Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central goal in macroecology is to determine species diversity patterns across ecological
gradients. Altitudinal and latitudinal patterns in species richness are often assumed to be
analogous. Furthermore, the primary mechanisms underlying richness patterns along these
two gradients might be similar. To date, few studies have tested whether the hypotheses
proposed to explain latitudinal richness variation apply to patterns across altitude. This study
therefore tests several hypotheses proposed to explain patterns in species diversity (i.e.
ambient energy, productivity, area and geometric constraints) and their underlying
mechanisms using altitudinal gradients in epigaeic ant and beetle species richness in the
Greater Cederberg Biodiversity Corridor (GCBC) (Western Cape, South Africa). The study
was conducted across an altitudinal gradient that was laid out from sea level to the top of a
mountain (approximately 2000 m above sea level) and down the other side thereof. First, it
was determined how the ant and beetle assemblages differ between the main vegetation types
included in the transect and which environmental variables might underlie these differences.
Thereafter, the variation in species richness and range size patterns of the two groups was
investigated across the full altitudinal gradient. This is the first study that tests the
applicability of two mid-domain models across such an altitudinal gradient using both
complete and partial assessments. The models explained large proportions of the variance in
range sizes across three domains but the ranges could have been constrained to show peaks in
the middle of the domains due to the way in which the boundaries of the domains were
selected. By contrast, the mid-domain models were not important in explaining species
richness patterns, which suggests that they cannot explain diversity across the gradient. The
species richness patterns of the two groups did not show the predicted mid-altitudinal peak.
Moreover, it was demonstrated that different processes structure ant and tenebrionid
assemblages across the same altitudinal transect. Ant species diversity was highly correlated
to contemporary climatic variables, while historical factors appear to play a more important
role in structuring tenebrionid beetle assemblages. Furthermore, support was found for the
species energy theory in the ant assemblages, as well as for two of its underlying mechanisms,
namely the more individuals hypothesis and the niche position mechanism. These results
suggest that there are likely to be substantial and complex changes to ant assemblages under
the predicted climate change scenarios for the region. Given the crucial role played by this
group in ecosystem functioning (e.g. myrmecochory) it is suggested that these responses are not likely to be a response solely to vegetation changes, but might also precipitate vegetation
changes. This study also forms the basis of a long-term monitoring programme to establish
baseline data for the epigaeic ants and tenebrionids and to monitor changes in these
communities due to climate change. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die sentrale idees in makro-ekologie is om die patrone in spesies diversiteit oor
ekologiese gradiënte te ondersoek. Verder word daar aangeneem dat spesie rykheidspatrone
oor hoogte- en breedtegradiënte analoog is aan mekaar en dat die primêre onderliggende
meganismes van die patrone dieselfde kan wees oor hierdie twee gradiënte. Tot dusver het
min studies getoets of die voorgestelde hipoteses wat breedtegradiënte in spesie rykheid
verduidelik van toepassing is op hoogtegradiënte. Hierdie studie toets dus verskeie van
hierdie hipoteses (aanvoelbare temperatuur, produktiwiteit, area en geometriese beperkinge)
en hulle onderliggende meganismes in mier en kewer spesie rykheid in die Groter Cederberg
Biodiversiteits Korridor (GCBK) (Wes Kaap, Suid Afrika). Die studie is uitgevoer oor ‘n
hoogtegradiënt wat vanaf see vlak tot ongeveer 2000 meter bo seevlak en weer aan die ander
kant van die berg af uitgelê is. Eerstens is daar bepaal hoe die mier en kewer diversiteit
verskil tussen die hoof planttipes wat oor die hoogtegradiënt voorgekom het en watter
omgewingsveranderlikes daarvoor verantwoordelik is. Daarna is die variasie in spesie rykheid
en area van verspreiding van die twee groepe ondersoek oor die hele hoogtegradiënt. Hierdie
is die eerste studie wat die toepaslikheid van twee mid-domein modelle oor so ‘n
hoogtegradiënt toets met behulp van volledige en gedeeltelike ondersoeke. Die modelle het
baie van die variasie in area van verspreiding verduidelik oor drie domeine maar die areas van
verspreiding kon beperk gewees het om pieke in die middel van die domeine te vorm as
gevolg van die manier waarop die grense van die domeine gekies is. In teenstelling, het die
modelle nie spesie rykheid verduidelik nie en dus kan hulle nie spesie diversiteit oor hierdie
gradiënt verduidelik nie. Die spesie rykheidspatrone van die twee groepe het nie die verwagte
piek by midhoogte gewys nie. Verder het verskillende prosesse mier en kewer groeperings
oor die hoogtegradiënt gestruktureer. Mier diversiteit was hoogs gekorroleer met
kontemporêre klimaatsveranderlikes, terwyl historiese faktore belangriker was vir die kewers.
Die spesie-energie teorie was ondersteun deur die data, asook die meer individue hipotese en
die nis posisie meganisme. Hierdie resultaat dui daarop dat daar moontlik komplekse
veranderinge in mier groeperings gaan plaasvind soos die klimaat verander. Miere vervul
belangrike ekologiese prosesse in ekosisteme, wat beteken dat die laasgenoemde verandering
nie bloot net gaan plaasvind as gevolg van veranderinge in die plantegroei nie, maar dat hulle
self ook veranderinge kan veroorsaak. Hierdie studie vorm ook die basis van ‘n langtermyn
moniteringsprogram om basislyn data vir hierdie twee ekologies belangrike groepe vas te stel en om veranderinge wat in hierdie gemeenskappe plaasvind, as gevolg van
klimaatsverandering, te monitor.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/21552 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Botes, Antoinette |
| Contributors | Theron, Francois, Chown, S.L., McGeoch, M.A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany and Zoology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | x, 229 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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