Spatial Heterogeneity of Climate Fluctuations Shapes Ecological Processes and Community Dynamics in Riverine Invertebrates Across a Landscape

Abstract

Climate fluctuations exhibit spatial heterogeneity in influencing ecological processes and community dynamics. However, the mechanisms underlying these impacts on biodiversity remain largely unexplored. This study investigates how spatial variations in climate fluctuations affect the relative significance of ecological processes shaping invertebrate community dynamics across 15 rivers in the European Iberian Peninsula over 21 years. Spatial shifts in community dynamics were driven by a combination of deterministic (climatic filtering) and stochastic (temporal variability) processes. Notably, the dominance of deterministic versus stochastic processes showed an elevation-dependent pattern characterized by a single peak. Analyzing community dynamics across different elevations provides a foundational basis for predicting and mitigating the biodiversity impacts of climate change, guiding effective conservation strategies.