TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparison of Niche-Packing and Community Organisation in Desert Rodents in Asia and North America
AU - Shenbrot, G. I.
AU - Rogovin, K. A.
AU - Heske, E. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was made possible by grants from the Academy of Sciences of the (former) USSR (to G.I.S. and K.A.R.), The Eppley Foundation for Research (to E.J.H.), the National Geographic Society (to E.J.H.), and The American Philosophical Society (to K.A.R.). J. H. Brown and two anonymous reviewers made many helpful comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript, and provided much logistical support during data analyses and manuscript preparation.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - We compared patterns of species diversity, locomotory morphology, feeding modes, and spatial organisation for rodent communities in four Asian deserts (Kyzylkum, Gobi, Thar, Negev) and one North American (Chihuahuan) desert. Deserts were similar in gamma and alpha diversity. A positive relationship between regional species diversity (and biomass) and mean annual precipitation was found. The Asian deserts showed a greater degree of divergence and specialisation between bipedal and quadrupedal forms. The range of feeding modes was similar in deserts on both continents, but the Negev was the only Asian desert in which granivory was as important as in the Chihuahuan. Temperate Asian desert rodents were organised into spatial guilds, separated primarily by characteristics of the soil and perennial vegetation. North American desert rodent species overlapped more extensively in habitat use. The similarities and differences between these deserts can be explained by their biogeographic histories.
AB - We compared patterns of species diversity, locomotory morphology, feeding modes, and spatial organisation for rodent communities in four Asian deserts (Kyzylkum, Gobi, Thar, Negev) and one North American (Chihuahuan) desert. Deserts were similar in gamma and alpha diversity. A positive relationship between regional species diversity (and biomass) and mean annual precipitation was found. The Asian deserts showed a greater degree of divergence and specialisation between bipedal and quadrupedal forms. The range of feeding modes was similar in deserts on both continents, but the Negev was the only Asian desert in which granivory was as important as in the Chihuahuan. Temperate Asian desert rodents were organised into spatial guilds, separated primarily by characteristics of the soil and perennial vegetation. North American desert rodent species overlapped more extensively in habitat use. The similarities and differences between these deserts can be explained by their biogeographic histories.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84971030472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/ZO9940479
DO - 10.1071/ZO9940479
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0028682478
VL - 42
SP - 479
EP - 499
JO - Australian Journal of Zoology
JF - Australian Journal of Zoology
SN - 0004-959X
IS - 4
ER -