Species distribution modeling reveals the influence of climatic and geographic factors on scarab beetle beta diversity along altitudinal gradients

Beta diversity patterns result from the assembly of communities shaped by local and regional filters. However, understanding these patterns is limited by gaps in species distribution knowledge, especially for hyperdiverse groups. In this context, ecological niche modeling represents an effective approach to overcoming such limitations by providing robust species distribution predictions. In this study, we used the distribution models of 67 scarab beetle species to assess patterns of beta diversity and its components (species turnover and nestedness) across 14 elevational gradients on the coastal and inland montane slopes of El Salvador. We also analyzed the effects of climatic (environmental filter) and geographic (dispersal filter) factors on beta diversity. Our results show that beta diversity decreased with increasing elevation, independently of geographic region, and that there were no significant differences in the relative contributions of turnover and nestedness between coastal a..., , # Data from: Species distribution modeling reveals the influence of climatic and geographic factors on scarab beetle beta diversity along altitudinal gradients

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.5hqbzkhk8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5hqbzkhk8)

## Description of the data and file structure

**Overview**

The presence of scarab beetle species (based on the potential distribution maps) and climatic variables in cells of ≈1 km² along 14 transects (altitudinal gradients) in El Salvador, Central America. The transects were located in two geographic regions (costal and inland).

**Author(s)**

José D. Pablo-Cea^1,2^

^1^Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.

^2^Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática, Universidad de El Salvador, El Salvador.

Andrés Ramírez-Ponce

Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xala...,