A global evaluation of metabolic theory as an explanation for terrestrial species richness gradients

Abstract:

We compiled 46 broadscale data sets of species richness for a wide range of terrestrial plant, invertebrate, and ectothermic vertebrate groups in all parts of the world to test the ability of metabolic theory to account for observed diversity gradients. The theory makes two related predictions: (1) ln‐transformed richness is linearly associated with a linear, inverse transformation of annual temperature, and (2) the slope of the relationship is near −0.65. Of the 46 data sets, 14 had no significant relationship; of the remaining 32, nine were linear, meeting prediction 1. Model I (ordinary least squares, OLS) and model II (reduced major axis, RMA) regressions then tested the linear slopes against prediction 2. In the 23 data sets having nonlinear relationships between richness and temperature, split‐line regression divided the data into linear components, and regressions were done on each component to test prediction 2 for …

Año de publicación:

2007

Keywords:

Fuente:

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