Alfredo Raúl Abot

INTRODUCTION Most studies focusing on the spatial drivers of biodiversity tend to assess the effects of aboveground environmental properties, such as vegetation structure, temperature and landscape arrangement (e.g., Correa et al., 2022; Enedino et al., 2017; Gardner et al., 2008). Nonetheless, the role of soil factors in shaping species distribution has long intrigued researchers (Sollins, 1998).

INTRODUCTION Seasonal rainfall patterns play a crucial role in shaping the biology, ecology and ecophysiology of animals (Boyle et al., 2020; Dossman et al., 2023), particularly in tropical and subtropical ecosystems (e.g., Andresen, 2005; Liberal et al., 2011). Variations in precipitation influence resource availability, habitat structure, reproductive cycles and thermoregulatory demands across taxa (Jessop et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2010; Song et al., 2024; van de Pol et al., 2010).

INTRODUCTION Anthropogenic land use has an overall negative impact on biodiversity. However, most of the studies in this field have focused on short-term approaches, analysing the effect of human landscapes based on ‘snapshots’ of the communities (Chapman et al., 2000). Certain temporal effects, such as the extinction debt, can persist over time because of past environmental disturbances or alterations that continue to impact the ecosystem (Tilman et al., 1994).