From soil to bird community: A Partial Least Squares approach to investigate a natural wooded area surrounded by urban patchwork (Astroni crater, southern Italy)

摘要: Abstract Forests are among the most important land ecosystems both in term of their contribution to global carbon cycle and for prominence hosting large biodiversity. Under a changing world, terms use climate scenarios, it is pivotal understand matter energy flows complex such as forests, order infer potential relationships at different levels, i.e. from soil bird community within forest stands. In this context, organic main source heterotrophic organisms, which component whole food web all way up communities. Even though many studies have investigated factors affecting C communities separately, an integrated approach that links was never attempted. Accordingly, we used innovative Two-block Partial Least Squares analysis investigate patterns covariance between nesting relatively small wooded area surrounded by urban Naples (southern Italy). Our research revealed that, spite extent surrounding Astroni hosts substantial stock has diversified community. The abundance species blue tit, jay, green woodpecker great tit had direct with litter, while sampling sites were characterized greater stocks higher microbial activity correlated other species, noticeably short-toed treecreeper blackbird. Despite limited our area, study showed, first time, some variables, linking ecological compartments whose connections not immediately detectable could open new perspectives management, biodiversity evaluations.