Ecological niche features override biological traits and taxonomic relatedness as predictors of occupancy and abundance in lake littoral macroinvertebrates

摘要: The degree to which species ecological and biological traits determine their distribution abundance has intrigued ecologists for a long time, it seen revival in recent years. This topic is important because provides information about the determinants of rarity conservation implications. We examined effects niche breadth, position, taxonomic relatedness on interspecific occupancy–abundance relationship, as well occupancy abundance, lake littoral macroinvertebrates. sampled 48 lakes boreal district, found altogether 155 species, calculated regional (as proportion sites occupied) local mean at occupied sites) each species. determined position breadth using outlying index analysis. Also, we trait vectors describing similarity relatedness, respectively, principal coordinates strong positive relationship that was mostly explained by among‐species variation followed breadth. Instead, tended be less affecting than features. Our results strongly suggest measure habitat availability macroinvertebrates, chief determinant abundance. finding implications ecology with marginal reflection low availability, are both regionally rare locally uncommon. Such may face double jeopardy if environmental conditions change affect preferred types.