Spatial Factors Play a Major Role as Determinants of Endemic Ground Beetle Beta Diversity of Madeira Island Laurisilva

Spatial factors significantly influence the beta diversity of endemic ground beetles in Madeira Island's Laurisilva, a relict forest. The study found that 31.9% of species turnover and 40.7% of species richness variation could be explained by environmental and spatial variables. Climate, disturbance, soil organic matter content, altitude, and slope were key determinants, with spatial variables indicating the importance of dispersal ability and the island's complex orography. The research used a spatially explicit analysis to evaluate the contribution of pure environmental, pure spatial, and environmentally structured effects on beetle species richness and composition.

Boieiro, M., Carvalho, J. C., Cardoso, P., Aguiar, C. A. S., Rego, C., de Faria e Silva, I., Amorim, I. R., Pereira, F., Azevedo, E. B., Borges, P. A. V., & Serrano, A. R. M. (2013). Spatial Factors Play a Major Role as Determinants of Endemic Ground Beetle Beta Diversity of Madeira Island Laurisilva. PLoS ONE, 8(5), e64591. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064591