Environmental and historical effects on richness and endemism patterns of carabid beetles in the western Palaearctic

Identifying determinants of spatial diversity gradients is in the focus of biodiversity-related research and has gained considerable importance regarding global change and conservation strategies. Despite their overwhelming diversity and the crucial role of invertebrates in ecosystem functioning, our understanding of factors driving broad-scale invertebrate diversity is limited. Tackling this issue, our study analyzes macroecological patterns of a highly diverse insect taxon across large parts of the western Palaearctic. We used regression modelling to assess the influence of environmental factors on overall, widespread and restricted-range (endemic) carabid beetle diversity. Single-term regressions and variation partitioning among climatic, topographic and spatial variables showed that total carabid diversity as well as richness patterns of widespread species were most strongly correlated with spatially structured variables related to current climate (measures of ambient energy and, to a lesser degree, precipitation and AET). In contrast, restricted-range (endemic) species were most notably related to range in elevation. We discuss the possible role of this factor as a surrogate measure of historical processes and the impact of history on contemporary diversity distributions. Our results indicate that while overall diversity patterns of carabids strongly reflect current climate conditions, this primarily reflects the more widespread species, whereas the spatial distribution of restricted-range species is still significantly affected by historical processes. Thus, for a general understanding of determinants and mechanisms of broad-scale diversity, taking into account dispersal abilities and range sizes of species is essential, especially as large parts of global biodiversity are represented by invertebrates with low dispersal powers.     

Temporal patterns of avian body size reflect linear size responses to broadscale environmental change over the last 50 years

Alongside well researched shifts in species' distributions and phenology, reduction in the body size of organisms has been suggested as a third universal response to contemporary climate change. Despite mounting evidence for declining body size, several recent reviews highlight studies reporting increases in body size or no change over time. This variability in response may derive from the geographic scale of contributing studies, masking species‐level responses to broad‐scale environmental change and instead reflecting local influences on single populations. Using museum specimens, we examine temporal patterns of body size of 24 Australian passerine species, sampling multiple populations across the geographic ranges of each species between 1960 and 2007. Generalised additive models indictated that the majority (67%) of species showed important inter‐annual body size variation, and there was striking cross‐species similarity in temporal size patterns. Most displayed near‐linear or linear, unidirectional size trends, suggesting a pervasive and directional change in environmental conditions, consistent with climate change. For species showing linear size responses, the absolute rate of size change ranged between 0.016 and 0.114% of body size (wing length) per year, consistent with studies on other continents. Overall, 38% (9/24) of species showed temporal declines in body size and 21% (5/24) showed increases, consistent with the variability and direction of size responses thus far documented among populations; declining body size is a pervasive response to climate change but it is not universal.     

Habitat structure and neighbor linear features influence more carabid functional diversity in olive groves than the farming system

The effects of land-use management and environmental features at different scales on carabid beetle diversity and trait structure were assessed across olive groves in northeastern Portugal. We selected organic and integrated olive groves that were distinct in terms of specific management practices, local linear features and landscape configurations. Besides the management intensification levels, differences in carabid diversity and community traits were mainly due to local habitat and ecological linear structures at a finer spatial scale. Carabid community traits related to disturbance, namely traits of body size and species dispersal ability, responded to land-use intensity and particular olive grove features were influencing diversity patterns. Within the olive grove patches, larger and brachypterous species were associated to plots with more dense vegetation cover while macropterous and small-sized species were more associated to open areas. Also, larger carabid species benefitted from higher patch size heterogeneity within the landscape mosaics. Our findings indicate that the effects of farming system is contingent on the specific management practices, local and linear features present in agroecosystems such as olive groves. Particularly, the influence of local features on carabid diversity patterns and community traits linked to dispersal and movement may be crucial in maintaining pest control at a landscape scale.     

Strong paleoclimatic legacies in current plant functional diversity patterns across Europe

Numerous studies indicate that environmental changes during the late Quaternary have elicited long‐term disequilibria between species diversity and environment. Despite its importance for ecosystem functioning, the importance of historical environmental conditions as determinants of FD (functional diversity) remains largely unstudied. We quantified the geographic distributions of plant FD (richness and dispersion) across Europe using distribution and functional trait information for 2702 plant species. We then compared the importance of historical and contemporary factors to determine the relevance of past conditions as predictors of current plant FD in Europe. For this, we compared the strength of the relationships between FD with temperature and precipitation stability since the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum), accessibility to LGM refugia, and contemporary environmental conditions (climate, productivity, soil, topography, and land use). Functional richness and dispersion exhibited geographic patterns with strong associations to the environmental history of the region. The effect size of accessibility to LGM refugia and climate stability since the LGM was comparable to that of the contemporary predictors. Both functional richness and dispersion increased with temperature stability since the LGM and accessibility to LGM refugia. Functional richness' geographic pattern was primarily associated with accessibility to LGM refugia growing degree‐days, land use heterogeneity, diversity of soil types, and absolute minimum winter temperature. Functional dispersion's geographic pattern was primarily associated with accessibility to LGM refugia growing degree‐days and absolute minimum winter temperature. The high explained variance and model support of historical predictors are consistent with the idea that long‐term variability in environmental conditions supplements contemporary factors in shaping FD patterns at continental scales. Given the importance of FD for ecosystem functioning, future climate change may elicit not just short‐term shifts in ecosystem functioning, but also long‐term functional disequilibria.     

Ecological traits influence the phylogenetic structure of bird species co‐occurrences worldwide

The extent to which species’ ecological and phylogenetic relatedness shape their co‐occurrence patterns at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. By quantifying phylogenetic assemblage structure within geographic ranges of >8000 bird species, we show that global co‐occurrence patterns are linked – after accounting for regional effects – to key ecological traits reflecting diet, mobility, body size and climatic preference. We found that co‐occurrences of carnivorous, migratory and cold‐climate species are phylogenetically clustered, whereas nectarivores, herbivores, frugivores and invertebrate eaters tend to be more phylogenetically overdispersed. Preference for open or forested habitats appeared to be independent from the level of phylogenetic clustering. Our results advocate for an extension of the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis to incorporate ecological and life‐history traits beyond the climatic niche. They further offer a novel species‐oriented perspective on how biogeographic and evolutionary legacies interact with ecological traits to shape global patterns of species coexistence in birds.     

Species’ traits as predictors of range shifts under contemporary climate change: A review and meta‐analysis

A growing body of literature seeks to explain variation in range shifts using species’ ecological and life‐history traits, with expectations that shifts should be greater in species with greater dispersal ability, reproductive potential, and ecological generalization. Despite strong theoretical support for species’ traits as predictors of range shifts, empirical evidence from contemporary range shift studies remains limited in extent and consensus. We conducted the first comprehensive review of species’ traits as predictors of range shifts, collecting results from 51 studies across multiple taxa encompassing over 11,000 species’ responses for 54 assemblages of taxonomically related species occurring together in space. We used studies of assemblages that directly compared geographic distributions sampled in the 20th century prior to climate change with resurveys of distributions after contemporary climate change and then tested whether species traits accounted for heterogeneity in range shifts. We performed a formal meta‐analysis on study‐level effects of body size, fecundity, diet breadth, habitat breadth, and historic range limit as predictors of range shifts for a subset of 21 studies of 26 assemblages with sufficient data. Range shifts were consistent with predictions based on habitat breadth and historic range limit. However, body size, fecundity, and diet breadth showed no significant effect on range shifts across studies, and multiple studies reported significant relationships that contradicted predictions. Current understanding of species’ traits as predictors of range shifts is limited, and standardized study is needed for traits to be valid indicators of vulnerability in assessments of climate change impacts.     

Belowground carabid beetle diversity in the western Palaearctic - effects of history and climate on range-restricted taxa (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Broad-scale patterns of subterranean diversity are a fascinating but neglected part of biodiversity research. Carabid beetles adapted to belowground habitats form a particularly species-rich part of the subterranean fauna. We studied large-scale diversity patterns of these belowground carabids across the western Palaearctic and evaluated potential impacts of historical and contemporary environmental conditions on the distribution of these taxa, using available species richness and environmental data at country level. Regression modelling and variation partitioning showed a strong relationship between species richness and range in elevation. Potential effects of climatic variables, mainly those related to ambient energy input, were much weaker. We discuss the implications of this combination of effects, which suggests, concordant with the absence of subterranean carabids in northern and highest richness in southern Europe, a strong prevailing influence of historical processes on current richness distributions of these taxa. Previous studies did not provide clear indications for such an influence. In contrast to more mobile and widespread carabid beetles, dispersal limitation due to high adaptation of belowground carabids to subterranean habitats has probably hindered their re-colonization of former permafrost and glaciated regions. Hotspots of highest belowground diversity are located in regions with an assumed long-term stability of environmental conditions, correlating with patterns of other dispersal-limited taxa such as many endemic plants. Our study provides important new information in the discussion of potential determinants of the distinct geographic patterns of belowground diversity. Moreover, it contributes to a better understanding of range size related differences previously found in the distribution of diversity and environmental dependencies of widespread and range-restricted species within the highly diverse carabid beetles.     

Environmental features influencing Carabid beetle (Coleoptera) assemblages along a recently deglaciated area in the Alpine region

Abstract.  1. The spatio-temporal approach was used to evaluate the environmental features influencing carabid beetle assemblages along a chronosequence of an Italian Alpine glacier foreland. The influence of environmental variables on species richness, morphology (wing and body length), and distribution along the chronosequence was tested.
2. Species richness was found to be a poor indicator of habitat due to weak influences by environmental variables. It seems that the neighbouring habitats of a glacier foreland are not able to determine significant changes in carabid species richness.
3. Instead it appears that history (age since deglaciation) and habitat architecture of a glacier foreland are strongly correlated to species adaptive morphological traits, such as wing morphology and body length. Assemblages characterised by species with reduced wing size are linked to the older stages of the chronosequence, where habitat is more structured. Assemblages characterised by the largest species are linked to the younger sites near the glacier. These morphological differentiations are explained in detail.
4. Habitat age can therefore be considered the main force determining assemblage composition. On the basis of the relationship between morphological traits and environmental variables, it seems likely that age since deglaciation is the main variable influencing habitat structure (primary effect) on the Forni foreland. The strong relationship between carabid assemblages and habitat type indicates that site age has but a secondary effect on carabid assemblages. This may be utilised to interpret potential changes in assemblages linked to future glacier retreat.     

A century of chasing the ice: delayed colonisation of ice‐free sites by ground beetles along glacier forelands in the Alps

Climate change is affecting species distribution, composition of biological communities, and species traits. Despite the growing body of knowledge on the reaction of species to climate change, the potentially delayed response of species is still severely understudied. In this paper we modelled the time needed by ground‐living invertebrates to effectively react to habitat modification induced by climate change in relation to dispersal abilities. We analyzed the occurrence pattern of alpine ground beetles (carabids) along areas recently freed by retreating glaciers in the central‐eastern Italian Alps, to test how the synergic effects of time since deglaciation and environmental factors may affect the colonisation process. Different times of response to climate change in ground beetles were found. Sites already hosting the land cover type suitable for our study taxon, but ice‐free for less than 100 yr, are mainly colonised by winged carabid beetles (which have high dispersal abilities and are mostly habitat generalists). No, or very few, wingless species (slow colonizers and ecologically specialized) occur within those sites. The overall pattern suggests that within a site, suitable land cover is established prior to colonization, due to a strong joint effect of time since deglaciation and land cover type. Long‐lasting habitat development at the fine scale is likely to result in a lack of specific resources (e.g. food items, or microhabitat), which is likely to contribute to delayed colonisation, which potentially could be tied also to dispersal abilities. Whatever the reason, the existence of a time‐lag often equal to or greater than 100 yr in species colonisation implies caution in predicting species’ occurrence shifts following climate change.     

Predictable variation of range-sizes across an extreme environmental gradient in a lizard adaptive radiation: evolutionary and ecological inferences

Large-scale patterns of current species geographic range-size variation reflect historical dynamics of dispersal and provide insights into future consequences under changing environments. Evidence suggests that climate warming exerts major damage on high latitude and elevation organisms, where changes are more severe and available space to disperse tracking historical niches is more limited. Species with longer generations (slower adaptive responses), such as vertebrates, and with restricted distributions (lower genetic diversity, higher inbreeding) in these environments are expected to be particularly threatened by warming crises. However, a well-known macroecological generalization (Rapoport's rule) predicts that species range-sizes increase with increasing latitude-elevation, thus counterbalancing the impact of climate change. Here, I investigate geographic range-size variation across an extreme environmental gradient and as a function of body size, in the prominent Liolaemus lizard adaptive radiation. Conventional and phylogenetic analyses revealed that latitudinal (but not elevational) ranges significantly decrease with increasing latitude-elevation, while body size was unrelated to range-size. Evolutionarily, these results are insightful as they suggest a link between spatial environmental gradients and range-size evolution. However, ecologically, these results suggest that Liolaemus might be increasingly threatened if, as predicted by theory, ranges retract and contract continuously under persisting climate warming, potentially increasing extinction risks at high latitudes and elevations.     

Biogeography of Iberian freshwater fishes revisited: the roles of historical versus contemporary constraints

Aim The question of how much of the shared geographical distribution of biota is due to environmental vs. historical constraints remains unanswered. The aim of this paper is to disentangle the contribution of historical vs. contemporary factors to the distribution of freshwater fish species. In addition, it illustrates how quantifying the contribution of each type of factor improves the classification of biogeographical provinces. Location Iberian Peninsula, south‐western Europe (c. 581,000 km²). Methods We used the most comprehensive data on native fish distributions for the Iberian Peninsula, compiled from Portuguese and Spanish sources on a 20‐km grid‐cell resolution. Overall, 58 species were analysed after being categorized into three groups according to their ability to disperse through saltwater: (1) species strictly intolerant of saltwater (primary species); (2) species partially tolerant of saltwater, making limited incursions into saltwaters (secondary species); and (3) saltwater‐tolerant species that migrate back and forth from sea to freshwaters or have invaded freshwaters recently (peripheral species). Distance‐based multivariate analyses were used to test the role of historical (basin formation) vs. contemporary environmental (climate) conditions in explaining current patterns of native fish assemblage composition. Cluster analyses were performed to explore species co‐occurrence patterns and redefine biogeographical provinces based on the distributions of fishes. Results River basin boundaries were better at segregating species composition for all species groups than contemporary climate variables. This historical signal was especially evident for primary and secondary freshwater fishes. Eleven biogeographical provinces were delineated. Basins flowing to the Atlantic Ocean north of the Tagus Basin and those flowing to the Mediterranean Sea north of the Mijares Basin were the most dissimilar group. Primary and secondary freshwater species had higher province fidelity than peripheral species. Main conclusions The results support the hypothesis that historical factors exert greater constraints on native freshwater fish assemblages in the Iberian Peninsula than do current environmental factors. After examining patterns of assemblage variation across space, as evidenced by the biogeographical provinces, we discuss the likely dispersal and speciation events that underlie these patterns.     

Responses of coral reef fishes to past climate changes are related to life‐history traits

Coral reefs and their associated fauna are largely impacted by ongoing climate change. Unravelling species responses to past climatic variations might provide clues on the consequence of ongoing changes. Here, we tested the relationship between changes in sea surface temperature and sea levels during the Quaternary and present‐day distributions of coral reef fish species. We investigated whether species‐specific responses are associated with life‐history traits. We collected a database of coral reef fish distribution together with life‐history traits for the Indo‐Pacific Ocean. We ran species distribution models (SDMs) on 3,725 tropical reef fish species using contemporary environmental factors together with a variable describing isolation from stable coral reef areas during the Quaternary. We quantified the variance explained independently by isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and related it to a set of species traits including body size and mobility. The variance purely explained by isolation from stable coral reef areas on the distribution of extant coral reef fish species largely varied across species. We observed a triangular relationship between the contribution of isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and body size. Species, whose distribution is more associated with historical changes, occurred predominantly in the Indo‐Australian archipelago, where the mean size of fish assemblages is the lowest. Our results suggest that the legacy of habitat changes of the Quaternary is still detectable in the extant distribution of many fish species, especially those with small body size and the most sedentary. Because they were the least able to colonize distant habitats in the past, fish species with smaller body size might have the most pronounced lags in tracking ongoing climate change.     

Contrasting demographic history and gene flow patterns of two mangrove species on either side of the Central American Isthmus

Comparative phylogeography offers a unique opportunity to understand the interplay between past environmental events and life‐history traits on diversification of unrelated but co‐distributed species. Here, we examined the effects of the quaternary climate fluctuations and palaeomarine currents and present‐day marine currents on the extant patterns of genetic diversity in the two most conspicuous mangrove species of the Neotropics. The black (Avicennia germinans, Avicenniaceae) and the red (Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophoraceae) mangroves have similar geographic ranges but are very distantly related and show striking differences on their life‐history traits. We sampled 18 Atlantic and 26 Pacific locations for A. germinans (N = 292) and R. mangle (N = 422). We performed coalescence simulations using microsatellite diversity to test for evidence of population change associated with quaternary climate fluctuations. In addition, we examined whether patterns of genetic variation were consistent with the directions of major marine (historical and present day) currents in the region. Our demographic analysis was grounded within a phylogeographic framework provided by the sequence analysis of two chloroplasts and one flanking microsatellite region in a subsample of individuals. The two mangrove species shared similar biogeographic histories including: (1) strong genetic breaks between Atlantic and Pacific ocean basins associated with the final closure of the Central American Isthmus (CAI), (2) evidence for simultaneous population declines between the mid‐Pleistocene and early Holocene, (3) asymmetric historical migration with higher gene flow from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans following the direction of the palaeomarine current, and (4) contemporary gene flow between West Africa and South America following the major Atlantic Ocean currents. Despite the remarkable differences in life‐history traits of mangrove species, which should have had a strong influence on seed dispersal capability and, thus, population connectivity, we found that vicariant events, climate fluctuations and marine currents have shaped the distribution of genetic diversity in strikingly similar ways.     

Temperature-body size responses in insects: a case study of British Odonata

1. Body size is highly correlated with physiological traits, fitness, and trophic interactions. These traits are subject to change if there are widespread reductions of body size with warming temperatures, which is suggested as one of the ‘universal’ ecological responses to climate change. However, general patterns of body size response to temperature in insects have not yet emerged. 2. To address this knowledge gap, we paired the wing length (as a proxy for body size) of 5331 museum specimens of 14 species of British Odonata with historical temperature data. Three sets of analyses were performed: (i) a regression analysis to test for a relationship between wing length and mean seasonal temperature within species and subsequent comparisons across species and suborders; (ii) an investigation of whether the body size of species has an effect on sensitivity to warming temperature; and (iii) a linear-mixed effects model to investigate factors that potentially affect temperature–size response. 3. The regression analysis indicated that wing length is negatively correlated with mean seasonal temperatures for Zygoptera, whereas Anisoptera showed no significant correlation with temperature. 4. There is a significant decline in wing length of all Zygoptera (but not Anisoptera) with collection date, suggesting that individuals emerging later in the season are smaller. 5. Life-cycle type was not important for predicting wing length–temperature responses, whereas sex, species, and suborder were indicated as important factors affecting the magnitude of temperature–size responses in Odonata. 6. Overall, wing lengths of Zygoptera are more sensitive to temperature and collection date than Anisoptera.     

The species pool concept as a framework for studying patterns of plant diversity

Co‐existence theories fail to adequately explain observed community patterns (diversity and composition) because they mainly address local extinctions. For a more complete understanding, the regional processes responsible for species formation and geographic dispersal should also be considered. The species pool concept holds that local variation in community patterns is dependent primarily on the availability of species, which is driven by historical diversification and dispersal at continental and landscape scales. However, empirical evidence of historical effects is limited. This slow progress can be attributed to methodological difficulties in determining the characteristics of historical species pools and how they contributed to diversity patterns in contemporary landscapes. A role of landscape‐scale dispersal limitation in determining local community patterns has been demonstrated by numerous seed addition experiments. However, disentangling general patterns of dispersal limitation in communities still requires attention. Distinguishing habitat‐specific species pools can help to meet both applied and theoretical challenges. In conservation biology, the use of absolute richness may be uninformative because the size of species pools varies between habitats. For characterizing the dynamic state of individual communities, biodiversity relative to species pools provides a balanced way of assessing communities in different habitats. Information about species pools may also be useful when studying community assembly rules, because it enables a possible mechanism of trait convergence (habitat filtering) to be explicitly assessed. Empirical study of the role of historic effects and dispersal on local community patterns has often been restricted due to methodological difficulties in determining habitat‐specific species pools. However, accumulating distributional, ecological and phylogenetic information, as well as use of appropriate model systems (e.g. archipelagos with known biogeographic histories) will allow the species pool concept to be applied effectively in future research.     

The relationship between geographic range size and life history traits: is biogeographic history uncovered? A test using the Iberian butterflies

The geographic range of a species is influenced by past phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns. However, other historical interactions, including the interplay between life history and geography, are also likely involved. Therefore, the range size of a species can be explained on the basis of niche‐breadth or dispersal related hypotheses, and previous work on European butterflies suggests that both, under the respective guise of ecological specialisation and colonising ability may apply. In the present study, data from 205 species of butterflies from the Iberian peninsula were processed through multiple regression analyses to test for correlations between geographic range size, life history traits and geographic features of the species distribution types. In addition, the percentage of variance explained by the subsets of variables analyzed in the study, with and without control for phylogenetic effects was tested. Despite a complex pattern of bivariate correlations, we found that larval polyphagy was the single best correlate of range size, followed by dispersal. Models that combined both life history traits and geographic characteristics performed better than models generated independently. The combined variables explained at least 39% of the variance. Bivariate correlations between range size and body size, migratory habits or egg size primarily reflected taxonomic patterning and reciprocal correlations with larval diet breadth and adult phenology. Therefore, aspects of niche breadth i.e. potential larval diet breadth emerged as the most influential determinants of range size. However, the relationships between these types of ecological traits and biogeographic history must still be considered when associations between life history and range size are of interest.     

Investigating environmental variation and landscape characteristics of an urban–rural gradient using woodland carabid assemblages

Aim To investigate environmental variation and associated assemblage changes of carabid beetles along an urban–rural gradient. Location ‘Quercus–Acer’ (oak–sycamore) woodlands in the city of Birmingham, UK. Methods We collected carabid data using pitfall traps on 12 sites in the city. The traps were run from April–September in 2000, and we collected environmental data on 24 individual variables associated with the individual sites and their landscape context. Changes in carabid assemblages were analysed using repeat measures anova and the environment–species relationships with a Redundancy Analyses (RDA) and Generalized Linear Modelling (GLM). Results We found that: (1) species richness and diversity were lower in the urban and suburban zone and higher in the rural zone; (2) Berger Parker dominance index was higher in the urban and suburban zones; (3) the number of woodland and woodland associated species was significantly higher at the rural end of the gradient; (4) the number of short‐winged (brachypterous) species was highest in the rural zone and decreased towards the urban woodlands, whereas the long‐winged species were more abundant in suburban woodlands; (5) the median weight length (WML) of the assemblage declined along the gradient from the rural to the urban zone, as did the number of large species; and (6) five of the 24 environmental variables showed a significant relationship with variation in the carabid assemblage. At site level the carabid assemblages were related to the level of site disturbance and soil penetrability, whereas site size and amount of woodland and urban land within 5 km of the site were important at a larger landscape scale. Main conclusions The results suggest that urbanization has a deleterious impact on carabid assemblages, causing a reduction in species richness from the rural fringe to the centre of the city. Changes in assemblage structure were related to woodland fragmentation, which led to variations in woodland size, woodland location and site disturbance due to trampling. Large, flightless and specialist woodland species are more susceptible to changes associated with urbanization, presumably due to their longer life spans, lower reproductive rates, more specialized niches and more limited dispersal potential.     

A comparative analysis of dispersal syndromes in terrestrial and semi‐terrestrial animals

Dispersal, the behaviour ensuring gene flow, tends to covary with a number of morphological, ecological and behavioural traits. While species‐specific dispersal behaviours are the product of each species’ unique evolutionary history, there may be distinct interspecific patterns of covariation between dispersal and other traits (‘dispersal syndromes’) due to their shared evolutionary history or shared environments. Using dispersal, phylogeny and trait data for 15 terrestrial and semi‐terrestrial animal Orders (> 700 species), we tested for the existence and consistency of dispersal syndromes across species. At this taxonomic scale, dispersal increased linearly with body size in omnivores, but decreased above a critical length in herbivores and carnivores. Species life history and ecology significantly influenced patterns of covariation, with higher phylogenetic signal of dispersal in aerial dispersers compared with ground dwellers and stronger evidence for dispersal syndromes in aerial dispersers and ectotherms, compared with ground dwellers and endotherms. Our results highlight the complex role of dispersal in the evolution of species life‐history strategies: good dispersal ability was consistently associated with high fecundity and survival, and in aerial dispersers it was associated with early maturation. We discuss the consequences of these findings for species evolution and range shifts in response to future climate change.     

Does wing morphology affect recolonization of restored farmland by ground‐dwelling beetles?

Revegetation of previously cleared land is widely used to increase habitat area and connectivity of remnant vegetation for biodiversity conservation. Whether new habitat attracts or supports fauna depends on the dispersal traits of those fauna as well as the structure and composition of the surrounding landscape. Here, we examined wing morphology as a key dispersal trait for beetles in a revegetated landscape and asked, first, how it was related to phylogeny (family), trophic position, and body size. Second, we asked if wing morphology of recolonizing (or persisting) beetles varied with habitat characteristics at multiple scales, from microhabitat to landscape context. Third, we examined how common winged and wingless species responded to habitat at multiple scales. We measured the wing morphology of ground‐dwelling beetles from a restoration chronosequence, including paddocks, “young” revegetation (8–11 years old), “old” revegetation (14–19 years old), and fenced remnant vegetation. We found that body size and family membership were significant predictors of winglessness, with wingless species of carabids and curculionids being larger than their winged counterparts. We found no difference in the number of sites occupied by winged and wingless species, and no relationship between the wing morphology traits represented in different locations and habitat characteristics or landscape context. Furthermore, the most abundant species of both winged and wingless ground‐dwelling beetles had relatively little affinity to any habitat successional stage. Thus, despite intrinsic differences in wing morphology among species of ground‐dwelling beetle, we found no evidence that flight‐related dispersal limitations influenced recolonization (or persistence) in this landscape.