Patterns and drivers of aquatic invertebrate diversity across an arid biome

Managing and restoring faunal diversity across large areas requires an understanding of the roles of connectivity and dispersal in driving community patterns. We sought to determine the influence of connectivity, water regime, water source, geographical location, and dispersal traits on patterns of aquatic invertebrate diversity across a continent-wide arid biome. We compiled data on freshwater invertebrate assemblages from sites spanning the breadth of arid Australia. Univariate analyses (analysis of variance and rarefaction) revealed that alpha and gamma diversity across sites decreased as latitude increased. Multivariate analyses (ordination and analysis of similarity) revealed that community composition had considerable fidelity to geographic regions. Hydrological connectivity was strongly associated with riverine community composition although water rarely flowed (often less than annually). Hydrologically isolated sites (springs and rockholes) supported communities that were marked...在大尺度范围内管理与恢复动物群落多样性，需明晰连通性与扩散过程在塑造群落格局中的核心作用。本研究旨在探究连通性、水文情势（water regime）、水源、地理位置以及扩散特征，对横跨澳大利亚大陆全境的干旱生物群区内水生无脊椎动物多样性格局的影响。我们收集了覆盖澳大利亚干旱区域全境的调查点位的淡水无脊椎动物群落数据。单变量分析（方差分析[analysis of variance]与稀疏法分析[rarefaction]）结果显示，各调查点位的α多样性[alpha diversity]与γ多样性[gamma diversity]均随纬度升高而降低。多变量分析（排序分析[ordination]与相似性分析[analysis of similarity]）结果表明，群落组成与地理区域具有高度的对应一致性。尽管该区域内河道径流极少（通常每年不足一次），水文连通性仍与河流群落组成呈现显著关联。水文孤立点位（泉水与岩穴）所支撑的群落具有显著特征……