Geographic patterns and environmental correlates of terrestrial mammal species richness in China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2009.09065

Abstract

Abstract:

Understanding macro-scale spatial patterns in species diversity and their underlying mechanisms is central to macroecology and biogeography. In this study, we explored geographic patterns of species richness and their environmental determinants for overall terrestrial mammals and each major mammalian order in China, using datasets of species distribution, climate, topography and vegetation. Species richness of terrestrial mammals exhibited significant latitudinal gradients, decreasing from south to north. High species richness generally occurred in tropical and subtropical mountains, whereas low species richness was found in the eastern plains, the arid areas of northwest regions, and central areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Geographic patterns of species richness varied among mammalian orders. The best model, which included a remote sensing-based vegetation index (NDVI), number of ecosystems, and annual range of temperature, accounted for 66.2% of variation in overall mammal species richness, with NDVI being the most important determinant. This suggests that patterns of mammal richness in China are governed by the integrated effects of different environmental predictors, with vegetation productivity playing a major role. The best models for various orders of mammals identified different combinations of determinants, possibly reflecting differences in evolutionary history and physiological tolerances.

Key words: terrestrial mammals, patterns of species richness, environmental variables, productivity hypothesis

Xin Lin, Zhiheng Wang, Zhiyao Tang, Shuqing Zhao, Jingyun Fang. Geographic patterns and environmental correlates of terrestrial mammal species richness in China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2009, 17(6): 652-663.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2009.09065

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2009/V17/I6/652

Figures/Tables 5

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	最小值Minimum	最大值Maximum	平均值 Mean	标准差 SD
物种丰富度 Species richness
陆栖哺乳类 Terrestrial mammals	16	177	59.2	31.0
食虫目 Eulipotyphla	0	27	5.8	5.1
翼手目 Chiroptera	0	45	9.7	10.5
灵长目 Primates	0	9	0.9	1.6
食肉目 Carnivora	3	34	14.5	6.7
偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	1	18	6.0	2.8
兔形目 Lagomorpha	0	10	3.1	2.1
啮齿目 Rodentia	2	52	18.1	9.8
环境因子 Environmental variables
年均温 Mean annual temperature (MAT, ℃)¹	-8.3	24.1	6.8	7.8
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, ℃)²	10.0	36.5	25.1	7.0
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, ℃)³	-37.7	14.4	-13.7	11.1
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)⁴	257.2	1,320.2	627.9	220.6
年降水量 Annual precipitation (AP, mm)⁵	17.7	2,542.7	596.3	506.9
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)⁶	17.7	1,298.8	452.9	311.0
归一化植被指数 Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)⁷	0.043	0.667	0.286	0.166
气温年较差 Annual range of temperature (ART, ℃)⁸	16.4	60.6	38.9	9.4
海拔变幅 Elevational range (ER, m)⁹	41	6,717	1,645.6	1,148.0
生态系统类型数 Number of ecosystems (VEGE)¹⁰	1	55	15.8	8.2

	最小值Minimum	最大值Maximum	平均值 Mean	标准差 SD
物种丰富度 Species richness
陆栖哺乳类 Terrestrial mammals	16	177	59.2	31.0
食虫目 Eulipotyphla	0	27	5.8	5.1
翼手目 Chiroptera	0	45	9.7	10.5
灵长目 Primates	0	9	0.9	1.6
食肉目 Carnivora	3	34	14.5	6.7
偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	1	18	6.0	2.8
兔形目 Lagomorpha	0	10	3.1	2.1
啮齿目 Rodentia	2	52	18.1	9.8
环境因子 Environmental variables
年均温 Mean annual temperature (MAT, ℃)¹	-8.3	24.1	6.8	7.8
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, ℃)²	10.0	36.5	25.1	7.0
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, ℃)³	-37.7	14.4	-13.7	11.1
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)⁴	257.2	1,320.2	627.9	220.6
年降水量 Annual precipitation (AP, mm)⁵	17.7	2,542.7	596.3	506.9
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)⁶	17.7	1,298.8	452.9	311.0
归一化植被指数 Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)⁷	0.043	0.667	0.286	0.166
气温年较差 Annual range of temperature (ART, ℃)⁸	16.4	60.6	38.9	9.4
海拔变幅 Elevational range (ER, m)⁹	41	6,717	1,645.6	1,148.0
生态系统类型数 Number of ecosystems (VEGE)¹⁰	1	55	15.8	8.2

	陆栖哺乳类Terrestrial mammals	食虫目 Eulipotyphla	翼手目 Chiroptera	灵长目 Primates	食肉目 Carnivora	偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	兔形目 Lagomorpha	啮齿目 Rodentia
陆栖哺乳类 Terrestrial mammals	1.000
食虫目 Eulipotyphla	0.801^***	1.000
翼手目 Chiroptera	0.845^***	0.548^*	1.000
灵长目 Primates	0.839^***	0.530^*	0.811^***	1.000
食肉目 Carnivora	0.920^***	0.690^***	0.755^**	0.815^***	1.000
偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	0.589^*	0.350^ns	0.302^ns	0.567^**	0.685^**	1.000
兔形目 Lagomorpha	0.018^ns	0.018^ns	-0.332^ns	-0.051^ns	0.117^ns	0.575^**	1.000
啮齿目 Rodentia	0.847^***	0.743^***	0.581^*	0.573^*	0.654^**	0.360^ns	-0.027^ns	1.000

	陆栖哺乳类Terrestrial mammals	食虫目 Eulipotyphla	翼手目 Chiroptera	灵长目 Primates	食肉目 Carnivora	偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	兔形目 Lagomorpha	啮齿目 Rodentia
陆栖哺乳类 Terrestrial mammals	1.000
食虫目 Eulipotyphla	0.801^***	1.000
翼手目 Chiroptera	0.845^***	0.548^*	1.000
灵长目 Primates	0.839^***	0.530^*	0.811^***	1.000
食肉目 Carnivora	0.920^***	0.690^***	0.755^**	0.815^***	1.000
偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	0.589^*	0.350^ns	0.302^ns	0.567^**	0.685^**	1.000
兔形目 Lagomorpha	0.018^ns	0.018^ns	-0.332^ns	-0.051^ns	0.117^ns	0.575^**	1.000
啮齿目 Rodentia	0.847^***	0.743^***	0.581^*	0.573^*	0.654^**	0.360^ns	-0.027^ns	1.000

	陆栖哺乳类 Terrestrial mammals	食虫目 Eulipotyphla	翼手目 Chiroptera	灵长目 Primates	食肉目 Carnivora	偶蹄目 Artiodactyla	兔形目 Lagomorpha	啮齿目 Rodentia
年均温 (MAT, ℃)	0.541^ns	0.345^ns	0.742^**	0.515^*	0.434^ns	-0.087^ns	-0.593^**	0.458^ns
最热月均温 (MTWM, ℃)	0.209^ns	0.218^ns	0.371^ns	0.092^ns	0.074^ns	-0.439^ns	-0.653^***	0.337^ns
最冷月均温 (MTCM, ℃)	0.627^*	0.328^ns	0.839^**	0.669^**	0.550^*	0.134^ns	-0.464^*	0.424^ns
潜在蒸散量 (PET, mm)	0.432^ns	0.268^ns	0.671^*	0.401^ns	0.327^ns	-0.224^ns	-0.660^***	0.381^ns
年降水量 (AP, mm)	0.686^*	0.411^ns	0.863^**	0.678^*	0.687^*	0.282^ns	-0.349^ns	0.390^ns
实际蒸散量 (AET, mm)	0.651^*	0.440^ns	0.821^**	0.610^*	0.645^*	0.186^ns	-0.391^ns	0.395^ns
植被指数 (NDVI)	0.691^*	0.579^*	0.744^*	0.558^*	0.683^*	0.242^ns	-0.272^ns	0.482^ns
气温年较差 (ART, ℃)	-0.587^*	-0.226^ns	-0.718^**	-0.725^**	-0.598^*	-0.488^**	-0.061^ns	-0.251^ns
海拔变幅 (ER, m)	0.318^ns	0.159^ns	0.091^ns	0.257^ns	0.402^**	0.591^***	0.482^***	0.214^ns
生态系统类型数 (VEGE)	0.426^**	0.410^**	0.116^ns	0.142^ns	0.382^*	0.347^*	0.248^ns	0.577^***