1. Global environmental change is threatening freshwater biodiversity with ecological impacts predicted to be particularly severe in high-altitude regions. Despite this, an ecological understanding of high-altitude pond networks remains patchy, with only limited knowledge of the environmental and spatial predictors of taxonomic and functional diversity. Moreover, previous studies of pond ecosystems have focused primarily on taxonomic richness and largely overlooked functional diversity.
2. This study examined the influence of local environmental and spatial factors on taxonomic and functional α and β diversity (including the turnover and nestedness-resultant components) of 17 high-altitude (~2,500 m above sea level) pond macroinvertebrate communities, in the Macun Cirque, Switzerland.
3. Spatial processes (pond connectivity) were important drivers for taxonomic α diversity, while local environmental variables (pond permanence and surface area) were important determinants of functional α diversity. Species turnover was the most important component of β diversity for taxonomic composition, and functional composition demonstrated a nested spatial pattern.
4. Variation in taxonomic and functional composition (and the turnover and nestedness components of β diversity) were determined by local environmental variables despite the limited environmental gradients within the pond network. No significant effects of spatial variables on community composition were recorded for either facet of diversity, indicating that compositional variation was determined at a local scale. Water temperature, depth and pond permanence were consistently the most important measured drivers of diversity.
5. Given the importance of both spatial and environmental variables in structuring taxonomic and functional diversity, landscape-scale conservation and management activities that aim to improve or protect high-altitude freshwater biodiversity should focus on maintaining connectivity among ponds and environmental heterogeneity, particularly pond surface area, water depth, and hydroperiod. Understanding the mechanisms driving taxonomic and functional diversity will be critically important for the management and conservation of macroinvertebrate communities in high-altitude pond networks in the face of climatic warming.

中文翻译：

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瑞士 Macun Cirque 高海拔池塘的分类和功能性大型无脊椎动物多样性

1. 全球环境变化正在威胁淡水生物多样性，预计高海拔地区的生态影响将特别严重。尽管如此，对高海拔池塘网络的生态理解仍然不完整，对分类和功能多样性的环境和空间预测因子的了解有限。此外，以前对池塘生态系统的研究主要集中在分类丰富度上，而在很大程度上忽略了功能多样性。
2. 本研究检查了当地环境和空间因素对 Macun Cirque 的 17 个高海拔（海拔约 2,500 m）池塘大型无脊椎动物群落的分类和功能 α 和 β 多样性（包括周转和嵌套组成部分）的影响， 瑞士。
3. 空间过程（池塘连通性）是分类 α 多样性的重要驱动因素，而局部环境变量（池塘永久性和表面积）是功能 α 多样性的重要决定因素。物种周转是分类组成β多样性的最重要组成部分，功能组成表现出嵌套的空间模式。
4. 尽管池塘网络内的环境梯度有限，但分类和功能组成（以及 β 多样性的周转和嵌套成分）的变化由当地环境变量决定。对于多样性的任一方面，都没有记录到空间变量对群落组成的显着影响，表明组成变化是在局部尺度上确定的。水温、深度和池塘持久性始终是衡量多样性的最重要驱动因素。
5. 鉴于空间和环境变量在构建分类和功能多样性方面的重要性，旨在改善或保护高海拔淡水生物多样性的景观尺度保护和管理活动应侧重于保持池塘之间的连通性和环境异质性，特别是池塘表面积，水深和水期。面对气候变暖，了解驱动分类和功能多样性的机制对于高海拔池塘网络中大型无脊椎动物群落的管理和保护至关重要。