Seasonal species richness of birds on the world's islands and its geographical correlates.

ABSTRACT: The presence of migratory birds on islands results in seasonal variation in species richness. These patterns and their geographical correlates within the context of island biogeography theory have not been examined. We used 21 years of bird observations on 690 islands from eBird to determine how seasonal species richness estimates vary as a function of island area, isolation and latitude. Species richness was highest on islands within the northern mid-latitudes during migration and on islands within tropical latitudes during the non-breeding season. Area defined positive, nonlinear relationships with species richness across seasons, with the steepest slopes occurring with islands greater than 1100 km². Distance to mainland defined negative, nonlinear relationships with species r

SUBMITTER: La Sorte FA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9364010 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature