Scheda di dettaglio – i prodotti della ricerca
| Dato | Valore |
|---|---|
| Title | Associations between habitat quality, body size and reproductive fitness in the alpine endemic spider Vesubia jugorum |
| Abstract | Aim In theory, the highest-quality habitat across a species' range should support individuals with the highest fitness, making it possible to evaluate the outputs of species distribution models (SDMs) by exploring the relationship between habitat quality and functional traits related to species' fitness. However, this relationship has been tested almost exclusively in plants. We investigated the degree to which morphological and reproductive traits of an alpine spider varied along a gradient of habitat quality projected via SDMs. Location South-western Alps (France and Italy). Time period 2007-2018. Major taxa studied Vesubia jugorum (Arachnida: Araneae: Lycosidae). Methods We used climatic, topographical and geomorphological variables at a resolution of 250 m to model habitat quality for V. jugorum, with multiple algorithms (generalized additive models, boosted regression trees and maximum entropy models). We collected spiders in the field and measured their body size and egg-case size (a functional trait related to reproductive success). We tested the relationship between functional traits and habitat quality with linear mixed models. Results All SDM algorithms we tested fit the data well, with similar explanatory ability. Models revealed a positive relationship between the probability of presence and cumulative precipitation and percentage of rock. An additional important variable in the SDMs was duration of snow coverage, with optimal projected habitat quality between 40 and 100 days/year with snow. Modelled habitat quality was positively associated with maximum body and egg-case size. Main conclusions Our work provides evidence of a positive association between projected habitat quality and traits of a terrestrial invertebrate. A model that fits the data well potentially can be used to predict variations in species' traits, thus offering an experimental test of SDM projections with field-collected data. We encourage SDM users to incorporate data on functional traits into their modelling fitting exercises. |
| Source | Global ecology and biogeography (Print) 28 (9), pp. 1325–1335 |
| Keywords | alpine faunaAlpsecological niche modellingfunctional biogeographyfunctional traitsmodel accuracymodel evaluationmountaintop speciesspecies distribution modelspiders |
| Journal | Global ecology and biogeography (Print) |
| Editor | Blackwell Science,, Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/geb.12935 |
| Authors | Mammola, Stefano; Milano, Filippo; Vignal, Matthieu; Andrieu, Julien; Isaia, Marco |
| Text | 412017 2019 10.1111/geb.12935 ISI Web of Science WOS 000480584900010 alpine fauna Alps ecological niche modelling functional biogeography functional traits model accuracy model evaluation mountaintop species species distribution model spiders Associations between habitat quality, body size and reproductive fitness in the alpine endemic spider Vesubia jugorum Mammola, Stefano; Milano, Filippo; Vignal, Matthieu; Andrieu, Julien; Isaia, Marco Univ Torino; Univ Nice Sophia Antipolis; Univ Cote dAzur Aim In theory, the highest quality habitat across a species range should support individuals with the highest fitness, making it possible to evaluate the outputs of species distribution models SDMs by exploring the relationship between habitat quality and functional traits related to species fitness. However, this relationship has been tested almost exclusively in plants. We investigated the degree to which morphological and reproductive traits of an alpine spider varied along a gradient of habitat quality projected via SDMs. Location South western Alps France and Italy . Time period 2007 2018. Major taxa studied Vesubia jugorum Arachnida Araneae Lycosidae . Methods We used climatic, topographical and geomorphological variables at a resolution of 250 m to model habitat quality for V. jugorum, with multiple algorithms generalized additive models, boosted regression trees and maximum entropy models . We collected spiders in the field and measured their body size and egg case size a functional trait related to reproductive success . We tested the relationship between functional traits and habitat quality with linear mixed models. Results All SDM algorithms we tested fit the data well, with similar explanatory ability. Models revealed a positive relationship between the probability of presence and cumulative precipitation and percentage of rock. An additional important variable in the SDMs was duration of snow coverage, with optimal projected habitat quality between 40 and 100 days/year with snow. Modelled habitat quality was positively associated with maximum body and egg case size. Main conclusions Our work provides evidence of a positive association between projected habitat quality and traits of a terrestrial invertebrate. A model that fits the data well potentially can be used to predict variations in species traits, thus offering an experimental test of SDM projections with field collected data. We encourage SDM users to incorporate data on functional traits into their modelling fitting exercises. 28 Published version Articolo in rivista Blackwell Science, 1466 822X Global ecology and biogeography Print Global ecology and biogeography Print Glob. ecol. biogeogr. Print Global ecology and biogeography Print stefano.mammola MAMMOLA STEFANO |