Taxonomic and Functional Beta Diversity Patterns and Their Driving Factors of the Fish Assemblages Around Marine Islands

Abstract

Beta diversity is an important way to analyze community assembly mechanisms in different habitats or along environmental gradients. However, research on marine fish assemblages around islands has lagged, especially for functional beta diversity. In this study, we evaluated taxonomic and functional beta diversity change of island fish assemblages along the coast in two seasons and revealed its relationship with environmental factors and geographical distance. Taxonomic and functional beta diversity were both dominated by turnover (over 80% and 60%), while the contribution of nestedness on functional beta diversity was significantly increased. Environmental factors such as temperature and dissolved oxygen were important drivers of beta diversity rather than geographical distance. Fish assemblages around islands that are far away from mainlands or affected greatly by anthropogenic activities usually have higher beta diversity. These results indicated that environmental filtration is the primary factor driving the mechanism of fish community assembly. Our study revealed the importance of the integrated application of two facets of biodiversity to investigate beta diversity. The findings can provide theoretical support for the protection of marine fish and the planning of marine protected areas in the future.

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