On the Causes of Tropical Species Diversity: Niche Overlap

1961/07/01 by Peter H. Klopfer, R. H. MacArthur, Robert H. MacArthur · 164 citations
Environmental Science · Mathematics · #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Biology #Character (mathematics) #Character displacement #Coexistence theory #Ecological niche #Ecology #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Habitat #Mathematics #Niche #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Sympatry #Tropics

paper · doi:10.1086/282179

published in The American Naturalist 95(883), 223-226 (University of Chicago Press)

openalex publication_date 1961/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

It is suggested that the major factor causing the tropical increase in numbers of bird species is neither increased complexity of habitat nor, solely, increased specialization, but an increase in the similarity of coexisting species, reflected in a reduced "character displacement." This implies a reduction in the size of the exclusive portion of the species niche and is thus in accord with some of the more general predictions we have previously made on the relation between niche size and climatic stability.

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