The Synergy Between Deterministic and Neutral Processes Drives Turnover‐Dominated Beta Diversity of Non‐Volant Small Mammals in the Western Tianshan Mountains, China
- 1Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co‐Founded by Anhui Province, School of Ecology and Environment Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University Wuhu China
- 2State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science Kunming China
- 3Vector Laboratory Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Dali University Dali China
Abstract
Exploring multifaceted beta diversity, including its turnover and nestedness components, is crucial for elucidating the drivers of community assembly. Arid mountain ecosystems, with their strong environmental filtering and fragmented habitats, serve as a useful model system for testing how these drivers interact across multiple dimensions of diversity. Here, we compared taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in non‐volant small mammal communities across environmental gradients in arid areas of the western Tianshan Mountains, China, and inferred the associated community‐assembly processes. Species turnover predominantly structured beta diversity across all three dimensions. Decomposition of multifaceted beta diversity revealed a consistent pattern: functional dissimilarity was highest, followed by taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity. Hierarchical partitioning identified elevational distance as the most significant factor influencing beta diversity and its turnover component, and nestedness was driven by multiple factors. We also confirmed a significant distance–decay relationship for overall community dissimilarity and its turnover component. Moreover, analyses of community‐assembly mechanisms suggested a synergistic interaction between deterministic and neutral processes, whereby the influence of environmental filtering weakened while that of limiting similarity strengthened as elevational distance increased. Collectively, these findings clarify the patterns and drivers of beta diversity in arid montane regions and provide a practical basis for biodiversity conservation in Central Asian mountain ecosystems.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026synergy,
title = {{The Synergy Between Deterministic and Neutral Processes Drives Turnover‐Dominated Beta Diversity of Non‐Volant Small Mammals in the Western Tianshan Mountains, China}},
author = {Xiaohan Wang and Wenyu Song and Yawen Xing and Yalan Wang and Xiaoxin Pei and Kenneth Otieno Onditi and Hongjiao Wang and Quan Li and Xueyou Li and Zhongzheng Chen and Xuelong Jiang},
journal = {Ecology and Evolution},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ece3.74538},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74538},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Synergy Between Deterministic and Neutral Processes Drives Turnover‐Dominated Beta Diversity of Non‐Volant Small Mammals in the Western Tianshan Mountains, China
AU - Xiaohan Wang
AU - Wenyu Song
AU - Yawen Xing
AU - Yalan Wang
AU - Xiaoxin Pei
AU - Kenneth Otieno Onditi
AU - Hongjiao Wang
AU - Quan Li
AU - Xueyou Li
AU - Zhongzheng Chen
AU - Xuelong Jiang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Ecology and Evolution
DO - 10.1002/ece3.74538
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74538
AB - Exploring multifaceted beta diversity, including its turnover and nestedness components, is crucial for elucidating the drivers of community assembly. Arid mountain ecosystems, with their strong environmental filtering and fragmented habitats, serve as a useful model system for testing how these drivers interact across multiple dimensions of diversity. Here, we compared taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in non‐volant small mammal communities across environmental gradients in arid areas of the western Tianshan Mountains, China, and inferred the associated community‐assembly processes. Species turnover predominantly structured beta diversity across all three dimensions. Decomposition of multifaceted beta diversity revealed a consistent pattern: functional dissimilarity was highest, followed by taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity. Hierarchical partitioning identified elevational distance as the most significant factor influencing beta diversity and its turnover component, and nestedness was driven by multiple factors. We also confirmed a significant distance–decay relationship for overall community dissimilarity and its turnover component. Moreover, analyses of community‐assembly mechanisms suggested a synergistic interaction between deterministic and neutral processes, whereby the influence of environmental filtering weakened while that of limiting similarity strengthened as elevational distance increased. Collectively, these findings clarify the patterns and drivers of beta diversity in arid montane regions and provide a practical basis for biodiversity conservation in Central Asian mountain ecosystems.
SN - 2045-7758
SN - 2045-7758
ER -