Environmental heterogeneity explains coarse-scale β-diversity of terrestrial vertebrates in Mexico.

ABSTRACT: We explored the hypothesis that high β-diversity of terrestrial vertebrates of Mexico is associated with a high environmental heterogeneity (HEH) and identify the drivers of β-diversity at different spatial scales. We used distribution range maps of 2,513 species of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds occurring in Mexico. We estimated β-diversity for each taxon at four spatial scales (grid cells of 2°, 1°, 0.5° and 0.25°) using the multiplicative formula of Whittaker βw. For each spatial scale, we derived 10 variables of environmental heterogeneity among cells based on raw data of temperature, precipitation, elevation, vegetation and soil. We applied conditional autoregressive models (CAR) to identify the drivers of β-diversity for each taxon at each spatial scale. CARs increased in e

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6347424 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature