Zeta‐diversity reveals hot spots of ecological connectivity patterns: Implications for resilient protected area network
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Zeta diversity has been proposed as a metric that complements α and β diversity by quantifying the number of species shared among multiple sites, thereby distinguishing contributions of rare and common species. Few studies, however, have combined zeta diversity with spatial autocorrelation analyses to evaluate vegetation fragmentation. This study applies zeta diversity with Moran’s I and hotspot analysis to examine the spatial structure of plant diversity in southern Korea, focusing on the impacts of land-use change and fragmentation. Zeta diversity decline revealed that rare species predominantly drove turnover at small spatial scales, whereas common species increasingly shaped compositional stability at larger scales. Moran’s I supported this scale-dependent transition: positive spatial autocorrelation was evident at low orders, but values decreased sharply with increasing order, approaching randomness at high orders. This indicates a shift from localized clustering by rare species to homogenized assemblages dominated by common species. Elevation consistently emerged as an important driver, while anthropogenic land use, including urban and agricultural areas, became more influential at larger scales. Hotspot analysis further showed that high-elevation areas functioned as stable cores of common species, while low-elevation areas, subject to intensive land use, emerged as coldspots where even common species failed to persist. Integrating zeta diversity with Moran’s I provides new insights into the scale dependence of biodiversity patterns and the spatial consequences of fragmentation. These findings highlight high-elevation zones as conservation cores and identify lowland coldspots as restoration priorities, providing scientific evidence for national biodiversity strategies.
Authors: Songhie Jung, Jaewon Seol, Yong-chan Cho
Institution: Korea National Arboretum
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Funder: Korea National Arboretum
Award: G6182223451
OpenAlex ID: W4414790283
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