The relationship between local and regional diversity of indigenous forest fauna in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

摘要: The relationship between local and regional diversity was tested by regressing community richness against species for three taxa, birds, butterflies mammals, in subtropical forest. quadratic model best fits the birds. Local bird is theoretically independent of size pool may represent saturated communities. A linear describes mammals butterflies. For slope shallow (0.264) overestimates richness, suggesting communities are undersaturated. Extinction filtering explain this pattern. Past climatic changes have filtered out many mammalian species, these been too recent autochthanous speciation, relatively low vagility has prevented extensive recolonisation. Differences nature taxa as much due to evolutionary histories differences colonising potential. pervasive role suggested biogeographic processes development faunal assemblage structure. Large-scale not considered current conservation plans. We encourage shift emphasis from ecological interactions, whole consideration processes.