dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaTropical rainforest bird community structure in relation to altitude, tree species composition, and null models in the Western Ghats, India
| Authors | T. R. Shankar Raman, N. V. Joshi, R. Sukumar |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0510033 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0510033 |
Abstract
Studies of species distributions on elevational gradients are essential to understand principles of community organisation as well as to conserve species in montane regions. This study examined the patterns of species richness, abundance, composition, range sizes, and distribution of rainforest birds at 14 sites along an elevational gradient (500-1400 m) in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) of the Western Ghats, India. In contrast to theoretical expectation, resident bird species richness did not change significantly with elevation although the species composition changed substantially (<10% similarity) between the lowest and highest elevation sites. Constancy in species richness was possibly due to relative constancy in productivity and lack of elevational trends in vegetation structure. Elevational range size of birds, expected to increase with elevation according to Rapoport's rule, was found to show a contrasting inverse U-shaped pattern because species with narrow elevational distributions, including endemics, occurred at both ends of the gradient (below 800 m and above 1,200 m). Bird species composition also did not vary randomly along the gradient as assessed using a hierarchy of null models of community assembly, from completely unconstrained models to ones with species richness and range-size distribution restrictions. Instead, bird community composition was significantly correlated with elevation and tree species composition of sites, indicating the influence of deterministic factors on bird community structure. Conservation of low- and high-elevation areas and maintenance of tree species composition against habitat alteration are important for bird conservation in the southern Western Ghats rainforests.
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"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:32.329000Z",
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"abstract": "Studies of species distributions on elevational gradients are essential to\nunderstand principles of community organisation as well as to conserve species\nin montane regions. This study examined the patterns of species richness,\nabundance, composition, range sizes, and distribution of rainforest birds at 14\nsites along an elevational gradient (500-1400 m) in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai\nTiger Reserve (KMTR) of the Western Ghats, India. In contrast to theoretical\nexpectation, resident bird species richness did not change significantly with\nelevation although the species composition changed substantially (\u003c10%\nsimilarity) between the lowest and highest elevation sites. Constancy in\nspecies richness was possibly due to relative constancy in productivity and\nlack of elevational trends in vegetation structure. Elevational range size of\nbirds, expected to increase with elevation according to Rapoport\u0027s rule, was\nfound to show a contrasting inverse U-shaped pattern because species with\nnarrow elevational distributions, including endemics, occurred at both ends of\nthe gradient (below 800 m and above 1,200 m). Bird species composition also did\nnot vary randomly along the gradient as assessed using a hierarchy of null\nmodels of community assembly, from completely unconstrained models to ones with\nspecies richness and range-size distribution restrictions. Instead, bird\ncommunity composition was significantly correlated with elevation and tree\nspecies composition of sites, indicating the influence of deterministic factors\non bird community structure. Conservation of low- and high-elevation areas and\nmaintenance of tree species composition against habitat alteration are\nimportant for bird conservation in the southern Western Ghats rainforests.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0510033",
"authors": [
"T. R. Shankar Raman",
"N. V. Joshi",
"R. Sukumar"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.PE"
],
"title": "Tropical rainforest bird community structure in relation to altitude, tree species composition, and null models in the Western Ghats, India",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0510033"
},
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