2025/12/16 by Anastasia Lampou, Nikolaos Skoulikidis, Núria Bonada · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology #Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies #Marine Biology and Ecology Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/jbi.70117
openalex created_date 2025/12/16 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
ABSTRACT Aim To delineate biogeographical regions in the Aegean Archipelago using freshwater macroinvertebrates with different dispersal abilities, and explore the relation of these regions to geological and environmental drivers. Location Aegean Archipelago, Greece. Taxon Freshwater macroinvertebrates: Odonata (damselflies/dragonflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), and Plecoptera (stoneflies). Methods Species data information of three macroinvertebrate orders from the Aegean Islands was compiled to identify biogeographical regions. The clustering (UPGMA with Jaccard dissimilarity) method was applied to delineate regions. Differences among regions were tested using PERMANOVA on β ‐diversity turnover and nestedness. NMDS and Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were used to assess the role of environmental variables in explaining the resulting biogeographical regions. Results Among islands, species turnover was the dominant component of β ‐diversity, indicating that compositional differences were primarily driven by species replacement. Six well‐supported biogeographical regions reflecting both historical paleogeographic events and contemporary ecological patterns were identified. Differential dispersal abilities among groups also translated into biogeographical patterns, with Odonata showing weaker regional structuring than Trichoptera and Plecoptera. Western and eastern islands formed separate clusters, with central islands showing transitional patterns, reflecting past geological events in the area. Environmental gradients, particularly in precipitation, temperature, and freshwater availability, further shaped the biogeographical regions by influencing habitat stability and acting as ecological filters based on species' environmental tolerances. Main Conclusions This study provides the first freshwater biogeographical regionalization of the Aegean Archipelago using macroinvertebrate fauna. The six identified regions are ecologically and biogeographically meaningful, shaped by dispersal barriers, paleogeographic history, and local environmental variation. Turnover driven β‐diversity and the contrast between high and low dispersal taxa highlight the value of trait‐based approaches in biogeography.