Testing the causal mechanism of the peninsular effect in passerine birds from South Korea

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 1; p. e0245958
• Main Authors: Kim, Jin-Yong, Shin, Man-Seok, Seo, Changwan, Eo, Soo Hyung, Hong, Seungbum
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29.01.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Anthropogenic factors; Biogeography; Biological research; Biology and Life Sciences; Biology, Experimental; Bird populations; Birds; Deforestation; Distribution; Earth Sciences; Ecology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Endangered & extinct species; Environmental aspects; Environmental changes; Forest productivity; Habitat changes; Habitats; Hypotheses; Immigration; Islands; Migratory birds; Migratory species; Niches; Passeriformes; Pasture; People and places; Productivity; Social Sciences; Species richness; Stochastic models; Vegetation; South Korea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245958

The peninsular effect is a geographical phenomenon that explains patterns of species richness. Given that spatial variation in species richness along a peninsular may be driven by multiple processes, we aimed to identify the sources of latitudinal patterns in passerine species richness and test hypotheses regarding (1) recent deterministic processes (climate, primary productivity, forest area, and habitat diversity), (2) anthropogenic processes (habitat fragmentation), and (3) stochastic processes (migration influence) in the Korean peninsula. We used the distribution data of 147 passerine species from 2006 to 2012. Single regression between passerine species richness and latitude supported the existence of the peninsular effect. Mean temperature increased with decreasing latitude, as did habitat diversity but leaf area index and forest area decline. However, mean temperature and forest area only influenced passerine species richness. Although habitat diversity influenced passerine species richness, it was counter to the expectations associated with peninsular effect. The number of habitat patches decreased as latitude increased but it had no effect on passerine species richness. Ratio of migrant species richness showed no significant relationship with leaf area index, forest area, and habitat diversity. However, the ratio of migrant species richness increased with decreasing mean temperature and that contributed to the increase in passerine species. Overall, our finding indicate that the observed species richness pattern in peninsulas with the tip pointing south (in the northern hemisphere) counter to the global latitudinal gradient. These results were caused by the peninsular effect associated with complex mechanism that interact with climate, habitat area, and migrant species inflow.