Does trait‐based joint species distribution modelling reveal the signature of competition in stream macroinvertebrate communities?

Does trait‐based joint species distribution modelling reveal the signature of competition in stream macroinvertebrate communities?

Year of publication

2021

Authors

Elo, Merja; Jyrkänkallio‐Mikkola, Jenny; Ovaskainen, Otso; Soininen, Janne; Tolonen, Kimmo T.; Heino, Jani

Abstract

1. The occupancy and abundance of species are jointly driven by local factors, such as environmental characteristics and biotic interactions, and regional‐scale factors, such as dispersal and climate. Recently, it has been shown that biotic interactions shape species occupancies and abundances beyond local extents. However, for small ectothermic animals, particularly for those occurring in freshwater environments, the importance of biotic interactions remains understudied. Species‐to‐species associations from joint species distribution models (i.e. species associations while controlling for environmental characteristics) are increasingly used to draw hypotheses of which species possibly show biotic interactions. 2. We studied whether species‐to‐species associations from joint species distribution models show signs of competition using a hypothesis testing framework in stream macroinvertebrate communities at regional extent. 3. We sampled aquatic macroinvertebrates from 105 stream sites in western Finland encompassing a latitudinal gradient of ca. 500 kilometers. We hypothesized that if competition drives these associations (H1) functionally similar species are mostly negatively associated, whereas functionally dissimilar species show random associations. We further hypothesized that the relationship between functional dissimilarity and the strength of association is more pronounced (H2) for abundances rather than occupancies, (H3) at small grain (i.e. stream site) rather than at large grain (i.e. river basin), and (H4) among species having weak dispersal ability than among species with high dispersal ability. 4. Stream macroinvertebrates showed both negative and positive species‐to‐species associations while controlling for habitat characteristics. However, the negative associations were mostly at large grain (river basin) rather than at small grain (stream site), in occupancy rather than abundance, and not related to species functional dissimilarity or to their dispersal ability. Thus, all our hypotheses considering possible competition (H1‐H4) were rejected. 5. Competition does not appear to be a major driving force of stream macroinvertebrate communities at the spatial grain sizes considered. The observed positive associations in occupancy at small grain (stream site) may be attributed to species’ similar microhabitat preferences, whereas at large grain (river basin), they may stem from metacommunity dynamics. Our results highlight that species traits were necessary to interpret whether or not species‐to‐species associations from joint species distribution models resulted from biotic interactions.
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Organizations and authors

Finnish Environment Institute

Heino Jani Markus Orcid -palvelun logo

Tolonen Kimmo Orcid -palvelun logo

University of Jyväskylä

Elo Merja Orcid -palvelun logo

Ovaskainen Otso Orcid -palvelun logo

University of Helsinki

Soininen Janne

Jyrkankallio-Mikkola Jenny

Ovaskainen Otso

Publication type

Publication format

Article

Parent publication type

Journal

Article type

Original article

Audience

Scientific

Peer-reviewed

Peer-Reviewed

MINEDU's publication type classification code

A1 Journal article (refereed), original research

Publication channel information

Parent publication name

Journal of Animal Ecology

Volume

90

Issue

5

Pages

1276-1287

​Publication forum

59558

​Publication forum level

2

Open access

Open access in the publisher’s service

Yes

Open access of publication channel

Partially open publication channel

Self-archived

Yes

Publication country

United Kingdom

Internationality of the publisher

International

Language

English

International co-publication

Yes

Co-publication with a company

No

DOI

10.1111/1365-2656.13453

The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection

Yes

Does trait‐based joint species distribution modelling reveal the signature of competition in stream macroinvertebrate communities? - Research.fi