Figure 3. Summary of the results regardingHypothesis 2 on differences in species traits. A.Representation of the results of the fourth-corner analysis showing the significant relationship between functional traits (represented as the axis of the Gower matrix) and the selected abiotic environmental variables representing beach level (subtidal, shoaling, and swash) and the only two variables affecting species richness. B. Graphical representation of the variance partitioning analysis, showing the amount variance explained uniquely by environmental and geographical differences and by their combination, in addition to the unexplained residual variance. C-E. Relationship between geographical distances and beta diversity calculated for each pair of stations in each beach level. R and p-values shown are from the Mantel test analyses.