Diversidade funcional de besouros escarabeíneos em um gradiente elevacional e temporal de uma montanha tropical

Abstract

Climate change strongly impacts ecosystems, especially in mountainous areas where environmental conditions vary with elevation. In this study, we investigated the diversity and functional composition of scarabaeinae beetles along an elevational gradient over ten years (2013-2023) in the Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Our goal was to assess whether the diversity and functional composition of beetle assemblages respond to changes in elevation and climate over time. We used continuous morphological traits to calculate functional diversity indices (richness, evenness, dispersion, and functional divergence) and performed RLQ and fourth-corner analyses to link functional traits with climatic variables. Functional composition was analyzed using permutational variance analysis (PERMANOVA) and NMDS, allowing us to explore variations in assemblages along the gradient. Our results indicated that elevation is the main determining factor in the variation of both diversity and functional composition. Increased elevation negatively affected functional richness and dispersion and positively affected functional divergence, suggesting greater functional specialization in these regions. Differences were observed between assemblages along the elevational gradient. We found no relationship between the functional traits and the climatic variables analyzed, nor any temporal variations in functional diversity. These findings suggest that, although varying with elevation, beetle assemblages maintain functional stability over time, with greater functional redundancy at lower elevations. This may indicate a resilience mechanism at elevations between 800 and 900 meters, while areas above 1,000 meters show greater vulnerability. This study underscores the importance of monitoring mountainous areas to understand biodiversity responses to climate change.