Spatial synchrony occurs when local populations exhibit correlated dynamics over time. Recent studies, both experimental and observational, have indicated that the magnitude of spatial synchrony, in cross-species analyses, is correlated with the level of specialization. In theory, specialist species would exhibit higher levels of synchrony than generalist species because they would be more sensitive to environmental variations. In addition, according to simulation studies, species with high growth rates should have more synchronized dynamics. In this study, we tested these hypotheses using datasets (phytoplankton populations and environmental variables) obtained in the Cana Brava Reservoir (State of Goiás, Brazil). We used a multiple regression model to test whether the average level of spatial synchrony was correlated with variables that indicate environmental specialization and population growth rate. In general, the average values of spatial synchrony were low, indicating the predominance of local factors in controlling population dynamics. We found no significant relationship between synchrony and our explanatory variables. To assess the generality of correlates of spatial synchrony, we suggest that future studies should focus on a common same set of explanatory variables.

当本地人口随时间推移呈现出相关的动态时，就会发生空间同步。最近的实验和观察研究都表明，在跨物种分析中，空间同步的幅度与专业化水平相关。从理论上讲，特种物种比通用物种表现出更高的同步性，因为它们对环境变化更加敏感。此外，根据模拟研究，具有高生长速率的物种应具有更同步的动力学。在这项研究中，我们使用从Cana Brava水库（巴西戈亚斯州）获得的数据集（浮游植物种群和环境变量）检验了这些假设。我们使用多元回归模型来测试空间同步的平均水平是否与指示环境专业化和人口增长率的变量相关。通常，空间同步的平均值较低，这表明在控制种群动态方面，局部因素占主导地位。我们发现同步性和解释变量之间没有显着关系。为了评估空间同步相关性的普遍性，我们建议未来的研究应集中在一组相同的解释变量上。