Testing a mechanistic explanation for the latitudinal gradient in mammalian species richness across North America
نویسندگان
چکیده
Hypothesis: Spatial variation in species richness is caused by increased maintenance metabolic costs that increase habitat overlap and decrease species richness. Organisms: Non-volant mammals in North America. Results: The latitudinal gradient in species richness could be completely explained by variation in maintenance metabolic costs. Additional spatial variation in species richness was positively correlated with the number of habitats (vegetation types and range in elevation) in an area. Conclusion: Local processes of habitat selection and habitat availability are important mechanisms determining spatial variation in species richness.
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