Gastropod communities in alpine grasslands are characterized by high beta diversity

Alpine grasslands harbour species-rich communities of plants and invertebrates. We examined how environmental variables and anthropogenic impact shape species richness and community structure of terrestrial gastropods in alpine grasslands in the Val Müstair (Eastern Alps, Switzerland). Gastropods we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community ecology 2014-12, Vol.15 (2), p.246-255
Main Authors: Schmera, D, B. Baur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alpine grasslands
Animal Ecology
anthropogenic activities
Biodiversity
Community & Population Ecology
Community assembly
Community structure
correspondence analysis
environmental factors
Gastropoda
Grassland management
grasslands
Grazing intensity
Habitats
invertebrates
Life Sciences
linear models
Marine & Freshwater Sciences
Microbial Ecology
Moisture content
Pastures
plant communities
Plant Ecology
SDR-simplex analysis
Snails
Soil pH
Species diversity
Species richness
Species traits
Synecology
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Summary:Alpine grasslands harbour species-rich communities of plants and invertebrates. We examined how environmental variables and anthropogenic impact shape species richness and community structure of terrestrial gastropods in alpine grasslands in the Val Müstair (Eastern Alps, Switzerland). Gastropods were sampled using a standardised method at 76 sites spanning an elevation range from 1430 m to 2770 m. A total of 4763 specimens representing 52 species were recorded. Correspondence analysis based on presence/absence data revealed that the grassland gastropod community was structured in a complex way with elevation, wetness, grazing intensity and inclination of the sites as key factors, while abundance-based analysis identified the importance of the elevation and wetness of sites. Generalized linear model showed that species richness decreased with increasing elevation and increased with increasing soil pH. The grassland gastropod communities were characterized by a high beta diversity, as indicated by the SDR-simplex analysis. Species-specific traits of gastropods showed sensitivity to the environmental characters of the sites, as shown by a fourth-corner analysis.
ISSN:1585-8553
1588-2756
DOI:10.1556/ComEc.15.2014.2.13