Data from: Species turnover through time: colonization and extinction dynamics across metacommunities

Island biogeography and metacommunity theory often use equilibrium assumptions to predict local diversity, yet non-equilibrium dynamics are common in nature. In non-equilibrium communities, local diversity fluctuates through time as the relative importance of colonization and extirpation change. Here, we test the prevalence and causes of non-equilibrium dynamics in metacommunities of mites associated with rubber trees distributed over large spatial (>1000 km) and temporal (> 30-60 generations) scales in Brazil. We measured colonization and extirpation rates to test species turnover and non-equilibrium dynamics over a growing season. Mite metacommunities exhibited non-equilibrium dynamics for most months of the year, and these dynamics tracked climatic conditions. Monthly shifts in temperature of more than one degree Celsius resulted in non-equilibrium dynamics, as did mean temperatures outside of two critical ranges. Non-equilibrium dynamics were caused by a change in colonization with temperature change, and changes in both colonization and extirpation with absolute temperature. Species turnover showed different trends; high relative humidity increased both colonization and extirpation rates, increasing turnover but not non-equilibrium dynamics. Our study illustrates that testing non-equilibrium dynamics can provide new insights into the drivers of colonization, extinction and diversity fluctuations in metacommunities.岛屿生物地理学（Island biogeography）与集合群落理论（metacommunity theory）通常借助平衡态假设预测局域多样性，但非平衡动态在自然界中实则普遍存在。在非平衡群落中，局域多样性会随定殖（colonization）与局部灭绝（extirpation）相对重要性的变化而随时间波动。本研究聚焦巴西境内分布于超千千米空间尺度与30至60代以上时间尺度的橡胶树栖螨类集合群落，检验其中非平衡动态的普遍性与成因。我们通过测定定殖率与局部灭绝率，在一个生长季内探究物种周转与非平衡动态的特征。全年多数月份中，螨类集合群落均呈现非平衡动态，且这类动态与气候条件密切关联。月均温度波动超过1摄氏度，或是平均温度超出两个临界区间时，均会引发非平衡动态。非平衡动态的成因包括：温度变化带来的定殖率改变，以及绝对温度变化引发的定殖率与局部灭绝率双重改变。物种周转则呈现不同趋势：高相对湿度会同时提升定殖率与局部灭绝率，进而加快物种周转，但并不会引发非平衡动态。本研究表明，对非平衡动态的检验能够为集合群落中定殖、灭绝与多样性波动的驱动因子提供全新认知视角。