Ecosystem size and complexity dictate riverine biodiversity

Abstract

Larger ecosystems support more species; this ubiquitous pattern is the foundation of current conservation schemes. However, many ecosystems possess a complex spatial structure that cannot be represented by area, and the role of such complexity in scaling biodiversity is largely unknown. Here, we use theory and extensive fish community data from two distinct geographic regions (Japan and United States) to show that ecosystem size and complexity dictate riverine biodiversity. We found that larger and more branched complex river networks harbored greater species richness due to increased space and environmental heterogeneity. The complexity effect was comparable to the size effect, and this pattern has emerged regardless of ecological contexts. The dual control of biodiversity may be a pervasive feature that has far-reaching implications for biodiversity conservation. One sentence summaryThis study provides the first evidence that ecosystem size and complexity play comparable roles in regulating biodiversity.