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Regional-Scale Assembly Rules and Biodiversity of Coral Reefs
David R. Bellwood,*Terry
P. Hughes
Tropical reef fishes and corals exhibit highly predictable patterns
of taxonomic composition across the Indian and PacificOceans. Despite
steep longitudinal and latitudinal gradients intotal species richness,
the composition of these key taxa is constrainedwithin a remarkably
narrow range of values. Regional-scale variationin reef biodiversity
is best explained by large-scale patternsin the availability of
shallow-water habitat. Once habitat areais accounted for, there is
surprisingly little residual effectof latitude or longitude.
Low-diversity regions are most vulnerableto human impacts such as
global warming, underscoring the urgentneed for integrated management
at multinational scales.
Centre for Coral Reef Biodiversity, Department of Marine Biology,
James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
david.bellwood{at}jcu.edu.au
Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs.
T. P. Hughes, A. H. Baird, D. R. Bellwood, M. Card, S. R. Connolly, C. Folke, R. Grosberg, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, J. B. C. Jackson, J. Kleypas, et al. (2003)
Science
301, 929-933
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Cenozoic palaeogeography and the rise of modern biodiversity patterns.
J. A. Crame and B. R. Rosen (2002)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
194, 153-168
|Abstract »|PDF »
