Ecological specialization and population size in a biodiversity hotspot: How rare species avoid extinction

摘要: Species with narrow environmental niches typically have small geographic ranges. Small range size is, in turn, often associated low local abundance. Together, these factors should mean that ecological specialists very total populations, putting them at high risk of extinction. But some specialized and geographically restricted species are ancient, communities proportions rare endemics. We studied niche characteristics patterns distribution abundance terrestrial vertebrates the rainforests Australian Wet Tropics (AWT) to identify mechanisms by which might resist show ranges tend uniform abundances. The compensation rarity is exact, such population rainforest AWT independent specialization. This effect would help equalize extinction for generalists. Phylogenetic analysis suggests been gradually accumulating this fauna, indicating size/environmental specialization can be a successful trait as long it compensated demographic commonness. These results provide an explanation how range-restricted persist periods, so they now form major component high-diversity assemblages AWT.