小兴安岭阔叶红松林地表甲虫Beta多样性

Beta多样性用来衡量集群内物种组成的变异性,可以被分解为空间物种转换和物种集群镶嵌两个组分,是揭示群落构建机制的重要基础。目前开展了较多的地上生态系统beta多样性研究,然而地下生态系统beta多样性进展缓慢。以小兴安岭凉水和丰林自然保护区为研究地区,于2015年8、10月采用陷阱法对阔叶红松林进行调查,揭示地表甲虫(步甲科、隐翅虫科、葬甲科)的beta多样性。结果表明:(1)凉水共发现39种、856只地表甲虫,丰林共发现43种、1182只地表甲虫。8月凉水明显具有较高的全部甲虫(三个科的总和)物种多样性和丰富度,10月正好相反。(2)凉水和丰林之间地表甲虫beta多样性的差异仅发现于8月的步甲科和葬甲科之间。(3)凉水和丰林地表甲虫的beta多样性主要由空间物种转换组成,物种集群镶嵌对beta多样性的贡献很小,说明地表甲虫物种组成变异主要由本地物种之间较高的转换引起。研究表明小兴安岭阔叶红松林地表甲虫的beta多样性主要由空间物种转换组成,在揭示群落构建机制过程中,其内部物种交换和环境调控不容忽视。     

丰林典型阔叶红松林地表鞘翅目成虫空间异质性及其与环境因子的空间关联性

土壤动物群落空间异质性及其与环境因子的空间作用关系, 是揭示土壤生态系统格局与过程及生物多样性维持机制的重要基础。作者于2015年生长季节(8月)、寒冷季节(10月)在丰林典型阔叶红松林动态监测样地内, 采用陷阱法调查地表鞘翅目成虫群落, 基于地统计空间分析方法, 揭示步甲科和隐翅虫科群落个体数和物种数及优势种的空间格局, 并分析这些空间格局与土壤含水量和地形因子的空间关联性。两次采样共捕获步甲科成虫26种617只, 隐翅虫科19种222只。8月群落个体数和物种数表现为中等变异, 10月为强变异, 群落组成在两个月间具有显著差异。生长季节(8月)和寒冷季节(10月)步甲科和隐翅虫科群落多表现为中等的空间自相关性, 空间分异由随机性因素和结构性因素共同决定。单个物种的个体数多具有中等的空间异质性特征, 且其空间分异主要由随机性因素和结构性因素共同调控。生长季节群落的个体数、物种数和优势种个体数多形成斑块和孔隙镶嵌分布的空间格局。物种之间及物种与环境因子之间多为复杂的空间关联性, 这些关联性主要受到结构性因素或随机性因素的单一调控。典范对应分析(canonical correspondence analysis, CCA)结果表明, 8月土壤含水量对步甲科和隐翅虫科物种分布影响显著, 10月凹凸度对步甲科分布影响显著, 海拔对隐翅虫科分布具有显著影响。本研究表明地表步甲科和隐翅虫科在生长季节形成明显的空间格局而在寒冷季节空间格局不明显, 为不同尺度地表土壤动物空间异质性和生物多样性维持机制研究提供了理论基础。     

凉水自然保护区阔叶红松林林分空间结构特征及其与影响因子关系

根据凉水自然保护区28块典型阔叶红松林样地的5个林分空间结构参数和18个影响因子数据,采用典范对应分析(CCA)方法,对凉水自然保护区阔叶红松林林分空间结构与影响因子间关系进行分析。研究结果表明:(1)研究区域阔叶红松林整体具有较好的林分空间结构,其水平分布格局主要表现为随机分布,树木生长整体处于中庸状态,林木的整体混交程度较高;(2)林分空间结构的CCA排序较好的揭示了该区林分空间结构与影响因子的关系;CCA第一排序轴反映了林龄、坡度、阔叶比和坡向的变化,第二排序轴反映了坡向、土壤有机质和平均胸径的变化,上述6因子的组合是决定林分空间结构特征的主要影响因子;(3)影响林分空间结构的变量中,地形、土壤和林分因子共解释了林分空间结构变化的59.20%,其中纯地形因子占30.68%,纯林分因子占19.01%,纯土壤因子占8.21%,未能解释部分为40.80%。     

不同林型地表甲虫食性及营养级关系：基于碳氮稳定同位素分析

土壤动物联结着生态系统地上与地下部分的物质循环和能量流动,对生态系统的结构、功能及过程起着重要的调控作用。地表甲虫作为典型的大型土壤动物,在食物网中占有重要的位置,因此对不同林型地表甲虫的δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N同位素特征及营养关系研究对了解森林土壤动物的食性特征进而保护森林生物多样性是十分必要的。采集了小兴安岭凉水自然保护区6种不同林型的地表甲虫共10科31种,利用稳定同位素技术测定了甲虫中的δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N含量,并分析不同林型内地表甲虫的δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N值及营养级差异。结果表明6、7月份不同林型地表甲虫的δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N值差异显著(P<0.05),其中δ¹³C值在原始阔叶红松林和次生白桦林显著高于落叶松人工林和阔叶红松择伐林。δ¹⁵N值在阔叶红松择伐林显著高于其他5种林型。不同林型地表甲虫的营养级差异显著(P<0.05),林型内各物种营养级差异不显著(P...     

吉林蛟河阔叶红松林地表甲虫多样性时间动态分析

阔叶红松林是长白山林区代表性植被类型,具有较高的生物多样性。研究吉林蛟河阔叶红松林中地表甲虫多样性的时间动态,比较优势类群对时间变化的响应,为森林中地表甲虫的保护与利用提供科学依据。在2012—2013年5月中旬至8月下旬整个地表甲虫的活跃期,利用巴氏罐法在吉林蛟河阔叶红松林4个样地中共采集地表甲虫9849头,隶属于22个科79种,步甲科Carabidae、埋葬甲科Silphidae和隐翅虫科Staphylinidae为优势类群。地表甲虫的物种数、个体数和多样性指数均在7月上旬时达到最高,时间对个体数有显著影响(P0.05)。地表甲虫多样性各指数间相关性较低,个别种类对环境变化比较敏感。步甲科个体数在7月上旬显著高于其他时间,物种数与个体数的时间动态不一致,步甲科对8月上旬的适应能力强于埋葬甲科和隐翅虫科。埋葬甲科在7月上旬个体数量极显著高于其他各时间(P0.01),物种数与个体数的时间动态相一致。埋葬甲科对7月下旬适应能力强于隐翅虫科,其对时间变化的反应最敏感,当环境条件适宜时,其数量能够迅速增加。不同时间隐翅虫科的物种数与个体数变化相对较小,对时间变化的敏感程度最低。由于生活习性的特殊化,使得捕食性和腐食性地表甲虫活跃的高峰期也可能与被捕食者在各时期的数量有关。     

短时暴雨对小兴安岭凉水阔叶红松林地表甲虫群落的影响

全球变化背景下,气候变化引起的降水异常变化对诸多生态过程和功能均有重要影响,但目前关于极端降水事件对土壤动物群落组成及多样性的影响研究非常有限。2018年7月24—25日,凉水国家自然保护区发生以大到暴雨为主的连续降雨,日降雨量达到50—100 mm,造成较严重的破坏,属于极端降水事件(短时暴雨)级别。在凉水国家级自然保护区阔叶红松林内,分别于暴雨发生前期(7月19日—24日)、暴雨结束初期(7月29日—8月3日)和后期(8月4日—8月14日),采用陷阱法捕获地表甲虫,阐明短时暴雨对地表甲虫群落组成及多样性的影响。结果表明:此次实验共捕获650只、35种,地表甲虫群落、步甲科和隐翅虫科的个体数量在暴雨发生前期、暴雨结束初期和后期并没有显著差异,说明短时暴雨对上述群落个体数量没有显著影响,而葬甲科的个体数量在暴雨结束初期显著少于暴雨发生前期和暴雨结束后期。因土壤动物群落不同类群生活习性不同,短时暴雨对地表甲虫群落不同类群与优势种的影响各不相同。例如:优势种Pterostichus maoershanensis、Pterostichus adstrictus和Aulonocarabus canaliculatus暴雨结束初期的个体数量均显著少于暴雨发生前期的个体数量,优势种P.maoershanensis暴雨结束后期的个体数量极显著少于暴雨结束初期和暴雨发生前期,优势种Nicrophorus tenuipes暴雨结束初期的个体数量极显著少于暴雨发生前期。地表甲虫群落和步甲科在暴雨发生前期、暴雨结束初期和后期的的多样性指数(H′)和优势度指数(D)呈逐渐减少的趋势,步甲科暴雨结束后期的多样性指数(H′)、优势度指数(D)和均匀度指数(J)均显著少于暴雨发生前期(P0.05)。地表甲虫群落在暴雨结束初期和后期的beta多样性均显著高于暴雨发生前期,说明地表甲虫群落在暴雨结束初期和后期存在较高的群落物种替换,即暴雨导致地表甲虫群落较大的物种组成差异。本文表明,短时暴雨对小兴安岭凉水阔叶红松林的地表甲虫群落物种组成和多样性产生一定的影响,对群落不同类群及优势物种产生不同的影响,并导致地表甲虫群落在暴雨后较大的物种替换。     

宁夏白芨滩国家级自然保护区地表甲虫群落多样性

2006年7—9月在宁夏白芨滩国家级自然保护区内选取5个不同样地,主要以巴氏罐诱法结合网捕等采集方法对各样地地表甲虫群落组成和多样性变化进行了调查。结果共获得甲虫标本1 896号,分属17科,其中拟步甲科数量最多,占25.58%;叶甲科次之,占20.99%;肖叶甲科、芫菁科和瓢虫科的数量也相对较多,它们共同构成该地区地表甲虫的优势类群。白芨滩样地地表甲虫的物种数和个体数量最丰富;长流水样地的多样性指数、均匀度指数、优势度指数最高;马鞍山样地的物种数、个体数量和与此相应的均匀度指数、多样性指数、丰富度最低。通过聚类分析显示白芨滩样地和大泉样地具有一定程度的相似性,长流水样地与磁窑堡样地相似性程度较高,马鞍山样地与其他4个地点差异最大。表明生境类型差异性与地表甲虫群落的物种多样性和相似性密切相关;荒漠化环境治理使地表甲虫栖息环境的空间异质性增大,从而增加了地表甲虫的多样性。     

凉水自然保护区阔叶红松林林分空间结构特征及其与影响因子关系简

根据凉水自然保护区28块典型阔叶红松林样地的5个林分空间结构参数和18个影响因子数据,采用典范对应分析（CCA）方法,对凉水自然保护区阔叶红松林林分空间结构与影响因子间关系进行分析。研究结果表明：（1）研究区域阔叶红松林整体具有较好的林分空间结构,其水平分布格局主要表现为随机分布,树木生长整体处于中庸状态,林木的整体混交程度较高;（2）林分空间结构的CCA排序较好的揭示了该区林分空间结构与影响因子的关系;CCA第一排序轴反映了林龄、坡度、阔叶比和坡向的变化,第二排序轴反映了坡向、土壤有机质和平均胸径的变化,上述6因子的组合是决定林分空间结构特征的主要影响因子;（3）影响林分空间结构的变量中,地形、土壤和林分因子共解释了林分空间结构变化的59.20%,其中纯地形因子占30.68%,纯林分因子占19.01%,纯土壤因子占8.21%,未能解释部分为40.80%。     

卧龙自然保护区落叶松林不同恢复阶段地表甲虫的多样性

在四川卧龙国家自然保护区,以落叶松种植林邻近的天然落叶阔叶林(100年生,5块样地)为对照,分别选择刚种植(5年生)、幼年期(15年生)和成熟期(45年生)的3种落叶松林各4块样地,每个样地4个重复,研究森林不同恢复阶段地表甲虫的多样性。通过巴氏罐诱法取样,采集甲虫标本共7444号。步甲科、隐翅虫科和拟步甲科分别占总数的40·2%、38·3%和6·4%,共同构成本研究地区的优势类群。甲虫的科丰富度、多样性和均匀度在3种落叶松林内显著高于天然林,且在3种落叶松林中,刚种植的最高,幼年期的最低;个体数量正相反,天然林显著高于落叶松林,而且3种落叶松林内,幼年期最高,刚种植的最低。主坐标分析排序和聚类分析表明,不同树龄的落叶松林和天然阔叶林间的地表甲虫群落组成存在显著差异,成熟期落叶松林与幼年期落叶松林和天然阔叶林有较高的相似性。甲虫个体数量的季节变化在3种落叶松林内相似性很高,与天然阔叶林差异显著,而科丰富度、多样性和均匀度的季节变化在3种落叶松林以及天然阔叶林间相似性都很低。多元回归分析表明,林冠层、草本层及枯落物的高(厚)度和覆盖率是决定科丰富度、个体数量、多样性和均匀度的决定因素。以上结果表明,在科级水平上,地表甲虫群落组成在不同树龄的落叶松林以及天然落叶阔叶林内存在显著差异,虽然成熟期的落叶松林已经具有了部分天然阔叶林的甲虫群落特点,但仍无法完全恢复到天然林的群落水平。因此,在鼓励森林恢复的同时,保留大面积的天然落叶阔叶林免受破坏和干扰仍然是保护地表甲虫群落的必要措施。     

影响阔叶红松林土壤CO2排放的主要因素

采用静态封闭箱式技术对长白山阔叶红松林土壤CO2 的排放通量进行 1年的观测 ,并通过多元回归分析了土壤CO2 排放速率与 5个环境因子间的关系。结果表明 ,阔叶红松林土壤CO2 排放与表层无凋落物的土壤CO2 排放速率在测定年度内具有相同的季节变化趋势。在不同的月份中 ,以 7月份最高 ,2月份最低 ;在夏季 18∶0 0为土壤日CO2 排放的最高峰 ;土壤CO2 排放速率与 5个环境因子进行多元回归的结果显示 :林地土壤CO2 排放速率与地表温度和地下 2 0cm土壤湿度呈显著正相关。根据气象资料推算 ,阔叶红松林的年凋落物和土壤CO2排放通量分别为 2 80 4 gCO2 ·m-2 ·a-1和 3911gCO2 ·m-2 ·a-1。阔叶红松林凋落物排放CO2年通量占土壤林地CO2 排放总量的 2 8%。     

Bird metacommunity processes remain constant after 25 years of landscape changes

Metacommunity theory provides a framework to understand how ecological communities vary in space and time. However, few studies have investigated metacommunity processes in a context of long term changes. Environmental changes can impact species distribution and therefore the structure of metacommunities. Using two complementary methods, this study evaluated the temporal variability of bird metacommunity processes in an agricultural landscape after 25 years of changes in land-cover. Bird and landscape data were recorded in the same locations using a series of 256 point counts in 1982 and 2007. First, variance partitioning was applied to quantify the roles of environmental filtering (i.e. landscape composition variables) and spatial variables to organize bird metacommunities each year. Second, changes in the structure of the bird metacommunity were examined by quantifying three of its components: coherence, species turnover and species range boundary clumping. Our results demonstrate that landscape variables explained slightly more bird metacommunity patterns than spatial variation of unknown origin each year. The bird metacommunity had a Clementsian structure (i.e. grouped distribution of species along environmental gradients) which was correlated with a landscape gradient ranging from open farmland to wooded sites. This structure was similar each year. To conclude, the study shows that environmental filtering with specializations to different habitats is a major process in determining bird metacommunities in landscapes. Moreover, our results suggest that metacommunity structure can remain constant over time despite demographic and environmental changes.     

A comparative analysis of metacommunity types in the freshwater realm

Most metacommunity studies have taken a direct mechanistic approach, aiming to model the effects of local and regional processes on local communities within a metacommunity. An alternative approach is to focus on emergent patterns at the metacommunity level through applying the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS; Oikos, 97, 2002, 237) analysis. The EMS approach has very rarely been applied in the context of a comparative analysis of metacommunity types of main microbial, plant, and animal groups. Furthermore, to our knowledge, no study has associated metacommunity types with their potential ecological correlates in the freshwater realm. We assembled data for 45 freshwater metacommunities, incorporating biologically highly disparate organismal groups (i.e., bacteria, algae, macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish). We first examined ecological correlates (e.g., matrix properties, beta diversity, and average characteristics of a metacommunity, including body size, trophic group, ecosystem type, life form, and dispersal mode) of the three elements of metacommunity structure (i.e., coherence, turnover, and boundary clumping). Second, based on those three elements, we determined which metacommunity types prevailed in freshwater systems and which ecological correlates best discriminated among the observed metacommunity types. We found that the three elements of metacommunity structure were not strongly related to the ecological correlates, except that turnover was positively related to beta diversity. We observed six metacommunity types. The most common were Clementsian and quasi‐nested metacommunity types, whereas Random, quasi‐Clementsian, Gleasonian, and quasi‐Gleasonian types were less common. These six metacommunity types were best discriminated by beta diversity and the first axis of metacommunity ecological traits, ranging from metacommunities of producer organisms occurring in streams to those of large predatory organisms occurring in lakes. Our results showed that focusing on the emergent properties of multiple metacommunities provides information additional to that obtained in studies examining variation in local community structure within a metacommunity.     

Effect of landscape context on fish metacommunity structuring in stream networks

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Metacommunity ecology meets biogeography: effects of geographical region,spatial dynamics and environmental filtering on community structure in aquatic organisms

Metacommunity patterns and underlying processes in aquatic organisms have typically been studied within a drainage basin. We examined variation in the composition of six freshwater organismal groups across various drainage basins in Finland. We first modelled spatial structures within each drainage basin using Moran eigenvector maps. Second, we partitioned variation in community structure among three groups of predictors using constrained ordination: (1) local environmental variables, (2) spatial variables, and (3) dummy variable drainage basin identity. Third, we examined turnover and nestedness components of multiple-site beta diversity, and tested the best fit patterns of our datasets using the “elements of metacommunity structure” analysis. Our results showed that basin identity and local environmental variables were significant predictors of community structure, whereas within-basin spatial effects were typically negligible. In half of the organismal groups (diatoms, bryophytes, zooplankton), basin identity was a slightly better predictor of community structure than local environmental variables, whereas the opposite was true for the remaining three organismal groups (insects, macrophytes, fish). Both pure basin and local environmental fractions were, however, significant after accounting for the effects of the other predictor variable sets. All organismal groups exhibited high levels of beta diversity, which was mostly attributable to the turnover component. Our results showed consistent Clementsian-type metacommunity structures, suggesting that subgroups of species responded similarly to environmental factors or drainage basin limits. We conclude that aquatic communities across large scales are mostly determined by environmental and basin effects, which leads to high beta diversity and prevalence of Clementsian community types.     

Bat metacommunity structure on Caribbean islands and the role of endemics

Aim We evaluate characteristics of species ranges (i.e. coherence, species turnover and range boundary clumping) to determine the structure of bat metacommunities and metaensembles from Caribbean islands. We evaluate the effects of endemic species on that structure, and quantify associations between island characteristics and latent environmental gradients that structure these metacommunities and metaensembles. Location Sixty‐five Caribbean islands throughout the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. Methods Metacommunity structure is an emergent property of a set of ecological communities at different sites defined by species distributions across geographic or environmental gradients. We analysed elements of metacommunity structure (coherence, range turnover and range boundary clumping) to determine the best‐fit pattern for metacommunities from all Caribbean islands, as well as from the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles separately. For each island group, analyses were conducted for all bats and for each of two broadly defined guilds (i.e. carnivores and herbivores). In addition, analyses were conducted for all species and for a subset in which endemic species were removed from the fauna. Spearman rank correlations identified island characteristics (area, elevation, latitude, longitude) that were associated significantly with island scores for ordination axes based on reciprocal averaging. Results Metacommunity structure for all bats and for carnivores was similar for each island group, with Clementsian distributions (i.e. discrete communities with groups of species replacing other groups of species along the gradient) for all islands, the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles, but with nested distributions for the Greater Antilles. Herbivore distributions were random for the Bahamas, but were Clementsian for all other island groups. Removal of endemic species affected the best‐fit model of metacommunity structure in only 3 of 12 cases. In general, ordination scores for islands were correlated with longitude or latitude, but not with island area or elevation. Main conclusions Characteristics of bat species ranges and associated metacommunity structure were primarily dependent on the number and geographic arrangement of primary sources of colonization, and not on interspecific interactions, species‐specific levels of environmental tolerance, or the physical characteristics of islands. Endemic species did not greatly affect metacommunity structure in Caribbean bats.     

Contrasting metacommunity structure and beta diversity in an aquatic‐floodplain system

Habitat connectivity and dispersal interact to structure metacommunities, but few studies have examined these patterns jointly for organisms across the aquatic–terrestrial ecotone. We assessed metacommunity structure and beta diversity patterns of instream benthic invertebrates, riparian carabid beetles (Order: Coleoptera; Family: Carabidae) and riparian spiders (Order: Araneae) at fifteen sites in a river‐floodplain system. Sampling took place over a three‐year period (2010–2012) in the Rhine‐Main‐Observatory LTER site on the Kinzig River, central Germany. This allowed disentangling the combined influence, and temporal variability, of habitat connectivity (i.e. between aquatic and terrestrial) and dispersal ability (i.e. between spiders and beetles, and aerial and aquatic dispersing invertebrates) on the dominant paradigms structuring these metacommunities. We found mostly consistent differences in the manner that metacommunities were structured between groups, with lower levels of variability explained for beetles compared to the other groups. Beetles were consistently structured more by turnover than nestedness components, with greater beta diversity than expected by chance and a minor spatial compared to environmental signal emerging with variance partitioning. Conversely, spiders and benthic invertebrates had lower beta diversity and greater nestedness than null expectation, and a clearer spatial signal controlling metacommunity structure. Our results suggest varying levels of mass effects and species sorting shape river‐floodplain metacommunities, depending on habitat connectivity and dispersal ability. That is, greater connectivity and lower fragmentation along the river compared to the terrestrial zone promoted mass effects, and differences in overall dispersal ability and mode (i.e. active and passive) for instream and riparian communities shifted paradigms between mass effects and species sorting.     

metacom: an R package for the analysis of metacommunity structure

Metacommunity theory is an extension of metapopulation theory with the goal of understanding how ecological communities vary through space and time. One off‐shoot of metacommunity theory deals with understanding how community structure varies along biotic or environmental gradients. The Elements of Metacommunity Structure framework is a three‐tiered analysis of metacommunity structure that enables the user to identify metacommunity properties that arise in site‐by‐species incidence matrices. These properties can then be related to underlying variables that influence species distributions. The EMS framework is now implemented in metacom, an open source R package that allows for the analysis and plotting of metacommunities.     

A comprehensive framework for the evaluation of metacommunity structure

The metacommunity framework is a powerful platform for evaluating patterns of species distribution in geographic or environmental space. Idealized patterns (checkerboard, Clementsian, evenly spaced, Gleasonian and nested distributions) give the framework shape. Each pattern represents an area in a multidimensional continuum of metacommunity structures; however, the current approach to analysis of spatial structure of metacommunities is incomplete. To address this, we describe additional non‐random structures and illustrate how they may be discerned via objective criteria. First, we distinguish three distinct forms of species loss in nested structures, which should improve identification of structuring mechanisms for nested patterns. Second, we define six quasi‐structures that are consistent with the conceptual underpinnings of Clementsian, Gleasonian, evenly spaced and nested distributions. Finally, we demonstrate how combinations of structures at smaller spatial extents may aggregate to form Clementsian structure at larger extents. These refinements should facilitate the identification of best‐fit patterns, associated structuring mechanisms, and informative scales of analysis and interpretation. This conceptual and analytical framework may be applied to network properties within communities (i.e. structure of interspecific interactions) and has broad application in ecology and biogeography.     

Vertebrate metacommunity structure along an extensive elevational gradient in the tropics: a comparison of bats,rodents and birds

Aim We evaluated the structure of metacommunities for each of three vertebrate orders (Chiroptera, Rodentia and Passeriformes) along an extensive elevational gradient. Using elevation as a proxy for variation in abiotic characteristics and the known elevational distributions of habitat types, we assessed the extent to which variation in those factors may structure each metacommunity based on taxon‐specific characteristics. Location Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Peruvian Andes. Methods Metacommunity structure is an emergent property of a set of species distributions across geographic or environmental gradients. We analysed elements of metacommunity structure (coherence, range turnover and range boundary clumping) to determine the best‐fit structure for each metacommunity along an elevational gradient comprising 13 250‐m elevational intervals and 58 species of rodent, 92 species of bat or 586 species of passerine. Results For each taxon, the environmental gradient along which the metacommunity was structured was highly correlated with elevation. Clementsian structure (i.e. groups of species replacing other such groups along the gradient) characterized rodents, with a group of species that was characteristic of rain forests and a group of species that was characteristic of higher elevation habitats (i.e. above 1500 m). Distributions of bats were strongly nested, with more montane communities comprising subsets of species at lower elevations. The structure of the passerine metacommunity was complex and most consistent with a quasi‐Clementsian structure. Main conclusions Each metacommunity exhibited a different structure along the same elevational gradient, and each structure can be accounted for by taxon‐specific responses to local environmental factors that vary predictably with elevation. The structures of rodent and bird metacommunities suggest species sorting associated with habitat specializations, whereas structure of the bat metacommunity is probably moulded by a combination of species‐specific tolerances to increasingly cold, low‐productivity environs of higher elevations and the diversity and abundance of food resources associated with particular habitat types.