Think locally, act globally: An inter-continential analysis of Silene acaulis cushion plants on other plant species

Background/Question/Methods

Climate change is dramatically reshaping plant diversity distributions in the alpine.  Importantly, the use of local versus regional analyses are debated as the appropriate scales for biodiversity and community interaction studies.  Here, we use the most widely distributed cushion-forming plant species in the alpine, Silene acaulis, to examine whether local positive interactions more intensely influence plant species richness and evenness.  

Results/Conclusions

Mensurate surveys inter-continentally structured were used to contrast associated diversity of abundance of other plant species.  Local interactions were identified as more important drivers of plant diversity patterns.  Species pool was also identified as an important consideration.  These findings suggest that broadly distributed surveys using the same focal species and protocols as a viable mechanism to ascertain sensitivity of communities to perturbation.