Geological and climatic influences on mountain biodiversity

Mountains are key features of the Earth’s surface and host a substantial proportion of the world’s species. However, the links between the evolution and distribution of biodiversity and the formation of mountains remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate multiple datasets to assess the relationsh...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature geoscience Vol. 11; no. 10; pp. 718 - 725
Main Authors: Antonelli, Alexandre, Kissling, W Daniel, Flantua, Suzette G A, Bermúdez, Mauricio A, Mulch, Andreas, Muellner-Riehl, Alexandra N, Kreft, Holger, Linder, H Peter, Badgley, Catherine, Fjeldså, Jon, Fritz, Susanne A, Rahbek, Carsten, Herman, Frédéric, Hooghiemstra, Henry, Hoorn, Carina
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Nature Publishing Group 01.10.2018
Subjects:
Air circulation
Amphibians
Annual rainfall
Aquatic reptiles
Atmospheric circulation
Atmospheric circulation patterns
Biodiversity
Biological evolution
Biosphere
Birds
Circulation patterns
Climate change
Dispersal
Earth
Earth surface
Erosion
Erosion rates
Evolution
Geographical distribution
Geology
Heterogeneity
High temperature
Interactions
Links
Lithosphere
Mountains
Orientation
Rain
Rainfall
Refugia
Regional analysis
Soil
Soil erosion
Soil types
Species richness
Uplift
ISSN:1752-0894, 1752-0908
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Mountains are key features of the Earth’s surface and host a substantial proportion of the world’s species. However, the links between the evolution and distribution of biodiversity and the formation of mountains remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate multiple datasets to assess the relationships between species richness in mountains, geology and climate at global and regional scales. Specifically, we analyse how erosion, relief, soil and climate relate to the geographical distribution of terrestrial tetrapods, which include amphibians, birds and mammals. We find that centres of species richness correlate with areas of high temperatures, annual rainfall and topographic relief, supporting previous studies. We unveil additional links between mountain-building processes and biodiversity: species richness correlates with erosion rates and heterogeneity of soil types, with a varying response across continents. These additional links are prominent but under-explored, and probably relate to the interplay between surface uplift, climate change and atmospheric circulation through time. They are also influenced by the location and orientation of mountain ranges in relation to air circulation patterns, and how species diversification, dispersal and refugia respond to climate change. A better understanding of biosphere–lithosphere interactions is needed to understand the patterns and evolution of mountain biodiversity across space and time.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Literature Review-2
ISSN:1752-0894
1752-0908
DOI:10.1038/s41561-018-0236-z