TY - JOUR
T1 - Humboldt's enigma: What causes global patterns of mountain biodiversity?
AU - Rahbek, Carsten
AU - Borregaard, Michael K.
AU - Colwell, Robert K.
AU - Dalsgaard, Bo
AU - Holt, Ben G.
AU - Morueta-Holme, Naia
AU - Nogues-Bravo, David
AU - Whittaker, Robert J.
AU - Fjeldsa, Jon
PY - 2019/9/13
Y1 - 2019/9/13
N2 - Mountains contribute disproportionately to the terrestrial biodiversity of Earth, especially in the tropics, where they host hotspots of extraordinary and puzzling richness. With about 25% of all land area, mountain regions are home to more than 85% of the world’s species of amphibians, birds, and mammals, many entirely restricted to mountains. Biodiversity varies markedly among these regions. Together with the extreme species richness of some tropical mountains, this variation has proven challenging to explain under traditional climatic hypotheses. However, the complex climatic characteristics of rugged mountain regions differ fundamentally from those of lowland regions, likely playing a key role in generating and maintaining diversity. With ongoing global changes in climate and land use, the role of mountains as refugia for biodiversity may well come under threat.
AB - Mountains contribute disproportionately to the terrestrial biodiversity of Earth, especially in the tropics, where they host hotspots of extraordinary and puzzling richness. With about 25% of all land area, mountain regions are home to more than 85% of the world’s species of amphibians, birds, and mammals, many entirely restricted to mountains. Biodiversity varies markedly among these regions. Together with the extreme species richness of some tropical mountains, this variation has proven challenging to explain under traditional climatic hypotheses. However, the complex climatic characteristics of rugged mountain regions differ fundamentally from those of lowland regions, likely playing a key role in generating and maintaining diversity. With ongoing global changes in climate and land use, the role of mountains as refugia for biodiversity may well come under threat.
U2 - 10.1126/science.aax0149
DO - 10.1126/science.aax0149
M3 - Review
C2 - 31515383
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 365
SP - 1108
EP - 1113
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6458
ER -
