Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Determinants of Functional Composition of Bolivian Bat Assemblages.

ABSTRACT: Understanding diversity patterns and the potential mechanisms driving them is a fundamental goal in ecology. Examination of different dimensions of biodiversity can provide insights into the relative importance of different processes acting upon biotas to shape communities. Unfortunately, patterns of diversity are still poorly understood in hyper-diverse tropical countries. Here, we assess spatial variation of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of bat assemblages in one of the least studied Neotropical countries, Bolivia, and determine whether changes in biodiversity are explained by the replacement of species or functional groups, or by differences in richness (i.e., gain or loss of species or functional groups). Further, we evaluate the contribution of phylogenetic and taxo

SUBMITTER: Aguirre LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4934923 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature