Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient

A study on the Pacific slope of the Cordillera Guanacaste within Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) reveals that ant diversity and phylogenetic community structure decline with elevation, exhibiting an asymmetrical mid-elevation peak at approximately 600–800 meters. This pattern was consistent across three volcanoes when measured using molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTU), phylogenetic diversity (PD) based on DNA barcodes, or a multi-gene phylogeny. High species turnover between sites and among mountains was observed, with significant phylogenetic clustering at the highest elevation cloud forest sites, indicating environmental filtering. The narrow elevational range of each species, combined with high diversity at sampling points, underscores the vulnerability of these hyperdiverse communities to climate change.

Smith, M. A., Hallwachs, W., & Janzen, D. H. (2014). Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient. Ecography, 37(8), 720–731. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00631.x