Species-area relationships explained by the joint effects of dispersal limitation and habitat heterogeneity.
Ecology
; 90(11): 3033-41, 2009 Nov.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19967859
ABSTRACT
Species-area relationships (SARs) characterize the spatial distribution of species diversity in community ecology, but the biological mechanisms underlying the SARs have not been fully explored. Here, we examined the roles of dispersal limitation and habitat heterogeneity in shaping SARs in two large-scale forest plots. One is a 24-ha subtropical forest in Gutianshan National Nature Reserve, China. The other is a 50-ha tropical rain forest in Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Spatial point pattern models were applied to investigate the contributions of dispersal and habitat heterogeneity and their interactions to the formation of the SARs in the two sites. The results showed that, although dispersal and habitat heterogeneity each could significantly contribute to the SARs, each alone was insufficient to explain the SARs. Their joint effects sufficiently explained the real SARs, suggesting that heterogeneous habitat and dispersal limitation are two predominant mechanisms for maintaining the spatial distributions of the species in these two forests. These results add to our understanding of the ecological processes underlying the spatial variation of SARs in natural forest communities.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Ecosistema
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
America central
/
Asia
/
Panama
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Ecology
Año:
2009
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China