Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness

Ane Kirstine Brunbjerg; Hans Henrik Bruun; Lars Dalby; Camilla Fløjgaard; Tobias G. Frøslev; Toke T. Høye; Irina Goldberg; Thomas Læssøe; Morten D.D. Hansen; Lars Brøndum; Lars Skipper; Kåre Fog; Rasmus Ejrnæs

doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13087

Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness

Ane Kirstine Brunbjerg, Hans Henrik Bruun, Lars Dalby, Camilla Fløjgaard, Tobias G. Frøslev, Toke T. Høye, Irina Goldberg, Thomas Læssøe, Morten D.D. Hansen, Lars Brøndum, Lars Skipper, Kåre Fog, Rasmus Ejrnæs^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

12 Citations (Scopus)

68 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Plants regulate soils and microclimate, provide substrate for heterotrophic taxa, are easy to observe and identify and have a stable taxonomy, which strongly justifies their use as indicators in monitoring and conservation. However, there is no consensus as to whether plants are strong predictors of total multi-taxon species richness. In this study, we investigate if general terrestrial species richness can be predicted by vascular plant richness and bioindication. To answer this question, we collected an extensive dataset on species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, plant-galling arthropods, gastropods, spiders, carabid beetles, hoverflies, and genetic richness (operational taxonomic units = OTUs) from environmental DNA metabarcoding. We also constructed a Conservation Index based on threatened red list species. Besides using richness of vascular plants for prediction of other taxonomic groups, we also used plant-derived calibration of the abiotic environment (moisture, soil fertility and light conditions) as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact. Bivariate relationships between plant species richness and other species groups showed no consistent pattern. After taking environmental calibration by bioindication into account, we found a consistent, and for most groups significant, positive effect of plant richness. Plant species richness was also important for richness of fungal OTUs, Malaise OTUs and for the Conservation Index. Our multiple regression analyses revealed (a) a consistently positive effect of plant richness on other taxa, (b) prediction of 12%–55% of variation in other taxa and 48% of variation in the total species richness when bioindication and plant richness were used as predictors. Our results justify that vascular plants are strong indicators of total biodiversity across environmental gradients and broad taxonomic realms and therefore a natural first choice for biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.

Original language	English
Journal	Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Volume	9
Issue number	12
Pages (from-to)	2372-2382
ISSN	2041-210X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13087
Publication status	Published - Dec 2018

Keywords

bryophytes
ecospace
fungi
gastropods
hoverflies
metabarcoding
spiders
surrogacy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/2041-210X.13087Licence: CC BY

Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richnessFinal published version, 998 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Brunbjerg, A. K., Bruun, H. H., Dalby, L., Fløjgaard, C., Frøslev, T. G., Høye, T. T., Goldberg, I., Læssøe, T., Hansen, M. D. D., Brøndum, L., Skipper, L., Fog, K., & Ejrnæs, R. (2018). Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9(12), 2372-2382. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13087

@article{b0c392af316d46f399ff8e4275c8e2d1,

title = "Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness",

abstract = "Plants regulate soils and microclimate, provide substrate for heterotrophic taxa, are easy to observe and identify and have a stable taxonomy, which strongly justifies their use as indicators in monitoring and conservation. However, there is no consensus as to whether plants are strong predictors of total multi-taxon species richness. In this study, we investigate if general terrestrial species richness can be predicted by vascular plant richness and bioindication. To answer this question, we collected an extensive dataset on species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, plant-galling arthropods, gastropods, spiders, carabid beetles, hoverflies, and genetic richness (operational taxonomic units = OTUs) from environmental DNA metabarcoding. We also constructed a Conservation Index based on threatened red list species. Besides using richness of vascular plants for prediction of other taxonomic groups, we also used plant-derived calibration of the abiotic environment (moisture, soil fertility and light conditions) as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact. Bivariate relationships between plant species richness and other species groups showed no consistent pattern. After taking environmental calibration by bioindication into account, we found a consistent, and for most groups significant, positive effect of plant richness. Plant species richness was also important for richness of fungal OTUs, Malaise OTUs and for the Conservation Index. Our multiple regression analyses revealed (a) a consistently positive effect of plant richness on other taxa, (b) prediction of 12%–55% of variation in other taxa and 48% of variation in the total species richness when bioindication and plant richness were used as predictors. Our results justify that vascular plants are strong indicators of total biodiversity across environmental gradients and broad taxonomic realms and therefore a natural first choice for biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.",

keywords = "bryophytes, ecospace, fungi, gastropods, hoverflies, metabarcoding, spiders, surrogacy, biodiversity, spatial conservation planning",

author = "Brunbjerg, {Ane Kirstine} and Bruun, {Hans Henrik} and Lars Dalby and Camilla Fl{\o}jgaard and Fr{\o}slev, {Tobias G.} and H{\o}ye, {Toke T.} and Irina Goldberg and Thomas L{\ae}ss{\o}e and Hansen, {Morten D.D.} and Lars Br{\o}ndum and Lars Skipper and K{\aa}re Fog and Rasmus Ejrn{\ae}s",

year = "2018",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/2041-210X.13087",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "2372--2382",

journal = "Methods in Ecology and Evolution",

issn = "2041-210X",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness

AU - Brunbjerg, Ane Kirstine

AU - Bruun, Hans Henrik

AU - Dalby, Lars

AU - Fløjgaard, Camilla

AU - Frøslev, Tobias G.

AU - Høye, Toke T.

AU - Goldberg, Irina

AU - Læssøe, Thomas

AU - Hansen, Morten D.D.

AU - Brøndum, Lars

AU - Skipper, Lars

AU - Fog, Kåre

AU - Ejrnæs, Rasmus

PY - 2018/12

Y1 - 2018/12

N2 - Plants regulate soils and microclimate, provide substrate for heterotrophic taxa, are easy to observe and identify and have a stable taxonomy, which strongly justifies their use as indicators in monitoring and conservation. However, there is no consensus as to whether plants are strong predictors of total multi-taxon species richness. In this study, we investigate if general terrestrial species richness can be predicted by vascular plant richness and bioindication. To answer this question, we collected an extensive dataset on species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, plant-galling arthropods, gastropods, spiders, carabid beetles, hoverflies, and genetic richness (operational taxonomic units = OTUs) from environmental DNA metabarcoding. We also constructed a Conservation Index based on threatened red list species. Besides using richness of vascular plants for prediction of other taxonomic groups, we also used plant-derived calibration of the abiotic environment (moisture, soil fertility and light conditions) as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact. Bivariate relationships between plant species richness and other species groups showed no consistent pattern. After taking environmental calibration by bioindication into account, we found a consistent, and for most groups significant, positive effect of plant richness. Plant species richness was also important for richness of fungal OTUs, Malaise OTUs and for the Conservation Index. Our multiple regression analyses revealed (a) a consistently positive effect of plant richness on other taxa, (b) prediction of 12%–55% of variation in other taxa and 48% of variation in the total species richness when bioindication and plant richness were used as predictors. Our results justify that vascular plants are strong indicators of total biodiversity across environmental gradients and broad taxonomic realms and therefore a natural first choice for biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.

AB - Plants regulate soils and microclimate, provide substrate for heterotrophic taxa, are easy to observe and identify and have a stable taxonomy, which strongly justifies their use as indicators in monitoring and conservation. However, there is no consensus as to whether plants are strong predictors of total multi-taxon species richness. In this study, we investigate if general terrestrial species richness can be predicted by vascular plant richness and bioindication. To answer this question, we collected an extensive dataset on species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, plant-galling arthropods, gastropods, spiders, carabid beetles, hoverflies, and genetic richness (operational taxonomic units = OTUs) from environmental DNA metabarcoding. We also constructed a Conservation Index based on threatened red list species. Besides using richness of vascular plants for prediction of other taxonomic groups, we also used plant-derived calibration of the abiotic environment (moisture, soil fertility and light conditions) as well as the degree of anthropogenic impact. Bivariate relationships between plant species richness and other species groups showed no consistent pattern. After taking environmental calibration by bioindication into account, we found a consistent, and for most groups significant, positive effect of plant richness. Plant species richness was also important for richness of fungal OTUs, Malaise OTUs and for the Conservation Index. Our multiple regression analyses revealed (a) a consistently positive effect of plant richness on other taxa, (b) prediction of 12%–55% of variation in other taxa and 48% of variation in the total species richness when bioindication and plant richness were used as predictors. Our results justify that vascular plants are strong indicators of total biodiversity across environmental gradients and broad taxonomic realms and therefore a natural first choice for biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.

KW - bryophytes

KW - ecospace

KW - fungi

KW - gastropods

KW - hoverflies

KW - metabarcoding

KW - spiders

KW - surrogacy

KW - biodiversity

KW - spatial conservation planning

U2 - 10.1111/2041-210X.13087

DO - 10.1111/2041-210X.13087

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85054487913

SN - 2041-210X

VL - 9

SP - 2372

EP - 2382

JO - Methods in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Methods in Ecology and Evolution

IS - 12

ER -

Vascular plant species richness and bioindication predict multi-taxon species richness

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this