Environmental drivers of beta-diversity patterns in New-World birds and mammals
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2009
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Resumo
Current macroecological research places great emphasis on patterns of species richness (alpha diversity) and the
underlying ecological and evolutionary processes involved in their origin and maintenance. However, few studies dealing
with continental scales have addressed dissimilarities in species composition among areas (beta diversity). Using data for
the occurrence of 3836 bird and 1641 mammal species in 4220 cells covering the New World, we assessed whether
broad-scale macroecological patterns in beta diversity are related to dissimilarities in environmental variables and biotic
units. We employed spatial regression and tree regression to model beta diversity. Difference in altitude was the best
predictor of beta diversity. Accordingly, the highest beta diversity values were found in mountainous areas, particularly in
the Andes, Central America and western North America. Explanatory variables related to transitions between biotic units
(biome, ecoregion) were relatively unimportant. Areas that differ in altitude from their surroundings harbor different
sets of species, and this may reflect either species adaptation to particular environmental conditions by range shifts, or
species divergence by vicariance, or both.
Descrição
v. 32, p. 226-236, 2009.
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Citação
MELO, A. S.; RANGEL, Thiago Fernando L. V. B.; DINIZ FILHO, José Alexandre F. Environmental drivers of beta-diversity patterns in New-World birds and mammals. Ecography, Copenhagen, v. 32, p. 226-236, 2009. Disponível em: < http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2008.05502.x/epdf>.