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Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kay, RF; Madden, RH; Van Schaik, C; Higdon, D
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
November 1997

The explanation of patterns in species richness ranks among the most important tasks of ecology. Current theories emphasize the interaction between historical and geographical factors affecting the size of the regional species pool and of locally acting processes such as competitive exclusion, disturbance, productivity, and seasonality. Local species richness, or alpha diversity, of plants and primary consumers has been claimed to peak in habitats of low and intermediate productivity, which, if true, has major implications for conservation. Here, by contrast, we show that local richness of Neotropical primates (platyrrhines) is influenced by both historical biogeography and productivity but not by tree species richness or seasonality. This pattern indicates that habitats with the highest plant productivity are also the richest for many important primary consumers. We show further that fragmentation of Amazonian rain forests in the Pleistocene, if it occurred, appears to have had a negligible influence on primate alpha species richness.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

November 1997

Volume

94

Issue

24

Start / End Page

13023 / 13027

Related Subject Headings

  • Species Specificity
  • Seasons
  • Primates
  • Plants
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Animals
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Kay, R. F., Madden, R. H., Van Schaik, C., & Higdon, D. (1997). Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 94(24), 13023–13027. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.24.13023
Kay, R. F., R. H. Madden, C. Van Schaik, and D. Higdon. “Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 94, no. 24 (November 1997): 13023–27. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.24.13023.
Kay RF, Madden RH, Van Schaik C, Higdon D. Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1997 Nov;94(24):13023–7.
Kay, R. F., et al. “Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 94, no. 24, Nov. 1997, pp. 13023–27. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.94.24.13023.
Kay RF, Madden RH, Van Schaik C, Higdon D. Primate species richness is determined by plant productivity: implications for conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1997 Nov;94(24):13023–13027.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

November 1997

Volume

94

Issue

24

Start / End Page

13023 / 13027

Related Subject Headings

  • Species Specificity
  • Seasons
  • Primates
  • Plants
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Animals