Within‐ and Between‐Habitat Avian Diversity in African and Neotropical Lowland Habitats

摘要: The general pattern of changes in avian communities along latitudinal, successional, or moisture gradients have been clarified recent years. However, few studies compared avifaunas similar vegetation types and climates two tropical regions. In this study I asked questions. How ecologically are the areas (Panama Liberia) with climate? To what extent might differences be due to historical factors? general, there is convergence structural functional characteristics species because factors different detail, varying faunal complexity developed. forest fauna Panama richer than that Africa but situation reversed grassland savanna. This seems geographic these habitats their degree fragmentation during Pleistocene. Food habitat specializations more striking neotropics Africa. addition, several feeding guilds, especially bark—gleaners, hover—gleaners, salliers, less well represented A lower number bird on fruit flower resources parallels a trend bat communities. reasons for complex outweigh trends toward convergent evolution climate. Differences geography regions correlated avifaunas. These include long— short—term effects weather climate, distribution abundance dispersal barriers, trophic role replacements, variation coevolutionary interactions among groups, histories human influence. brief, it appears Central America would if (1) were fewer isolating barriers (especially mountains rivers) South America, (2) isolated from consequent high speciation rates (3) man's influence had longer duration (4) American dry season was and/or predictable. produced faunas clearly which respects.