2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Ecosystem size and complexity dictate riverine biodiversity | Virtual Platform

Ecosystem size and complexity dictate riverine biodiversity

Larger ecosystems support more species; this ubiquitous ecological pattern is the foundation of current conservation schemes. However, many ecosystems possess a complex spatial structure that cannot be represented by area, and the role of such complexity in scaling biodiversity is largely unknown. Here, we use theory and extensive fish community data from two distinct geographic regions (Japan and United States) to show that ecosystem size and complexity dictate riverine biodiversity. We found that larger and more branched 'complex' river networks harbored greater species richness due to increased space and environmental heterogeneity. The complexity effect was comparable to the size effect, and this pattern emerged regardless of ecological contexts. The dual control of biodiversity may be a pervasive feature that has far-reaching implications for biodiversity conservation.

Biodiversity
Stream
Connectivity

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Presenters/Authors

Akira Terui (), Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, hanabi0111@gmail.com;