Putting Beta-Diversity On The Map: Broad-Scale Congruence And Coincidence In The Extremes
Main Category: Biology / BiochemistryArticle Date: 08 Oct 2007 - 18:00 PDT
Beta-diversity, how species composition varies from place to place, is a fundamental attribute of biodiversity. However, despite its recognized importance, beta-diversity is rarely studied across large spatial scales.
Here, Meghan McKnight, Simon Stuart, and colleagues, published in the open-access journal PLoS Biology, use a new method to compare amphibian, bird, and mammal beta-diversity across large regions within the Western Hemisphere. They show that although the areas of low beta-diversity are different for the three groups, areas of high beta-diversity largely coincide. Moreover, they find that the degree to which the groups exhibit similar patterns of beta-diversity depends on the geographic location and extent at which it is measured. Beta-diversity is high where species are most susceptible to climate change, such as in areas with complex topography or high environmental variation. Identifying where areas of high beta-diversity coincide for different species groups is essential to the design of effective protected area networks.
Citation: McKnight MW, White PS,McDonald RI, Lamoreux JF, Sechrest W, et al. (2007) Putting beta-diversity on themap: Broad-scale congruence and coincidence in the extremes. PLoS Biol 5(10): e272. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050272 Please click here
http://www.plosbiology.org
Public Library of Science
185 Berry Street, Suite 3100
San Francisco, CA 94107
USA
|
Please rate this article: (Hover over the stars then click to rate) |
Patient / Public: |
or |
Health Professional: |
Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.
![]()
Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
| Back to top | Back to front page | List of All Medical Articles |
| Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | © 2009 MediLexicon International Ltd |





