Determinants of Mammal and Bird Species Richness in China Based on Habitat Groups.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the spatial patterns in species richness is a central issue in macroecology and biogeography. Analyses that have traditionally focused on overall species richness limit the generality and depth of inference. Spatial patterns of species richness and the mechanisms that underpin them in China remain poorly documented. We created a database of the distribution of 580 mammal species and 849 resident bird species from 2376 counties in China and established spatial linear models to identify the determinants of species richness and test the roles of five hypotheses for overall mammals and resident birds and the 11 habitat groups among the two taxa. Our result showed that elevation variability was the most important determinant of species richness of overall mammal and bird species.

SUBMITTER: Xu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4668080 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature