Microbial ecosystems are dominated by specialist taxa

Abundance and specificity are two key characteristics of species distribution and biodiversity. Theories of species assembly aim to reproduce the empirical joint patterns of specificity and abundance, with the goal to explain patterns of biodiversity across habitats. The specialist‐generalist paradigm predicts that specialists should have a local advantage over generalists and thus be more abundant. We developed a specificity index to analyse abundance–specificity relationships in microbial ecosystems. By analysing microbiota spanning 23 habitats from three very different data sets covering a wide range of sequencing depths and environmental conditions, we find that habitats are consistently dominated by specialist taxa, resulting in a strong, positive correlation between abundance and specificity. This finding is consistent over several levels of taxonomic aggregation and robust to errors in abundance measures. The relationship explains why shallow sequencing captures similar β‐diversity as deep sequencing, and can be sufficient to capture the habitat‐specific functions of microbial communities.     

Beta diversity of rock-restricted cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi: importance of environmental and spatial factors

The rock-restricted cichlid fish assemblages of Lake Malawi exhibit high spatial diversity in their species composition and relative abundance. However the extent to which this is due to the effects of local environmental differences, dispersal limitation of constituent taxa, and the assignment of allopatric populations to species is uncertain. We examined the factors associated with diversity within an assemblage from the north-western shores, encompassing a spatial scale of 170 km. For both the whole assemblage, and all constituent species-complexes, spatial variance in community structure was significantly dependent upon both geographic distances between locations and local habitat variables. Pronounced effects of distance indicate limited dispersal, but our results also show that that the spatial variance explained by geographic distance alone was strongly linked to proportion of allopatric populations within a species-complex with species status. Thus, the taxonomic status of allopatric populations underlies, at least partially, the biogeographical structure of this assemblage. Substrate composition and habitat depth were also significant determinants of community structure, although spatial variance attributed to these variables was less than that associated with distance alone. Substantial unexplained variance may be a consequence of the effects of unmeasured habitat variables, high ecological similarity between co-occurring species, stochastic influences on population abundance, and the effects of local adaptation. Despite low spatial variance explained by the assessed environmental variables, significant environmental influence on cichlid assemblage structure across a wide spatial scale indicates that even slight future environmental changes may have the capacity to significantly alter species composition.     

Continental shelf-wide response of a fish assemblage to rapid warming of the sea

Climate change affects marine biological processes from genetic to ecosystem levels [1-3]. Recent warming in the northeast Atlantic [4, 5] has caused distributional shifts in some fish species along latitudinal and depth gradients [6,?7], but such changes, as predicted by climate envelope models [8], may often be prevented because population movement requires availability of suitable habitat. We assessed the full impacts of warming on the commercially important European continental shelf fish assemblage using a data-driven Eulerian (grid-based) approach that accommodates spatial heterogeneity in ecological and environmental conditions. We analyzed local associations of species abundance and community diversity with climatic variables, assessing trends in 172 cells from records of >100 million individuals sampled over 1.2 million km(2) from 1980-2008. We demonstrate responses to warming in 72% of common species, with three times more species increasing in abundance than declining, and find these trends reflected in international commercial landings. Profound reorganization of the relative abundance of species in local communities occurred despite decadal stability in the presence-absence of species. Our analysis highlights the importance of focusing on changes in species abundance in established local communities to assess the full consequences of climate change for commercial fisheries and food security.     

Analysis of genetic diversity in a peatland specialist butterfly suggests an important role for habitat quality and small habitat patches

Understanding effects of habitat and landscape features on genetic variation is a prerequisite for the development of habitat and landscape management strategies aimed at conserving genetic diversity. While there has been considerable research on the effects of landscape structure on the genetics of populations, a recent review identified key biases in this body of work. The majority of landscape genetic studies investigate the intervening matrix’s influence on differentiation and gene flow among populations. Although characteristics of local habitat patches may be important determinants of genetic diversity, fewer studies have examined these relationships. Here we use node- and neighbourhood-based approaches to analyze correlates of genetic diversity in the bog copper (Lycaena epixanthe), a specialist butterfly endemic to temperate Nearctic peatlands that is threatened in parts of its range. Based on 190 repeatable and polymorphic amplified fragment length polymorphism loci, we found that genetic diversity was higher in habitat patches that were smaller and surrounded by more open water. Our results indicate that valuing small peatlands and preserving the surrounding water table may be important for conservation of genetic diversity in this highly specialized species. Our study highlights the importance of variables affecting habitat quality for conservation genetics.     

Fish species-environment and abundance relationships in a Great Plains river system

Fish assemblages in the upper Red River system of southwestern Oklahoma (USA) were predictable along measured environmental gradients Conductivity was the most important variable predicting structure of fish assemblages followed by stream size, alkalinity woody debris and water clarity Classification of abundance data identified four groups each of species and sites Species groups were separated on a habitat template indicating similar environmental responses within groups However, site groups showed considerable overlap on the template Correlations among species environmental preferences were significantly associated with correlations of species abundances Likewise, site correlations on the basis of measured environmental variables and on the basis of species abundances were significantly similar
We tested abundance and distribution data for agreement with the hierarchical model of Kolasa Several testable predictions of the model described our data well specialist species outnumbered generalist species and were less abundant on average, than generalist species Average abundance of species was highly correlated with their ecological ranges and species were clumped along both ecological range and abundance axes     

Genetic diversity in butterflies: Interactive effects of habitat fragmentation and climate-driven range expansion

Some species are expanding their ranges polewards during current climate warming. However, anthropogenic fragmentation of suitable habitat is affecting expansion rates and here we investigate interactions between range expansion, habitat fragmentation and genetic diversity. We examined three closely related Satyrinae butterflies, which differ in their habitat associations, from six sites along a transect in England from distribution core to expanding range margin. There was a significant decline in allozyme variation towards an expanding range margin in Pararge aegeria, which has the most restricted habitat availability, but not in Pyronia tithonus whose habitat is more widely available, or in a non-expanding 'control species' (Maniola jurtina). Moreover, data from another transect in Scotland indicated that declines in genetic diversity in P. aegeria were evident only on the transect in England, which had greater habitat fragmentation. Our results indicate that fragmentation of breeding habitats leads to more severe founder events during colonization, resulting in reduced diversity in marginal populations in more specialist species. The continued widespread loss of suitable habitats in the future may increase the likelihood of loss of genetic diversity in expanding species, which may affect whether or not species can adapt to future environmental change.     

Relative Importance of Coral Cover,Habitat Complexity and Diversity in Determining the Structure of Reef Fish Communities

The structure of coral reef habitat has a pronounced influence on the diversity, composition and abundance of reef-associated fishes. However, the particular features of the habitat that are most critical are not always known. Coral habitats can vary in many characteristics, notably live coral cover, topographic complexity and coral diversity, but the relative effects of these habitat characteristics are often not distinguished. Here, we investigate the strength of the relationships between these habitat features and local fish diversity, abundance and community structure in the lagoon of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. In a spatial comparison using sixty-six 2m² quadrats, fish species richness, total abundance and community structure were examined in relation to a wide range of habitat variables, including topographic complexity, habitat diversity, coral diversity, coral species richness, hard coral cover, branching coral cover and the cover of corymbose corals. Fish species richness and total abundance were strongly associated with coral species richness and cover, but only weakly associated with topographic complexity. Regression tree analysis showed that coral species richness accounted for most of the variation in fish species richness (63.6%), while hard coral cover explained more variation in total fish abundance (17.4%), than any other variable. In contrast, topographic complexity accounted for little spatial variation in reef fish assemblages. In degrading coral reef environments, the potential effects of loss of coral cover and topographic complexity are often emphasized, but these findings suggest that reduced coral biodiversity may ultimately have an equal, or greater, impact on reef-associated fish communities.     

Plant composition,not richness,drives occurrence of specialist herbivores

1. How herbivore plant diversity relationships are shaped by the interplay of biotic and abiotic environmental variables is only partly understood. For instance, plant diversity is commonly assumed to determine abundance and richness of associated specialist herbivores. However, this relationship can be altered when environmental variables such as temperature covary with plant diversity. 2. Using gall‐inducing arthropods as focal organisms, biotic and abiotic environmental variables were tested for their relevance to specialist herbivores and their relationship to host plants. In particular, the hypothesis that abundance and richness of gall‐inducing arthropods increase with plant richness was addressed. Additionally, the study asked whether communities of gall‐inducing arthropods match the communities of their host plants. 3. Neither abundance nor species richness of gall‐inducing arthropods was correlated with plant richness or any other of the tested environmental variables. Instead, the number of gall species found per plant decreased with plant richness. This indicates that processes of associational resistance may explain the specialised plant herbivore relationship in our study. 4. Community composition of gall‐inducing arthropods matched host plant communities. In specialised plant herbivore relationships, the presence of obligate host plant species is a prerequisite for the occurrence of its herbivores. 5. It is concluded that the abiotic environment may only play an indirect role in shaping specialist herbivore communities. Instead, the occurrence of specialist herbivore communities might be best explained by plant species composition. Thus, plant species identity should be considered when aiming to understand the processes that shape diversity patterns of specialist herbivores.     

Relationship of different feeding groups of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with habitat and landscape features in Pannonic salt grasslands

Eastern European grasslands are still inhabited by a rich arthropod fauna, but the drivers and mechanisms influencing their communities have to be understood to ensure their future survival. Heteroptera communities were studied in 20 plot-pairs in Pannonic salt steppe–salt marsh mosaics in Hungary. The effects of vegetation characteristics, landscape diversity and the proportion of surrounding grasslands on the composition, species richness and abundance of different feeding groups of true bugs (carnivores, specialist and generalist herbivores) were examined using ordinations and mixed-effect models. We found distinct herbivorous assemblages corresponding to microtopography-driven differences in water regime and vegetation between steppe and marsh plots, but this pattern was less pronounced in carnivorous assemblages. A higher species richness of true bugs was found in the more diverse steppe vegetation than in the salt marsh vegetation, while the abundance pattern of true bugs was opposite. Landscape diversity had a positive effect on the species richness and abundance of generalist herbivores and carnivores. Our results suggested that generalist herbivores and carnivores appear to drive diversity patterns in the local landscape due to their high dispersal abilities and the broader range of resources they can utilize. Specialist herbivores strongly influence the local insect biomass in relation to the distribution and density of their host plants. The present study highlights the importance of both habitat and landscape diversity for local insect diversity in Pannonic salt grasslands and suggests that the main threats for arthropod diversity are those processes and activities that homogenize these areas.     

Moisture variables, and not temperature, are responsible for climate filtering and genetic bottlenecks in the South African endemic terrestrial mollusc Prestonella (Orthalicoidea)

Non-vagile taxa such as terrestrial molluscs are susceptible to stochastic environmental events that can cause local extinctions or population declines, and extinctions of terrestrial mollusc species are among the highest documented. Many terrestrial snails are habitat specialists, and genetic studies using both allozyme and DNA sequence data have indicated that many species contain substantial and geographically structured genetic variation. In this study, we assess the genetic variation within two species of the rare terrestrial snail genus Prestonella, an inhabitant of rocky areas along water courses in the southern Great Escarpment of South Africa, and correlate genetic diversity to climatic variables. DNA sequence data from mitochondrial 16S rDNA and partial cytochrome oxidase I genes indicate that neither species is monophyletic, and that populations are deeply divergent, even over distances of a few hundred metres. Principal components anaylsis of climatic variables derived from two databases indicates that genetic diversity of the populations is correlated to moisture-related climatic variables. Populations with little or no diversity occur in more arid regions, and are thus most at risk from any future climatic changes that would increase aridification. These moisture variables are thus potent drivers of genetic bottlenecks and may have resulted in historical climate filtering or limitation of the distribution of these species. Temperature appears to be a less important variable, a finding supported by physiological data based on heart rates that show that death occurs only at temperatures far higher than found in their environment.     

Habitat specialization of birds in the Czech Republic: comparison of objective measures with expert opinion

Capsule Expert‐based classification of bird species as habitat specialists and as generalists agrees with objective measures of species’ habitat requirements based on large‐scale monitoring data.

Aims To compare habitat specialization of 137 common bird species breeding in the Czech Republic using three different measures and to test their relationships to species’ abundance and habitat associations.

Methods Data on bird abundance and surveyed habitats were collected through a standardized monitoring scheme of common breeding species in the Czech Republic. From these data we calculated a quantitative species specialization index (SSI). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to calculate species’ habitat niche breadth and the level of association of each species to the main habitats. A panel of 11 local bird experts classified each species as habitat generalist or habitat specialist.

Results Species classified as habitat specialists by expert opinion showed higher habitat specialization according to the SSI, as well as according to CCA‐based habitat niche breadth. These species were also more closely associated with one of the main habitat types. These relationships were significant even after controlling for abundance.

Conclusions As expert opinion accords with the level of species’ habitat specialization expressed using two quantitative objective measures, we suggest that these characteristics reflect real interspecific variation in the breadth of habitat requirements in birds. Interspecific differences in habitat specialization are not caused solely by the variability in abundance among species.     

Altitudinal gradients in stream fish diversity and the prevalence of diadromy in the Sixaola River basin,Costa Rica

Landscape-scale patterns of freshwater fish diversity and assemblage structure remain poorly documented in many areas of Central America, while aquatic ecosystems throughout the region have been impacted by habitat degradation and hydrologic alterations. Diadromous fishes may be especially vulnerable to these changes, but there is currently very little information available regarding their distribution and abundance in Central American river systems. We sampled small streams at 20 sites in the Sixaola River basin in southeastern Costa Rica to examine altitudinal variation in the diversity and species composition of stream fish assemblages, with a particular focus on diadromous species. A set of environmental variables was also measured in the study sites to evaluate how changes in fish assemblage structure were related to gradients in stream habitat. Overall, fish diversity and abundance declined steeply with increasing elevation, with very limited species turnover. The contribution of diadromous fishes to local species richness and abundance increased significantly with elevation, and diadromous species dominated assemblages at the highest elevation sites. Ordination of the sampling sites based on fish species composition generally arranged sites by elevation, but also showed some clustering based on geographic proximity. The dominant gradient in fish community structure was strongly correlated with an altitudinal habitat gradient identified through ordination of the environmental variables. The variation we observed in stream fish assemblages over relatively small spatial scales has significant conservation implications and highlights the ecological importance of longitudinal connectivity in Central American river systems.     

Using abundance and habitat variables to identify high conservation value areas for threatened mammals

The present study used abundance and habitat variables to design High Conservation Value Forests for wildlife protection. We considered great apes (Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Pan troglodytes troglodytes) as model species, and we used nest surveys, dietary analysis and botanical inventories to evaluate whether the traditional methods that use abundance data alone were consistent with the survival of the species. We assumed that setting a local priority area for animal conservation can be made possible if at least one variable (abundance or habitat variables) is spatially clustered and that the final decision for a species may depend on the pattern of spatial association between abundance, nesting habitat and feeding habitat. We used Kernel Density Estimation to evaluate the spatial pattern of each biological variable. The results indicate that all three variables were spatially clustered for both gorillas and chimpanzees. The abundance variables of both animal species were spatially correlated to their preferred nesting habitat variables. But while the chimpanzee feeding habitat variable was spatially correlated to the abundance and nesting habitat variables, the same pattern was not observed for gorillas. We then proposed different methods to be considered to design local priority areas for the conservation of each great ape species. Alone, the abundance variable does not successfully represent the spatial distribution of major biological requirements for the survival of wildlife species; we, therefore, recommend the integration of the spatial distribution of their food resources to overcome the mismatch caused by the existence of a biological interaction between congeneric species.     

Butterfly responses to environmental factors in fragmented calcareous grasslands

Although there is much research showing a strong negative effect of habitat fragmentation and deterioration on the viability of different insect populations and on species richness, the effect of fragmentation is modified by other local and landscape factors. One of the most substantial gaps in knowledge is whether species are similar in their response to the same environmental factors and if their response mirrors response of the entire community. From the conservation point of view this knowledge is of primary importance in planning conservation actions, yet these studies are rare. In this paper we test the relative effects of habitat patch and landscape characteristics on butterflies inhabiting calcareous grasslands in southern Poland. Butterfly species richness and abundance were positively affected by patch size and wind shelter. In the case of species richness there was also a positive effect of plant species richness. Butterfly diversity was enhanced in wind sheltered patches, and commonness (non-rarity) enhanced by distance to buildings and by shorter vegetation. Multivariate analysis suggested differences in the responses of individual species to the examined environmental variables, with some species more responsive to patch size and shelter and others to sward height. The conservation of butterfly communities requires sensible and complex management to ensure high habitat diversity. The most important challenge for future studies on calcareous grasslands is to formulate a model of management that guarantees high species richness and conservation of each individual species.     

Red panda fine‐scale habitat selection along a Central Himalayan longitudinal gradient

Red panda Ailurus fulgens, an endangered habitat specialist, inhabits a narrow distribution range in bamboo abundance forests along mountain slopes in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. However, their habitat use may be different in places with different longitudinal environmental gradients, climatic regimes, and microclimate. This study aimed to determine the habitat variables affecting red panda distribution across different longitudinal gradients through a multivariate analysis. We studied habitat selection patterns along the longitudinal gradient in Nepal's Himalaya which is grouped into the eastern, central, and western complexes. We collected data on red panda presence and habitat variables (e.g., tree richness, canopy cover, bamboo abundance, water availability, tree diameter, tree height) by surveys along transects throughout the species’ potential range. We used a multimodal inference approach with a generalized linear model to test the relative importance of environmental variables. Although the study showed that bamboo abundance had a major influence, habitat selection was different across longitudinal zones. Both canopy cover and species richness were unimportant in eastern Nepal, but their influence increased progressively toward the west. Conversely, tree height showed a decreasing influence on habitat selection from Eastern to Western Nepal. Red panda's habitat selection revealed in this study corresponds to the uneven distribution of vegetation assemblages and the dry climatic gradient along the eastern‐western Himalayas which could be related to a need to conserve energy and thermoregulate. This study has further highlighted the need of importance of bamboo conservation and site‐specific conservation planning to ensure long‐term red panda conservation.     

Relationships between fishes and habitat in rainforest streams in Sabah, Malaysia

Distinct fish assemblages were found at the mesohabitat scale in 14 streams in eastern Sabah, Malaysia. Sites were designated a priori as pool, run or riffle on the basis of physical habitat structure and properties. Principal components analysis of physical habitat data confirmed the validity of the a priori designation with a major axis of three correlated variables: water velocity, depth and substratum type. Canonical discriminant analysis on fish abundance and biomass data confirmed the existence of a specialized assemblage of fishes from riffle areas of all streams. Overall, pool and run assemblages were highly variable, dependent on stream size, but also variable between streams of the same size. Multiple regression of species richness, diversity, abundance and biomass data on principal components revealed significant but low correlations with measured habitat variables. Riffle habitats showed lower species richness and diversity but high abundance. The fish assemblage in riffles was dominated by balitorid species, specialized for fast-water conditions. Pool assemblages had the highest species diversity and were dominated by cyprinid species of a number of morphological and ecological guilds. Run assemblages were intermediate in assemblage characteristics between riffle and pool assemblages. Between-stream variation in assemblage composition was less than within-stream variation. Of 38 species collected, seven could be designated as riffle specialists, 18 as pool specialists and 13 as ubiquitous, although most of the latter showed size-specific habitat use with larger size classes found in slower, deeper water.     

The influence of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity of a rare bird species that commonly faces environmental fluctuations

Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Rare species are generally thought to be more sensitive to habitat fragmentation than common ones as small populations become even smaller. We did a population genetic study on a rare bird, the Worthen's sparrow Spizella wortheni which is endemic to semi‐arid and arid regions of northeast Mexico. Its population numbers suffer greatly from the transformation of grassland into farmland that leads to a patchy distribution with locally small population sizes. Our data show that its genetic diversity is nevertheless high, few to no differentiation between study localities was found, and gene flow was high. Although we can not exclude that is too early to see an impact on the genetic level, we think that these results might be explained by the species’ biology: like many other birds living in arid areas, the Worthen's sparrow has a nomadic life style; depending on local conditions individuals flexibly move between areas. This behavior could enhance their ability to find suitable habitat patches in a fragmented landscape. Our results imply that nomadic behavior, which is an adaptation to high temporal variability in environmental conditions, may make species more resilient to spatial variability caused by habitat fragmentation. This insight contributes to identifying common factors such as nomadism that predict a species’ sensitivity to habitat fragmentation.     

Evolution of termite functional diversity: analysis and synthesis of local ecological and regional influences on local species richness

Aim To (1) describe termite functional diversity patterns across five tropical regions using local species richness sampling of standardized areas of habitat; (2) assess the relative importance of environmental factors operating at different spatial and temporal scales in influencing variation in species representation within feeding groups and functional taxonomic groups across the tropics; (3) achieve a synthesis to explain the observed patterns of convergence and divergence in termite functional diversity that draws on termite ecological and biogeographical evidence to‐date, as well as the latest evidence for the evolutionary and distributional history of tropical rain forests. Location Pantropical. Methods A pantropical termite species richness data set was obtained through sampling of eighty‐seven standardized local termite diversity transects from twenty‐nine locations across five tropical regions. Local‐scale, intermediate‐scale and large‐scale environmental data were collected for each transect. Standardized termite assemblage and environmental data were analysed at the levels of whole assemblages and feeding groups (using components of variance analysis) and at the level of functional taxonomic groups (using correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis). Results Overall species richness of local assemblages showed a greater component of variation attributable to local habitat disturbance level than to region. However, an analysis accounting for species richness across termite feeding groups indicated a much larger component of variation attributable to region. Mean local assemblage body size also showed the greater overall significance of region compared with habitat type in influencing variation. Ordination of functional taxonomic group data revealed a primary gradient of variation corresponding to rank order of species richness within sites and to mean local species richness within regions. The latter was in the order: Africa > south America > south‐east Asia > Madagascar > Australia. This primary gradient of species richness decrease can be explained by a decrease in species richness of less dispersive functional taxonomic groups feeding on more humified food substrates such as soil. Hence, the transects from more depauperate sites/regions were dominated by more dispersive functional taxonomic groups feeding on less humified food substrates such as dead wood. Direct gradient analysis indicated that ‘region’ and other large‐scale factors were the most important in explaining patterns of local termite functional diversity followed by intermediate‐scale geographical and site variables and, finally, local‐scale ecological variables. Synthesis and main conclusions Within regions, centres of termite functional diversity lie in lowland equatorial closed canopy tropical forests. Soil feeding termite evolution further down food substrate humification gradients is therefore more likely to have depended on the long‐term presence of this habitat. Known ecological and energetic constraints upon contemporary soil feeders lend support for this hypothesis. We propose further that the anomalous distribution of termite soil feeder species richness is partly explained by their generally very poor dispersal abilities across oceans. Evolution, radiation and dispersal of soil feeder diversity appears to have been largely restricted to what are now the African and south American regions. The inter‐regional differences in contemporary local patterns of termite species richness revealed by the global data set point to the possibility of large differences in consequent ecosystem processes in apparently similar habitats on different continents.     

Effects of environmental factors on the ant fauna of restinga community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The effects of environmental factors on the richness, diversity and abundance of ants were studied in the Restinga da Marambaia, south coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The samples were taken using pitfall traps in August/2004 (winter) and March/2005 (summer) in three different vegetation types: (1) herbaceous ridge palmoid (homogeneous habitat); (2) shrub dune thicket and (3) ridge forest (heterogeneous habitats). At each habitat a range of environmental attributes was recorded: soil temperature and humidity, percentage of soil covering by litter and litter depth. Ninety-two ant species belonging to 36 genera and eight subfamilies were recorded. Density of ant species and abundance varied significantly between habitats and seasons; ant diversity varied only between habitats. Homogeneous habitat had lower ant species density, abundance and diversity than heterogeneous habitats. The two first variables were positively correlated with litter depth and both were higher in summer than in winter samples. There were more species of Ponerinae and Ectatomminae in heterogeneous than in the homogeneous habitat, whereas the Formicinae species were more abundant in the later.     

Does habitat specialization shape the evolutionary potential of wild bird populations?

Because specialist species evolved in more temporally and spatially homogeneous environments than generalist species, they are supposed to experience less fluctuating selection. For this reason, we expect specialists to show lower overall genetic variation as compared to generalists. We also expect populations from specialist species to be smaller and more fragmented, with lower neutral genetic diversity. We tested these hypotheses by investigating patterns of genetic diversity along a habitat specialization gradient in wild birds, based on estimates of heritability, coefficients of variation of additive genetic variance, and heterozygosity available in the literature. We found no significant effect of habitat specialization on any of the quantitative genetic estimators but generalists had higher heterozygosity. This effect was mainly a consequence of the larger population size of generalists. Our results suggest that evolutionary potential does not differ at the population level between generalist and specialist species, but the trend observed in heterozygosity levels and population sizes may explain their difference in susceptibility to extinction.