Which regionalization scheme is the best to predict wetland plant distribution in Western Patagonia?

MANZO, LUZ M.; EPELE, LUIS B.; GRECH, MARTA G.; KUTSCHKER, ADRIANA M.; MISERENDINO, MARIA L.

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2022 vol. 33 p. 1 - 15

1100-9233

Questions: Given the current multiplicity of threats to pond biodiversity, there is aclear need to examine which environmental drivers determine the composition anddistribution of species. Using wetland plants as pond biodiversity surrogates, twoquestions led to this work: How do wetland plant species assemblages and abundancevary across local- and regional-scale classification schemes in wetlands? How doeswetland plant beta-diversity vary within these wetland classification schemes?Location: Western Patagonia, Argentina, from 36°S to 56°S and from 73°W to 65°W.Methods: Wetland plant distribution constrained by water and climatic factors wasanalyzed using canonical correspondence analysis. Variance partitioning analysis wasperformed to assess which classification scheme (phytogeographical units, wetlandregions, wetland genesis and hydrogeomorphological types) better explained variation in plant composition. An IndVal analysis was also carried out to detect taxa withthe highest association values (indicator taxa) for the different categories of wetlandclassification. Beta-diversity was calculated to evaluate variation patterns within classification schemes.Results: Plant distribution was mainly related to site location across the latitudinalgradient, following a decreasing pattern of air temperature from northern to southernwetlands. Variance partitioning analysis confirmed the effectiveness of a regionalscale classification (wetland regions) in predicting plant associations, and the IndValanalysis also highlighted this classification scheme above the remainder, sustainingthe highest number of indicator taxa. Wetland plant beta-diversity patterns wereexplained by relatively high species turnover, with species composition showing lownestedness values.Conclusion: Climate factors rather than local characteristics were the main driversof plant distribution at the wide regional scale analyzed. Wetland region (classification based on climatic criteria) was the most effective scheme in predicting plant associations and sustaining the highest number of indicator taxa. Also, ponds locatedin the Patagonian Andes and those with a glacigenic origin contribute most to theregional wetland plant diversity. Therefore, these aspects should be taken directly into account in the future delineation of protected areas to increase the resilience ofPatagonian wetland habitats and their associated biota, and to maintain the ecosystem services that they provide.