Climatic and geometric constraints as driving factors of butterfly species richness along a Neotropical elevational gradient
We tested the effects of temperature, humidity and geographical constraints upon butterfly species richness along an elevational gradient covering an altitude ranging from 117 to 3,104 m above sea level (m. a.s.l.), in Southern Mexico. Ten transect sites were sampled 219 times from May 2010 to May 2011, along the elevational gradient to estimate range and population abundance of butterfly species. The effects of temperature, humidity and geometric constraints (mid-domain effects) on species richness along the study gradient were assessed using ordinary least squares regression. A total of 7,005 specimens representing 193 species were recorded. Species richness was relatively higher at elevations between 117 and 1,000 m. a.s.l. with an observed decline in richness values as elevation increased. Butterfly species richness along the study environmental gradient was predominantly determined by climatic constraints, rather than geometric constraints-a mid-domain model fit well only for largeranged Pieridae species. Temperature and humidity explained the variation species richness for the entire butterfly community and for the three families evaluated; however the effect of predictor variables varied according to the measure of species richness and taxonomic family.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Mariposas, Cambio climático, |
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| Summary: | We tested the effects of temperature, humidity and geographical constraints upon butterfly species richness along an elevational gradient covering an altitude ranging from 117 to 3,104 m above sea level (m. a.s.l.), in Southern Mexico. Ten transect sites were sampled 219 times from May 2010 to May 2011, along the elevational gradient to estimate range and population abundance of butterfly species. The effects of temperature, humidity and geometric constraints (mid-domain effects) on species richness along the study gradient were assessed using ordinary least squares regression. A total of 7,005 specimens representing 193 species were recorded. Species richness was relatively higher at elevations between 117 and 1,000 m. a.s.l. with an observed decline in richness values as elevation increased. Butterfly species richness along the study environmental gradient was predominantly determined by climatic constraints, rather than geometric constraints-a mid-domain model fit well only for largeranged Pieridae species. Temperature and humidity explained the variation species richness for the entire butterfly community and for the three families evaluated; however the effect of predictor variables varied according to the measure of species richness and taxonomic family. |
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