Geographic patterns of Lucanus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) species diversity and environmental determinants in China |
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Authors: | Dan Chen LiJun Cao JinLing Zhao Xia Wan ShuJun Wei |
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Institution: | 1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei China ; 2. Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing China ; 3. National Engineering Research Center for Agro‐Ecological Big Data Analysis & Application, Anhui University, Hefei China |
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Abstract: | Clarifying the geographic patterns of species diversity and the determinant factors can provide essential information for species conservation and management. Stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) of Lucanus are important saproxylic insects and can be used for biomonitoring forests. Most of Lucanus species are facing conservation concerns due to their limited distribution and fragmented habitats, particularly in China, which has the richest species diversity of this genus. The distribution patterns of species diversity of Lucanus at large spatial scales remain portly understood. We studied the distribution patterns of Lucanus and its environmental and geographic determinants in China. Distribution data for 72 species and subspecies were examined. All these species are distributed in southern China except for Lucanus maculifemoratus dybowskyi, which is mainly distributed in north China. The hotspot for Lucanus in China is southeastern Tibet. Our study indicated that the species richness of Lucanus in China was shaped by the precipitation of the wettest and driest month, net primary productivity, digital elevation model, and latitude at a large scale. These variables collectively explained 56.2% of the variation in species richness; precipitation contributed the most (44.1%). Our results provide valuable insights to improve the conservation of Lucanus and can contribute to furthering our understanding of the biogeography of stag beetles in China.We describe the diversity of the stag beetle species and further explore its formation. The result indicated that the variables of geography vegetation, temperature, and precipitation collectively shaped the distributed pattern, and geographical variables are most important. |
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