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12 - Inverse latitudinal gradients in species diversity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2012

By
Pavel Kindlmann ,
Iva Schödelbauerová  and
Anthony F. G. Dixon
Edited by
David Storch ,
Pablo Marquet  and
James Brown
Pavel Kindlmann
Affiliation:
Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of South Bohemia, Agrocampus Rennes
Iva Schödelbauerová
Affiliation:
Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, University of South Bohemia
Anthony F. G. Dixon
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia
David Storch
Affiliation:
Charles University, Prague
Pablo Marquet
Affiliation:
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
James Brown
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico
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Summary

Introduction

No single pattern of biodiversity has attracted ecologists more than the observed increase in species richness from the poles to the tropics (Pianka, 1966; Rohde, 1992; Rosenzweig & Sandlin, 1997; Gaston & Blackburn, 2000; Willig, Kaufman & Stevens, 2003; Hillebrand, 2004). An obstacle in the search for the primary cause of this latitudinal gradient is the ever-increasing number of hypotheses (Pianka, 1966; Rohde, 1992; Clarke, this volume), their interdependence (Currie, 1991; Gaston & Blackburn, 2000) and lack of rigorous falsification (Currie, Francis & Kerr, 1999; Currie, this volume). However, a general decline in species richness with latitude is commonly observed (Pielou, 1977; Colwell & Hurtt, 1994; Willig & Lyons, 1998; Colwell & Lees, 2000; Zapata, Gaston & Chown, 2003; Colwell, Rahbek & Gotelli, 2004).

Some groups of organisms, however, show an opposite trend: a strong latitudinal decline in species diversity towards the tropics. These trends have been almost neglected in the literature and little is known about their underlying ecological and evolutionary causes. Therefore, the ecological explanations proffered are usually specific to the group in question. Here an account of the most important cases of inverse latitudinal gradients is given. The existing hypotheses explaining this phenomenon are summarized and the evidence that tends to favor one of these is presented.

Type
Chapter
Information
Scaling Biodiversity , pp. 246 - 257
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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