Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration
Quantifying within-community variability and understanding the related assembly rules are important in developing and assessing grassland restoration. Beta diversity has great potential, revealing mechanisms behind community-level changes in succession. Here, we introduce two simple beta diversity i...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Sándor Bartha Judit Házi Dragica Purger Zita Zimmermann Gábor Szabó Zsófia Eszter Guller András István Csathó Sándor Csete |
| author_facet | Sándor Bartha Judit Házi Dragica Purger Zita Zimmermann Gábor Szabó Zsófia Eszter Guller András István Csathó Sándor Csete |
| author_sort | Sándor Bartha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quantifying within-community variability and understanding the related assembly rules are important in developing and assessing grassland restoration. Beta diversity has great potential, revealing mechanisms behind community-level changes in succession. Here, we introduce two simple beta diversity indices: Microhabitat Diversity is the Shannon diversity of patches formed by the locally dominant species, and Multiplet Diversity is the Shannon diversity of subordinate species richness categories detected at a fine scale. Using null models, we tested the biotic filtering effects of dominants on the distribution of subordinates. Based on long-term vegetation monitoring data, we tested the utility of these models in grassland restoration. Sites sown with seed mixture and developing spontaneously were compared and used as test data for exploring the proposed indices. Microhabitat Diversity was larger at spontaneously developing sites, and its local maxima reflected reorganization in the mosaic structure of the community. Species richness categories with zero or one subordinate species were typical in sown grassland, while small 5 cm × 5 cm microsites where 2, 3, or 4 subordinate species co-occured were more frequent in spontaneous succession. Contrary to expectation, a slight convergence of beta diversity measures was revealed after 15 years of succession between passive and active restorations. Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity are simple indices that complement existing methods and provide new insights into grassland restoration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e4bdbcdd572438588d7b6336b752500 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e4bdbcdd572438588d7b6336b7525002025-08-20T02:53:29ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-12-01161276910.3390/d16120769Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland RestorationSándor Bartha0Judit Házi1Dragica Purger2Zita Zimmermann3Gábor Szabó4Zsófia Eszter Guller5András István Csathó6Sándor Csete7Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány út 2-4., H-2163 Vácrátót, HungaryDepartment of Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Rottenbiller utca 50., H-1077 Budapest, HungaryFaculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Pécs, Rókus utca 6., H-7624 Pécs, HungaryBalaton-felvidéki National Park Directorate, Kossuth utca 16., H-8229 Csopak, HungaryBalaton-felvidéki National Park Directorate, Kossuth utca 16., H-8229 Csopak, HungaryInstitute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly utca 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, HungaryIndependent Researcher, H-5830 Battonya, HungaryInstitute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly utca 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, HungaryQuantifying within-community variability and understanding the related assembly rules are important in developing and assessing grassland restoration. Beta diversity has great potential, revealing mechanisms behind community-level changes in succession. Here, we introduce two simple beta diversity indices: Microhabitat Diversity is the Shannon diversity of patches formed by the locally dominant species, and Multiplet Diversity is the Shannon diversity of subordinate species richness categories detected at a fine scale. Using null models, we tested the biotic filtering effects of dominants on the distribution of subordinates. Based on long-term vegetation monitoring data, we tested the utility of these models in grassland restoration. Sites sown with seed mixture and developing spontaneously were compared and used as test data for exploring the proposed indices. Microhabitat Diversity was larger at spontaneously developing sites, and its local maxima reflected reorganization in the mosaic structure of the community. Species richness categories with zero or one subordinate species were typical in sown grassland, while small 5 cm × 5 cm microsites where 2, 3, or 4 subordinate species co-occured were more frequent in spontaneous succession. Contrary to expectation, a slight convergence of beta diversity measures was revealed after 15 years of succession between passive and active restorations. Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity are simple indices that complement existing methods and provide new insights into grassland restoration.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/12/769active versus passive restorationalpha diversitybeta diversitycommunity assemblylocal dominancemicrohabitats |
| spellingShingle | Sándor Bartha Judit Házi Dragica Purger Zita Zimmermann Gábor Szabó Zsófia Eszter Guller András István Csathó Sándor Csete Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration Diversity active versus passive restoration alpha diversity beta diversity community assembly local dominance microhabitats |
| title | Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration |
| title_full | Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration |
| title_fullStr | Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration |
| title_short | Beta Diversity Is Better—Microhabitat Diversity and Multiplet Diversity Offer Novel Insights into Plant Coexistence in Grassland Restoration |
| title_sort | beta diversity is better microhabitat diversity and multiplet diversity offer novel insights into plant coexistence in grassland restoration |
| topic | active versus passive restoration alpha diversity beta diversity community assembly local dominance microhabitats |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/12/769 |
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