Species distribution patterns is one of the important topics in ecology and biological conservation.Although species distribution models have been intensively used in the research,the effects of spatial associations a...Species distribution patterns is one of the important topics in ecology and biological conservation.Although species distribution models have been intensively used in the research,the effects of spatial associations and spatial dependence have been rarely taken into account in the modeling processes.Recently,Joint Species Distribution Models(JSDMs)offer the opportunity to consider both environmental factors and interspecific relationships as well as the role of spatial structures.This study uses the HMSC(Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities)framework to model the multispecies distribution of a marine fish assemblage,in which spatial associations and spatial dependence is deliberately accounted for.Three HMSC models were implemented with different structures of random effects to address the existence of spatial associations and spatial dependence,and the predictive performances at different levels of sample sizes were analyzed in the assessment.The results showed that the models with random effects could account for a larger proportion of explainable variance(32.8%),and particularly the spatial random effect model provided the best predictive performances(R_(mean)^(2)=0.31),indicating that spatial random effects could substantially influence the results of the joint species distribution.Increasing sample size had a strong effect(R_(mean)^(2)=0.24-0.31)on the predictive accuracy of the spatially-structured model than on the other models,suggesting that optimal model selection should be dependent on sample size.This study highlights the importance of incorporating spatial random effects for JSDM predictions and suggests that the choice of model structures should consider the data quality across species.展开更多
Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and bi...Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and biotic filters.Additionally,functional traits and phylogenetic relationships are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing species coexistence and community structure.However,both the ecological filter framework and the roles of functional traits and phylogeny in community assembly remain underexplored in the Algerian steppes—particularly in the El Bayadh region,where ongoing vegetation degradation threatens ecosystem stability.This study applied Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities(HMSC)as an integrative approach to assess how ecological filters influence plant community assembly in the El Bayadh steppe and to evaluate the roles of functional traits and phylogenetic relationships in this process.Environmental data—including soil properties,topography,precipitation,and land use types(grazing and exclosure)—were collected across 50 plots in April and October,2023,along with functional traits from 24 species.These traits include root length,leaf area,specific leaf area,clonality,life history,and seed mass.HMSC results revealed that soil properties and precipitation were the primary drivers of community structure,while sand height and elevation had a moderate influence.In contrast,competition and grazing played relatively minor roles.Species responses to environmental covariates were heterogeneous:soil fertility and texture had mixed effects,benefiting some species while limiting others;sand encroachment and precipitation variability generally had negative impacts,whereas grazing exclusion favored many species.A weak phylogenetic signal was recorded,indicating that community assembly was driven more by environmental filtering than by shared evolutionary history.Functional trait responses to environmental variation reflected plant strategies that balanced resource acquisition and conservation.Specifically,seed mass,leaf area,and root length increased under higher soil moisture and nutrient availability but declined in response to salinity,precipitation variability,and sand height.Clonality and perennial life history traits enhanced the survival of plant species under harsh conditions.Overall,this study provides a holistic understanding of community assembly processes in the El Bayadh steppe and offers valuable insights for ecosystem management and restoration in arid and degraded ecosystem environments.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFD2401301)。
文摘Species distribution patterns is one of the important topics in ecology and biological conservation.Although species distribution models have been intensively used in the research,the effects of spatial associations and spatial dependence have been rarely taken into account in the modeling processes.Recently,Joint Species Distribution Models(JSDMs)offer the opportunity to consider both environmental factors and interspecific relationships as well as the role of spatial structures.This study uses the HMSC(Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities)framework to model the multispecies distribution of a marine fish assemblage,in which spatial associations and spatial dependence is deliberately accounted for.Three HMSC models were implemented with different structures of random effects to address the existence of spatial associations and spatial dependence,and the predictive performances at different levels of sample sizes were analyzed in the assessment.The results showed that the models with random effects could account for a larger proportion of explainable variance(32.8%),and particularly the spatial random effect model provided the best predictive performances(R_(mean)^(2)=0.31),indicating that spatial random effects could substantially influence the results of the joint species distribution.Increasing sample size had a strong effect(R_(mean)^(2)=0.24-0.31)on the predictive accuracy of the spatially-structured model than on the other models,suggesting that optimal model selection should be dependent on sample size.This study highlights the importance of incorporating spatial random effects for JSDM predictions and suggests that the choice of model structures should consider the data quality across species.
基金supported by the Foundation of the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue(FUQAT)Quebec Research Fund(FRQ)(2021-SE7-282961)。
文摘Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and biotic filters.Additionally,functional traits and phylogenetic relationships are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing species coexistence and community structure.However,both the ecological filter framework and the roles of functional traits and phylogeny in community assembly remain underexplored in the Algerian steppes—particularly in the El Bayadh region,where ongoing vegetation degradation threatens ecosystem stability.This study applied Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities(HMSC)as an integrative approach to assess how ecological filters influence plant community assembly in the El Bayadh steppe and to evaluate the roles of functional traits and phylogenetic relationships in this process.Environmental data—including soil properties,topography,precipitation,and land use types(grazing and exclosure)—were collected across 50 plots in April and October,2023,along with functional traits from 24 species.These traits include root length,leaf area,specific leaf area,clonality,life history,and seed mass.HMSC results revealed that soil properties and precipitation were the primary drivers of community structure,while sand height and elevation had a moderate influence.In contrast,competition and grazing played relatively minor roles.Species responses to environmental covariates were heterogeneous:soil fertility and texture had mixed effects,benefiting some species while limiting others;sand encroachment and precipitation variability generally had negative impacts,whereas grazing exclusion favored many species.A weak phylogenetic signal was recorded,indicating that community assembly was driven more by environmental filtering than by shared evolutionary history.Functional trait responses to environmental variation reflected plant strategies that balanced resource acquisition and conservation.Specifically,seed mass,leaf area,and root length increased under higher soil moisture and nutrient availability but declined in response to salinity,precipitation variability,and sand height.Clonality and perennial life history traits enhanced the survival of plant species under harsh conditions.Overall,this study provides a holistic understanding of community assembly processes in the El Bayadh steppe and offers valuable insights for ecosystem management and restoration in arid and degraded ecosystem environments.
