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Title: Global patterns of species richness and climate

Abstract

Why are there many species in some places and few in others Several studies have shown that the variation in the number of species over continent-sized areas is closely related to the variation in macroclimatic factors: heat and moisture for terrestrial plants, and heat for terrestrial vertebrates. Yet, most of these studies dealt primarily with temperature areas on single continents. If contemporary climate is the principle determinant of large-scale patterns of richness, then richness should be related to climate in similar ways on different continents, regardless of their evolutionary histories. To test the hypothesis, we have gathered published data on the distributions of birds and mammals in temperature and tropical areas. We found that richness varies as a function of potential evapotranspiration in very similar ways on different continents in temperate areas, although there is some significant variation among continents that is unrelated to climate. In tropical areas, richness is more closely related to precipitation and annual climatic variability. Re-analysis of published data on plant richness is consistent with these observations. We conclude that most of the variation in large-scale patterns of species richness can be accounted for by contemporary climate.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ of Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
7161926
Report Number(s):
CONF-940894-
Journal ID: ISSN 0012-9623; CODEN: BECLAG
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 75:2; Conference: Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting: science and public policy, Knoxville, TN (United States), 7-11 Aug 1994; Journal ID: ISSN 0012-9623
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; CLIMATES; GLOBAL ASPECTS; SPECIES DIVERSITY; 560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects

Citation Formats

Currie, D J. Global patterns of species richness and climate. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Currie, D J. Global patterns of species richness and climate. United States.
Currie, D J. 1994. "Global patterns of species richness and climate". United States.
@article{osti_7161926,
title = {Global patterns of species richness and climate},
author = {Currie, D J},
abstractNote = {Why are there many species in some places and few in others Several studies have shown that the variation in the number of species over continent-sized areas is closely related to the variation in macroclimatic factors: heat and moisture for terrestrial plants, and heat for terrestrial vertebrates. Yet, most of these studies dealt primarily with temperature areas on single continents. If contemporary climate is the principle determinant of large-scale patterns of richness, then richness should be related to climate in similar ways on different continents, regardless of their evolutionary histories. To test the hypothesis, we have gathered published data on the distributions of birds and mammals in temperature and tropical areas. We found that richness varies as a function of potential evapotranspiration in very similar ways on different continents in temperate areas, although there is some significant variation among continents that is unrelated to climate. In tropical areas, richness is more closely related to precipitation and annual climatic variability. Re-analysis of published data on plant richness is consistent with these observations. We conclude that most of the variation in large-scale patterns of species richness can be accounted for by contemporary climate.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7161926}, journal = {Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)},
issn = {0012-9623},
number = ,
volume = 75:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994},
month = {Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994}
}

Conference:
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