Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone
The mechanisms that underpin the species–area relationship (SAR) are crucial for both the development of biogeographic theory and the application of biodiversity conservation. Since its origin, the resource hypothesis, which proposes that rich resources in vast ecosystems will lower extinction rates...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/10/1993 |
| _version_ | 1827648672630833152 |
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| author | Wei Deng Li-Lei Liu Guo-Bin Yu Na Li Xiao-Yan Yang Wen Xiao |
| author_facet | Wei Deng Li-Lei Liu Guo-Bin Yu Na Li Xiao-Yan Yang Wen Xiao |
| author_sort | Wei Deng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The mechanisms that underpin the species–area relationship (SAR) are crucial for both the development of biogeographic theory and the application of biodiversity conservation. Since its origin, the resource hypothesis, which proposes that rich resources in vast ecosystems will lower extinction rates and shape the SAR, has not been tested. The impossibility to quantify resources and extinction rates using plants and animals as research subjects, as well as the inability to rule out the influences of the area per se, habitat diversity, dispersal, and the historical background of biodiversity, make testing this hypothesis problematic. To address these challenges and test this hypothesis, two sets of microbial microcosm experimental systems with positive and negative correlated resources and volumes were created in this work. The results of 157 high-throughput sequencing monitoring sessions at 11 time points over 30 consecutive days showed that neither of the experimental groups with positive or negative correlations between total resources and microcosm volume had a significant SAR, and there were no negative correlations between extinction rates and resources. Therefore, in our microcosmic system, resources do not influence extinction rates or shape the SAR. Dispersal should be the principal mode of action if the resource theory is correct. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:44:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6fd9c28c573647f9bc996a4dba54b26d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:44:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-6fd9c28c573647f9bc996a4dba54b26d2023-11-24T01:26:39ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072022-10-011010199310.3390/microorganisms10101993Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work AloneWei Deng0Li-Lei Liu1Guo-Bin Yu2Na Li3Xiao-Yan Yang4Wen Xiao5Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaInstitute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaInstitute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaInstitute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaInstitute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaInstitute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali 671003, ChinaThe mechanisms that underpin the species–area relationship (SAR) are crucial for both the development of biogeographic theory and the application of biodiversity conservation. Since its origin, the resource hypothesis, which proposes that rich resources in vast ecosystems will lower extinction rates and shape the SAR, has not been tested. The impossibility to quantify resources and extinction rates using plants and animals as research subjects, as well as the inability to rule out the influences of the area per se, habitat diversity, dispersal, and the historical background of biodiversity, make testing this hypothesis problematic. To address these challenges and test this hypothesis, two sets of microbial microcosm experimental systems with positive and negative correlated resources and volumes were created in this work. The results of 157 high-throughput sequencing monitoring sessions at 11 time points over 30 consecutive days showed that neither of the experimental groups with positive or negative correlations between total resources and microcosm volume had a significant SAR, and there were no negative correlations between extinction rates and resources. Therefore, in our microcosmic system, resources do not influence extinction rates or shape the SAR. Dispersal should be the principal mode of action if the resource theory is correct.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/10/1993resourcesextinctiondispersalmicrobial diversityspecies–area relationships |
| spellingShingle | Wei Deng Li-Lei Liu Guo-Bin Yu Na Li Xiao-Yan Yang Wen Xiao Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone Microorganisms resources extinction dispersal microbial diversity species–area relationships |
| title | Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone |
| title_full | Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone |
| title_fullStr | Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone |
| title_short | Testing the Resource Hypothesis of Species–Area Relationships: Extinction Cannot Work Alone |
| title_sort | testing the resource hypothesis of species area relationships extinction cannot work alone |
| topic | resources extinction dispersal microbial diversity species–area relationships |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/10/10/1993 |
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