Trophic interactions among vertebrate guilds and plants shape global patterns in species diversity.

ABSTRACT: Trophic interactions play critical roles in structuring biotic communities. Understanding variation in trophic interactions among systems provides important insights into biodiversity maintenance and conservation. However, the relative importance of bottom-up versus top-down trophic processes for broad-scale patterns in biodiversity is poorly understood. Here, we used global datasets on species richness of vascular plants, mammals and breeding birds to evaluate the role of trophic interactions in shaping large-scale diversity patterns. Specifically, we used non-recursive structural equation models to test for top-down and bottom-up forcing of global species diversity patterns among plants and trophic guilds of mammals and birds (carnivores, invertivores and herbivores), while accounting fo

SUBMITTER: Zhang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6083253 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature