Biological Diversity of Fish and Bacteria in Space and Time

Abstract: Biological diversity is controlled by an array of factors and processes all active at different spatial and temporal scales. Regional factors control what species are available to occur locally, whereas the local factors determine what species are actually capable of colonizing the locality.I have investigated how these local and regional factors affect species richness and diversity, mainly of fish in Swedish lakes and in order to assess the impact of dispersal mode one study on bacteria was also performed. In addition, potential first steps towards speciation were investigated in perch (Perca fluviatilis) from two different habitats. Fish species richness and diversity were found to be regulated by history, dispersal limitation and the local environment. In addition, striking similarities were found in the control of community composition for fish and bacteria. Both were regulated by nearly equal parts regional and local factors. The study of morphological and genetical variation in perch (Perca fluviatilis) revealed genetic differentiation at small spatial scales, suggesting that genetic differences can evolve between groups at strikingly small spatial scales, which might have implications for speciation in a long time perspective. Based on these findings I conclude that space and time matter. Space has the potential to isolate sites. And both dispersal and local extinctions, it seems, might take a long time, as effects of the last ice-age can still be seen on the contemporary fish community richness and composition.