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08:20
A Method for Quantifying Foliage-Dwelling Arthropods
Published on: October 20, 2019
Asian primate species richness correlates with rainfall
Yi-Chen Wang1, Amrita Srivathsan, Chen-Chieh Feng
1Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Plos One
|February 6, 2013
Summary
Primate species richness in Southeast Asia is positively linked to rainfall, unlike previous studies. This finding suggests earlier Asian data may have been affected by sampling bias, aligning Asia with global patterns.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeography
- Biodiversity research
Background:
- Previous meta-analyses indicated a positive correlation between primate species richness and rainfall globally, except in Asia.
- This Asian anomaly raised questions about sampling bias, biogeography, or other factors influencing primate distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-examine the relationship between primate species richness and rainfall in Southeast Asia.
- To determine if the previously observed anomaly in Asia was due to sampling bias.
Main Methods:
- Utilized modeled primate species richness data and rainfall data for Southeast Asia.
- Processed data using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to create 390 sample points.
- Employed reduced major axis and ordinary least squares regressions to analyze the relationship across six regions.
Main Results:
- A significant positive relationship was found between primate species richness and mean annual rainfall in Southeast Asia (r=0.26, P<0.001).
- Sumatra exhibited the highest correlation (r=0.58, P<0.05) among the analyzed subregions.
- After accounting for biogeographic factors (Huxley's Line), the positive association persisted.
Conclusions:
- Primate species richness in Southeast Asia is positively associated with mean annual rainfall.
- The findings reconcile Asian data with global trends, suggesting previous meta-analyses were affected by sampling bias.
- This study highlights the importance of rainfall as a predictor of primate diversity in Asia.
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