Data from: Patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity of termites along a tropical elevational gradient

Patterns of termite richness along elevation gradients may be related to different responses by termite functional groups to changes in environmental conditions. We investigated the distribution of termite species richness along an elevational gradient of cerrado and rupestrian grasslands in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, in Brazil. Fifty termite species were recorded, with the family Termitidae being dominant; 16 species are endemic to open areas of cerrado and 1 species, Cortaritermes rizzinii, is endemic and restricted to mountaintop grassland habitats. Termite richness declined with increasing elevation, with the main factors associated with the reduction being climactic (air temperature, air and soil humidity, and radiation) and vegetation variables. Different termite communities were found along the elevational gradient, which were also strongly influenced by changes in climate and vegetation. On the other hand, the same functional groups were present at the different elevations, although represented by different species.

白蚁物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布格局，可能与白蚁功能群对环境条件变化的差异化响应密切相关。本研究针对巴西埃斯皮尼亚苏山脉（Espinhaço Mountain Range）内塞拉多（Cerrado）与岩生草原（rupestrian grasslands）的海拔梯度，调查了白蚁物种丰富度的分布情况。本次调查共记录到50种白蚁，其中白蚁科（Termitidae）为优势类群；16种为塞拉多开阔生境的特有种，另有1种Cortaritermes rizzinii为特有种且仅局限于山顶草原生境。随着海拔升高，白蚁物种丰富度逐渐下降，其丰富度降低的主要关联因素包括气候因子（气温、空气湿度、土壤湿度与辐射）以及植被变量。沿海拔梯度分布的白蚁群落组成存在显著差异，且同样受到气候与植被变化的强烈影响。另一方面，尽管不同海拔处的白蚁功能群由不同物种构成，但功能群的类型保持一致。