| dc.description.abstract | β-diversity is an important ecological standard that measures the variation in species composition between sites in a geographic region (LEGENDRE, 2008; BASELGA, 2010). This component consists of the difference in species composition of a community along an environmental gradient (WHITTAKER, 1972) or between habitats (MAGURRAN, 1988; JOST, 2007). The geographic distance and variations in the environmental characteristics of the areas are determining factors for β-diversity (BUCKLEY and JETZ, 2007; BITAR et al., 2014). Environmental heterogeneity exerts a positive force on β-diversity, as it increases the variety of environmental conditions to which different species are adapted, consequently resulting in greater variation in species composition between locations in a region (HEINO et al. , 2015). Greater variation in species composition between localities can lead to greater species richness in the region (i.e. gamma diversity) (SRIVASTAVA, 1999; QIAN and SONG, 2013). Thus, β-diversity influences species diversity at large scales that are important for conservation. | en |
