Basal metabolic rate of birds is associated with habitat temperature and precipitation, not primary productivity.

ABSTRACT: A classic example of ecophysiological adaptation is the observation that animals from hot arid environments have lower basal metabolic rates (BMRs, ml O2min-1) than those from non-arid (luxuriant) ones. However, the term 'arid' conceals within it a multitude of characteristics including extreme ambient temperatures (Ta, degrees C) and low annual net primary productivities (NPPs, gCm-2), both of which have been shown to correlate with BMR. To assess the relationship between environmental characteristics and metabolic rate in birds, we collated BMR measurements for 92 populations representing 90 wild-caught species and examined the relationships between BMR and NPP, Ta, annual temperature range (Tr), precipitation and intra-annual coefficient of variation of precipitation (PCV). Using conven

SUBMITTER: White CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1685844 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature