Rubio Lopez, Iñigo 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7316-7942, Fontaneto, Diego, Pardos, Fernando, Martínez, Alejandro and García-Gómez, Guillermo
(2023)
Biases and distribution patterns in hard-bodied microscopic animals (Acari: Halacaridae): Size doesn’t matter, but generalism and sampling effort do.
[Data Collection]
Description
The interplay between distribution ranges, species traits, and sampling and taxonomic biases remain elusive amongst microscopic animals. This ignorance obscures our understanding of the diversity patterns of a major component of biodiversity. Here, we used marine Halacaridae to explore whether differences between marine provinces can explain their distribution patterns or if differential sampling efforts across regions prevent any macroecological inference. Furthermore, we test if certain functional traits influence their distribution patterns. Location Europe. Results Whereas geographical variables provided a better explanation for differences in species composition, sampling effort and distance from marine biological stations accounted for the majority of differences in European Halacaridae richness. Species occurring in more habitats showed broader geographical ranges and accumulated more records. Species traits like body size affected the distribution of halacarid species. Main conclusions We propose that the sampling effort of halacarid mites in Europe might be explained by two different cognitive biases: the convenience of selecting certain sampling localities compared to others, and the tendency of zoologists to scrutinize habitats where their target organisms are more common.
| Keywords: | Dryad,Biogeography,diversity,Macroecology,marine meiofauna,meiobenthos,Mites,sampling bias,spatial scales,species richness, |
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| Depositing User: | Data Catalogue Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Jul 2023 09:15 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Jul 2023 09:15 |
| DOI: | 10.5061/dryad.d7wm37q53 |
| Original Record Link: | https://datadryad.org/stash/share/g-6BE3rGjqUzq-huox00d_zoBZQ0gGdJ_E5pbVuYXic |
| URI: | https://datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2300 |
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