DOI: 10.5061/dryad.5hqbzkhk8
title: Data from: Species distribution modeling reveals the influence of climatic and geographic factors on scarab beetle beta diversity along altitudinal gradients

description: Beta diversity patterns result from the assembly of communities shaped by
 local and regional filters. However, understanding these patterns is
 limited by gaps in species distribution knowledge, especially for
 hyperdiverse groups. In this context, ecological niche modeling represents
 an effective approach to overcoming such limitations by providing robust
 species distribution predictions. In this study, we used the distribution
 models of 67 scarab beetle species to assess patterns of beta diversity
 and its components (species turnover and nestedness) across 14 elevational
 gradients on the coastal and inland montane slopes of El Salvador. We also
 analyzed the effects of climatic (environmental filter) and geographic
 (dispersal filter) factors on beta diversity. Our results show that beta
 diversity decreased with increasing elevation, independently of geographic
 region, and that there were no significant differences in the relative
 contributions of turnover and nestedness between coastal and inland
 gradients. Environmental filtering (differences in temperature and
 precipitation) and dispersal filtering (spatial distance) were
 determinants in shaping the beta diversity patterns. These results
 indicate that the beta diversity of scarab beetles is determined by
 climatic and geographic factors. This integrative approach based on
 species distribution modeling underscores the importance of montane
 habitats for maintaining beta diversity and endemic species, highlighting
 the role of environmental heterogeneity and geographic location in shaping
 ecological assemblages. These findings emphasize the broader need for
 conservation strategies that preserve ecological diversity in complex
 landscapes, particularly under threats of habitat loss and climate change.
description: # Data from: Species distribution modeling reveals the influence of
 climatic and geographic factors on scarab beetle beta diversity along
 altitudinal gradients Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.5hqbzkhk8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5hqbzkhk8) ##
 Description of the data and file structure **Overview** The presence of
 scarab beetle species (based on the potential distribution maps) and
 climatic variables in cells of ≈1 km² along 14 transects (altitudinal
 gradients) in El Salvador, Central America. The transects were located in
 two geographic regions (costal and inland). **Author(s)** José D.
 Pablo-Cea^1,2^ ^1^Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de
 Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz
 91070, Mexico. ^2^Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y
 Matemática, Universidad de El Salvador, El Salvador. Andrés Ramírez-Ponce
 Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática, Instituto de Ecología A.C. Carretera
 Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico. Ronald D.
 Cave Indian River Research & Education Center, Entomology &
 Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,
 University of Florida, Ft. Pierce, FL, USA. Victor Moctezuma Centro
 Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala,
 Mexico. Octavio Rojas-Soto Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de
 Ecología A.C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz
 91070, Mexico. Claudia E. Moreno Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas,
 Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del
 Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico. E-mail:
 [cmoreno@uaeh.edu.mx](mailto:cmoreno@uaeh.edu.mx). ### Files and variables
 #### File: El_Salvador_beetle_communities.csv **Description:** A matrix
 with 189 communities (rows) and the presence (1) or absence (0) of 67
 scarab beetle species (columns). Each community is the set of species
 presences in cells along 14 transects (altitudinal gradients) in El
 Salvador. The transects were located in two geographic regions (costal and
 inland). ##### Variables * Region: Costal: the slopes between the coastal
 plain and the volcanic chain Inland: the inland slopes between the
 interior valley and the northern mountains * Transect: C1 to C7: seven
 transects in the costal region I1 to I7: seven transects in the inland
 region * Cell: ≈1 km² plots along the transects * Cell.code: Unique
 identifier for each cell * Euphoria avita...Onthophagus incensus: scarab
 beetle species #### File: El_Salvador_climatic_variables_and_location.csv
 **Description:**  Climatic variables and location of 189 cells (rows).
 ##### Variables * Cell.code: Unique identifier for each cell along
 transects (Transect+Cell ID. Example: C1A) * Temperature: Cell
 temperature, °C * Precipitation: Cell precipitation, mm * Elevation: Cell
 elevation, m a.s.l. * POINT_X: Longitudinal geographic coordinates, W, of
 the cell center. Decimal degrees (DD). * POINT_Y: Latitudinal geographic
 coordinates, N, of the cell center. Decimal degrees (DD). ## Code/software
 CSV (comma-separated values) files include tabular data that can be open
 in any spreadsheet. ## Access information Other publicly accessible
 locations of the data: * None