Is elevation a strong environmental filter? Combining taxonomy, functional traits and phylogeny of butterflies in a tropical mountain

0558974 - BÚ 2023 RIV GB eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Henriques, N. R. - Lourenço, G. M. - Souza Diniz, Écio - Cornelissen, T.
Is elevation a strong environmental filter? Combining taxonomy, functional traits and phylogeny of butterflies in a tropical mountain.
Ecological Entomology. Roč. 47, č. 4 (2022), s. 613-625. ISSN 0307-6946. E-ISSN 1365-2311
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67985939
Klíčová slova: altitude * body size * campo rupestre * elevational distribution * flying traits * Lepidoptera
Obor OECD: Ecology
Impakt faktor: 2.2, rok: 2022
Způsob publikování: Omezený přístup
https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13145

Environmental filters select species that tolerate and respond to habitat conditions similarly. By combining taxonomy, functional traits and phylogeny, we aimed to understand the spatial distribution of a tropical butterfly community, evaluating whether elevation acts as an environmental filter strong enough to select flight-related traits. Frugivorous and nectarivorous butterflies were sampled with nets at seven altitudinal bands (800-1400 m) in four sampling periods. We tested seven flight-related traits (wing length, width, and area, thorax volume, wing:thorax ratio [WTR](length), WTRwidth and WTRarea) and incorporated the effects of phylogeny in the relationships among these traits and with elevation. Butterfly diversity decreased with increased elevation, and four traits exhibited larger values at higher elevations: wing length, width, area and WTRarea. This suggests that butterflies tended to have smaller wings and robust bodies at lower elevations, and larger wings with slender bodies at higher elevations, possibly related to flight speed or wind conditions. Although the phylogenetic relatedness did not exert significant weight in the traits and elevation, we found indication of phylogenetic conservatism of wing area and WTR. Butterflies in mountains experience a strong selection by several environmental filters related to flight performance, and our study demonstrated a robust relationship between elevation, flight-related traits and species distribution. These relationships occurred regardless of phylogenetic relatedness, but most traits are conserved and exhibit resemblance in the phylogenetic lineages of these species. These findings suggest an influence of a widespread filter promoted by the elevational gradient with convergent trait evolution.
Trvalý link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0341755