe boundary influences the taxonomic and functional organization of ant species assemblages along elevational gradients in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina) [Elektronische Daten] [Victoria Werenkraut, Paula Fergnani, Adriana Ruggiero] Biogeographic transitions may play a significant role in generating unique biodiversity patterns along different spatial dimensions of the geobiosphere. The extent, however, to which the presence of large-scale biogeographic transitions interacts with local environmental variation to account for elevational patterns in species diversity still remains elusive. To address this issue, we analysed the association of local variation in environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, vegetation cover, plant species richness and soil conditions) with the taxonomic and functional structuring of ant species assemblages on five elevation gradients across a well-established biogeographic transition between Subantarctic forests and high-Andean steppes in north-western Patagonia (Argentina). Data on the presence/absence of 15 ant species were obtained from 486 pitfall traps arranged in fifty-four 100m2 grid plots of nine traps, established at intervals of approximately 100m elevation, measured from the base to the summit of each mountain. The elevational replacement of lowland shrublands and forests by stunted forests and high Andean steppes was associated with a decrease in species richness; minimum richness (or even absence of ants on some mountains) was recorded at intermediate elevations. Ant richness decreased as temperature decreased and as tree canopy cover increased; however, temperature was the strongest predictor of richness. About 13.8% of elevational variation in richness was accounted for by temperature, independently of tree canopy cover and macrohabitats; another 18.9% was accounted for by the shared effects of temperature and macrohabitats. The presence of some species was associated with lowland shrublands and forests but the high Andean steppes were inhabited mainly by ubiquitous species, i.e. widespread species whose presence was recorded in all macrohabitats. We concluded that the transition between the Subantarctic forests and high Andean steppes represents a sharp barrier to ant species' elevational distribution. This, in association with elevational variation in continuous environmental functions, mainly temperature, influences the richness and taxonomic and functional structuring of ant species assemblages at temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2014 Biogeographical transition nationallicence Formicidae nationallicence Functional diversity nationallicence High Andean steppes nationallicence Indicator species nationallicence Subantarctic forests nationallicence Werenkraut Victoria Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut Fergnani Paula Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut Ruggiero Adriana Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/2(2015-02-01), 287-308 0960-3115 24:2<287 2015 24 10531 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0808-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0808-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Werenkraut Victoria Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Fergnani Paula Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ruggiero Adriana Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacionaldel Comahue/INIBIOMA-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Biodiversity and Conservation Springer Netherlands 24/2(2015-02-01), 287-308 0960-3115 24:2<287 2015 24 10531