中国两栖动物物种丰富度省级地理分布格局及其与气候因子的关系

物种丰富度分布格局及其形成机制的研究对于生物多样性保护具有重要意义。为了解中国两栖动物物种丰富度分布格局,本文利用中国省级尺度两栖动物物种分布数据和环境信息,结合GIS和数理统计方法,探讨两栖动物物种丰富度的地理分布格局与环境因子之间的关系。研究结果表明:(1)物种丰富度随纬度增加呈逐渐递减趋势,但缺乏显著的经度梯度。丰富度最高的地区主要集中在南方,我国北方、西北干旱区和青藏高原北部地区丰富度较低;(2)最优模型由年均温、最冷月均温、净初级生产力、年降水量变化范围、月均降水量标准差组成,多层次方差分解表明,最冷月均温的独立解释能力(17.6%)高于年均温(11.5%);(3)方差分解表明,季节性因子的独立解释能力(5.6%)低于热量因子(6.1%),但高于水分因子(4.5%),因此我们认为季节性因子也是限制中国两栖动物分布的重要因素。     

贺兰山甲虫物种丰富度分布格局及其环境解释

理解山地物种丰富度分布格局及其成因对于山地生物多样性保护具有重要意义。本文基于贺兰山地区甲虫31科252属469种的分布信息, 结合相关气候与生境异质性数据, 系统地探讨了贺兰山地区甲虫及6个优势科物种丰富度地理格局及其影响因素。结果表明, 甲虫物种丰富度及科属区系分化强度以贺兰山中段最高, 南段比北段高, 西坡比东坡高。基于183个栅格内物种分布的二元数据聚类分析, 贺兰山甲虫分布可分为北段强旱生景观甲虫地理群、中西段半湿生景观甲虫地理群、中东段及南段半旱生景观甲虫地理群3个地理群。冗余分析(RDA)表明年均温和年均降水量是影响最显著的因子。方差分解结果显示, 水分与能量因子共同解释了全部甲虫物种丰富度57.1%的空间变异, 单独解释率分别为5.9%和7.1%。生境异质性解释了全部甲虫物种丰富度35.2%的变异, 单独解释率仅为1.8%。气候因素与生境异质性对不同优势科物种丰富度的相对影响并不一致。在贺兰山的南段和北段, 生境异质性和水分因子对甲虫物种丰富度影响作用明显。水分和能量因子是贺兰山地区甲虫物种丰富度空间分布格局的主导因子, 生境异质性有助于提高甲虫物种丰富度。从未解释的比例来分析, 地形和土壤因素可能对贺兰山甲虫物种丰富度存在重要影响。     

白水江自然保护区两栖、爬行动物物种丰富度的海拔梯度格局的解释:水分能量动态假设和生境异质性假设

采用线性回归模型和方差分离方法,利用水分能量动态假设和栖息地异质性假设解释了白水江自然保护区两栖、爬行动物物种丰富度的海拔分布格局。水分能量动态假设对白水江自然保护区两栖爬行动物物种丰富度的海拔分布格局的解释力较强,同时,水分能量动态假设和栖息地异质性假设之间存在着较强的共线性。年均降水量(PAN)进入了两栖动物物种丰富度海拔分布格局的最优线性回归模型,未进入爬行动物物种丰富度海拔分布格局的最优线性回归模型,但潜在蒸散量(PET)及其二次方(PET2)全部进入了爬行动物的最优线性回归模型,说明水分对两栖动物的重要性和温度对爬行动物的重要性。方差分离结果表明,栖息地异质性假设对两栖、爬行动物物种丰富度海拔分布格局的独立解释力较低,而水分能量动态假设的独立解释力较高。对于广域种,可能受到边界限制的影响,水分能量动态假设和栖息地异质性的解释力并不高。     

中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度分布格局及其驱动因素

明确大尺度物种丰富度的分布格局及其影响因素一直是生态学及生物地理学领域的核心议题之一,其对于预测全球环境变化背景下生物多样性的响应和制定减少生物多样性丧失的保护方案有着重要意义。本文基于全国芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽野外调查数据,结合气候、地理、土壤等环境因子,探讨了中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度的分布格局及其驱动机制。结果表明:(1)中国的芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度总体表现为亚热带湿润区和温带湿润半湿润区较高,青藏高原区、温带干旱半干旱区和滨海区较低的特点;(2)芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度与年降水、土壤有机碳、土壤总氮、纬度均呈显著正相关,而与年均温、最冷月最低温、土壤pH值、海拔之间表现为显著负相关;(3)土壤因子特别是土壤pH值是影响芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度的最主要因素,其次分别为淹水状况、气候因子和地理因子;(4)结构方程模型结果表明土壤因子、淹水状况和气候因子直接影响植物物种丰富度,而地理因子通过调控土壤因子、淹水状况与气候因子间接影响植物物种丰富度。总体而言,中国芦苇沼泽植物物种丰富度具有空间异质性,其分布格局受到多种因素的共同影响,土壤因子是影响植物物种丰富度...     

Global patterns of species richness of the holarctic alpine herb Saxifraga: the role of temperature and habitat heterogeneity

北半球高山和极地虎耳草属物种丰富度的地理格局：温度和生境异质性的作用 现代气候、生境异质性和长期气候变化对森林生态系统中分布的木本植物的物种丰富度格局的影响在以往研究中受到广泛关注,但对高寒-极地生态系统中的草本植物物种丰富度格局及其影响因素的研究仍较少。本研究旨在检验以往研究中基于物种丰富度和环境因子关系提出的假说是否能够解释高寒-极地地区典型草本植物-虎耳草属(Saxifraga)的物种丰富度格局。本研究利用全球437种虎耳草属物种分布数据,探讨了全部物种、广域和狭域物种丰富度格局的影响因素。采用广义线性模型和空间自回归模型,评估了现代气候、生境异质性和历史气候对虎耳草属物种丰富度格局的影响。采用偏回归分析了不同变量对物种丰富度的独立解释率和共同解释率,并检验了4种广泛使用的物种丰富度与环境关系模型对物种丰富度格局的解释能力。研究结果表明,温度与虎耳草属所有物种和广域物种的物种丰富度格局呈显著负相关关系,是影响物种丰富度格局最重要的环境因子,这可能反映了虎耳草属对其祖先温带生态位的保守性。生境异质性和末次冰期以来的气候变化是虎耳草属狭域物种丰富度空间变异的最佳预测因子。总体而言,包含5个预测变量的组合模型可以解释大约40%–50%的虎耳草属物种丰富度的空间变异。此外,进化和生物地理过程在虎耳草属物种丰富度格局形成方面可能发挥了重要作用,这有待进一步研究。     

高黎贡山种子植物物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的变化

物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布格局成为生物多样性研究的热点。为探讨中尺度区域物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布,本文以高黎贡山为研究对象,利用该地区的地方植物志资料,结合通过GIS生成的区域数字高程模型(DEM)数据,分析了该区域全部种子植物和乔木、灌木、草本三种生活型种子植物物种丰富度的垂直分布格局以及物种密度沿海拔梯度的变化特征。结果表明：(1)全部种子植物和不同生活型植物物种丰富度随着海拔的升高呈现先增加后减小的趋势,最大值出现在海拔1500—2000m的范围;(2)物种密度与海拔也呈现单峰曲线关系;(3)物种丰富度和物种密度分布格局的形成主要受海拔所反映的水、热状况组合以及物种分布的边界影响。     

物种丰富度垂直分布格局及影响机制

物种丰富度分布格局是一定地域内物种丰富度沿三维空间的立体分布,包括物种丰富度在经度、纬度和垂直梯度(海拔高度和海水深度)三个维度上的空间分异。近年来物种多样性的垂直分布格局与机制研究得到了生物地理学家和生态学家的重视。物种丰富度的垂直分布格局存在多种类型,但随海拔增加而物种数减少的单调递减模型和中海拔物种丰富度最高的单峰模型较为常见。目前在机制研究中验证较多的是气候稳定性、生物因子(种间相互作用)、能量、生境异质性、干扰、进化时间、物种分化速率、面积、中域效应(mid-domain effect)、生态位保守性(niche conservatism)等假说和机制。物种丰富度的分布格局是多方面因素综合作用的结果;由于地理、地形、气候、地质演化历史、物种库和进化历史、物种分化速率、干扰等差异,在不同地区存在着特别的物种丰富度空间分布格局和机制;处于同一地区的不同类群的物种也因进化扩散历史和生态适应能力不同而呈现多样化的分布格局。因此,对不同地区和类群的物种丰富度格局和机制进行研究应具体分析后才能得到可信结论。     

小秦岭森林群落数量分类、排序及多样性垂直格局

采用分层取样的方法,沿小秦岭林区海拔梯度设立56块20 m×20 m样地,用多元回归树(MRT)方法对小秦岭森林群落进行分类,采用除趋势对应分析(DCA)进行排序,用广义可加模型(GAM)研究不同生活型物种多样性沿海拔梯度分布格局。结果表明:(1)56个样地进行MRT分类,经交叉验证并依据植物群落分类和命名原则,本区植物群落可分为5类;(2)样方DCA排序明确地揭示各群落类型生境分布范围,较好地反映小秦岭自然保护区森林群落与环境因子的关系;(3)不同生活型物种多样性指数随海拔梯度变化发生一定的波动,且呈现不同的多样性格局:丰富度指数中,乔木层呈显著的单峰分布格局,灌木层在中海拔段呈明显下降趋势,草本层随着海拔的升高总体呈下降趋势;Shannon-Wiener多样性指数中,不同生活型物种随海拔变化趋势与物种丰富度变化趋势大体相同;不同生活型物种的均匀度指数随海拔变化趋势较平缓。     

四川白河国家级自然保护区及其周边区域有蹄类多样性与空间分布初报

由于资源分布与环境变量的不同,形成多样的生物多样性分布格局,山地生态系统具有较高的生境异质性和丰富的生物多样性,是研究生物多样性分布的理想选择。为掌握岷山北部有蹄类多样性、分布特征及其影响因素,我们基于四川白河国家级自然保护区及边缘区域的160台红外相机监测数据(2017—2020年),将研究区域按固定间隔划分为5个海拔段,分别计算各海拔段和8种植被类型内有蹄类物种的相对多度指数(RAI)和物种丰富度,整理并初步分析了该区域有蹄类多样性和空间分布。结果显示：(1)该区域共记录到6种有蹄类,毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus)是优势种,相对多度指数最高(RAI=41.12);其次是中华斑羚(Naemorhedus griseus)(RAI=14.10)和野猪(Sus scrofa)(RAI=6.76),林麝(Moschus berezovskii)(RAI=0.59)和扭角羚(Budorcas taxicolor)(RAI=0.34)最罕见;(2)云杉林和冷杉林中有蹄类物种丰富度均最高(6种),有蹄类相对多度指数则在常绿杜鹃灌丛中最高(RAI=96.86),柏木林内的物种丰富度(2种)和相对多度指数(RAI=19.66)均最低;(3)根据相机监测点的海拔,分为低海拔(< 2 500 m)、中海拔(2 500~2 900 m)和高海拔(> 2 900 m)3组,6种有蹄类可以大致分成3类,即高海拔类群(林麝和扭角羚)、中低海拔类群(毛冠鹿和中华鬣羚)和全海拔类群(中华斑羚和野猪);(4)物种多样性和丰富度在中海拔段均最高,整体呈现近似钟形的分布格局。植被以及植被与海拔的交互效应是影响白河国家级自然保护区有蹄类物种多样性空间分布的主要因素。我们建议：保护区在管理实践中应减少中低海拔段干扰,控制林线以上区域放牧;未来的监测或调查应增加极高海拔区域(3 300 m以上)的抽样强度。     

西南地区壳斗科物种丰富度和特有性分布格局模拟及其环境解释

如何准确地模拟物种宏观丰富度格局和特有性中心是生物多样性保护工作的重点,也是生物地理学的热点话题。西南地区是我国壳斗科植物最丰富的地区之一,但物种多样性格局及环境驱动机制尚不清楚。本研究基于西南地区161种壳斗科植物7258个分布点位数据,利用点格局法和物种分布模型两种方式构建了物种丰富度、加权特有性指数和校正加权特有性指数的分布格局,并采用空间自回归模型(SAR)分析上述3个多样性指数与环境因子间的关系。总体上看,物种分布模型模拟的3个指数在空间上比点格局法更为连续,但数值高低分布情况具有相似性: 两种方式模拟的物种丰富度高值区主要分布在滇南边缘、桂北部和桂西南部地区(62～89种);加权特有性指数最大值集中在滇南和桂西地区(1.77～5.02);藏东南、秦岭-大巴山、桂西南部和滇东南地区具有最高的校正加权特有性指数(0.07～0.17)。SAR模型结果显示:最干月降雨量、温度季节性变化标准差、海拔变幅和土壤有机碳含量对物种丰富度的影响均显著,最干月降雨量、温度季节性变化标准差、潜在蒸散量和海拔变幅对加权特有性有着显著影响,温度季节性变化标准差、最干月降雨量、历史温度变化、增强型植被指数变异系数和海拔变幅对校正加权特有性的影响显著;SAR模型对物种丰富度、特有性指数和加权特有性指数的拟合效果(R²=0.857、0.733、0.593)分别优于普通线性模型(R²=0.689、0.425、0.422)。综上,水分可获得性、气候季节性、生境异质性、历史气候变化和土壤状况是制约西南地区壳斗科丰富度和特有性分布的最重要因素。滇南、滇东南、桂西南、桂西、秦岭-大巴山以及藏东南地区是壳斗科物种丰富度中心或特有性中心,应受到重点关注和保护。     

Environmental effects on vertebrate species richness: testing the energy, environmental stability and habitat heterogeneity hypotheses

Background

Explaining species richness patterns is a central issue in biogeography and macroecology. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanisms driving biodiversity patterns, but the causes of species richness gradients remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to explain the impacts of energy, environmental stability, and habitat heterogeneity factors on variation of vertebrate species richness (VSR), based on the VSR pattern in China, so as to test the energy hypothesis, the environmental stability hypothesis, and the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A dataset was compiled containing the distributions of 2,665 vertebrate species and eleven ecogeographic predictive variables in China. We grouped these variables into categories of energy, environmental stability, and habitat heterogeneity and transformed the data into 100×100 km quadrat systems. To test the three hypotheses, AIC-based model selection was carried out between VSR and the variables in each group and correlation analyses were conducted. There was a decreasing VSR gradient from the southeast to the northwest of China. Our results showed that energy explained 67.6% of the VSR variation, with the annual mean temperature as the main factor, which was followed by annual precipitation and NDVI. Environmental stability factors explained 69.1% of the VSR variation and both temperature annual range and precipitation seasonality had important contributions. By contrast, habitat heterogeneity variables explained only 26.3% of the VSR variation. Significantly positive correlations were detected among VSR, annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, and NDVI, whereas the relationship of VSR and temperature annual range was strongly negative. In addition, other variables showed moderate or ambiguous relations to VSR.

Conclusions/Significance

The energy hypothesis and the environmental stability hypothesis were supported, whereas little support was found for the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis.     

中国跳鼠总科物种系统发育与分布格局

中国分布有跳鼠总科(Dipodoidea)动物3科12属22种,是世界上跳鼠总科物种丰富度最高的国家之一.近年来,随着新种的发现和分类地位的修正,我国跳鼠总科物种的系统发育关系和分布格局也亟待更新.本文通过GenBank下载12个特定基因,串联构建基因矩阵,以贝叶斯法和最大似然法重建22个物种的系统发育树,明确了我国跳...     

Macroecological patterns of spider species richness across Europe

We analysed the pattern of covariation of European spider species richness with various environmental variables at different scales. Four layers of perception ranging from single investigation sites to the whole European continent were selected. Species richness was determined using published data from all four scales. Correlation analyses and stepwise multiple linear regression were used to relate richness to topographic, climatic and biotic variables. Up to nine environmental variables were included in the analyses (area, latitude, elevation range, mean annual temperature, local variation in mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean July temperature, local variation in mean July temperature, plant species richness). At the local and at the continental scale, no significant correlations with surface area were found, whereas at the landscape and regional scale, surface area had a significant positive effect on species richness. Factors that were positively correlated with species richness at both broader scales were plant species richness, elevation range, and specific temperature variables (regional scale: local variation in mean annual, and mean July temperature; continental scale: mean July temperature). Latitude was significantly negatively correlated with the species richness at the continental scale. Multiple models for spider species richness data accounted for up to 77% of the total variance in spider species richness data. Furthermore, multiple models explained variation in plant species richness up to 79% through the variables mean July temperature and elevation range. We conclude that these first continental wide analyses grasp the overall pattern in spider species richness of Europe quite well, although some of the observed patterns are not directly causal. Climatic variables are expected to be among the most important direct factors, although other variables (e.g. elevation range, plant species richness) are important (surrogate) correlates of spider species richness.     

Climate as a determinant of dung beetle response to native forest replacement by cattle pastures in South America

Anthropogenic disturbance in natural ecosystems reduces the number of species in biological communities and homogenizes their composition across different regions. Climate is one of the main abiotic determinants of species distributions and different factors were proposed as the main climatic drivers. Here we explored the role of regional climate on the local response of dung beetle assemblages to the replacement of native forest by cattle pastures in South America by simultaneously contrasting three climatic hypotheses: energy, seasonality and heterogeneity. We compiled a database by searching published studies comparing dung beetle richness and composition between both native forests and cattle pastures. We calculated the proportional difference in species richness and composition between habitat types. As explanatory variables, we used seven abiotic variables grouped into the three climatic hypotheses. Energy/Productivity: mean annual temperature (°C/year) and total annual precipitation (mm/year). Seasonality: annual thermal amplitude (°C/year), the average coefficient of variation of monthly precipitation and the coefficient of average monthly variation in temperature. Heterogeneity: coefficient of variation of mean annual temperature, coefficient of variation of mean annual precipitation. Using regression analyses and a model selection procedure, we found differences in species richness between native forests and cattle pastures were explained by the coefficient of variation of mean annual precipitation, whereas changes in species composition were explained by total annual precipitation and the coefficient of variation of mean annual precipitation. The response of dung beetle assemblages to livestock grazing in South American forests was associated with precipitation variation. The heterogeneity hypothesis better explained changes in species richness following forest replacement by cattle pastures, while both energy/productivity and heterogeneity hypotheses explained the changes in species composition.     

Latitudinal diversity gradients in bryophytes and woody plants: Roles of temperature and water availability

It remains unclear whether the latitudinal diversity gradients of micro- and macro-organisms are driven by the same macro-environmental variables. We used the newly completed species catalog and distribution information of bryophytes in China to explore their spatial species richness patterns, and to investigate the underlying roles of energy availability, climatic seasonality, and environmental heterogeneity in shaping these patterns. We then compared these patterns to those found for woody plants. We found that, unlike woody plants, mosses and liverworts showed only weakly negative latitudinal trends in species richness. The spatial patterns of liverwort richness and moss richness were overwhelmingly explained by contemporary environmental variables, although explained variation was lower than that for woody plants. Similar to woody plants, energy and climatic seasonality hypotheses dominate as explanatory variables but show high redundancy in shaping the distribution of bryophytes. Water variables, that is, the annual availability, intra-annual variability and spatial heterogeneity in precipitation, played a predominant role in explaining spatial variation of species richness of bryophytes, especially for liverworts, whereas woody plant richness was affected most by temperature variables. We suggest that further research on spatial patterns of bryophytes should incorporate the knowledge on their ecophysiology and evolution.     

气候变化和人类活动干扰下骆驼刺潜在分布格局变化特征

气候变化和人类活动是影响物种分布的最重要因素。骆驼刺是我国荒漠区的重要建群种,建群种的丧失将对荒漠生态系统产生严重损伤。因此预测气候变化和人类活动影响下骆驼刺适宜生境的变化特点对保护我国荒漠生态系统具有重要的意义。本研究采用61个骆驼分布点数据,和21个环境因子数据,运用最大熵模型（MaxEnt）预测骆驼刺当前在有、无人类活动干扰下的适宜生境分布,对影响其分布的环境因素进行了评估。并预测未来（2021-2040,2041-2060,2061-2080,2081-2100）四条共享社会经济路径（SSP126,SSP245,SSP370,SSP585）情景下,骆驼刺潜在分布区的变化特点。研究结果表明,在无人类活动干扰的情况下,骆驼刺适生区面积达132.29万km²,覆盖我国西北干旱区的大部分面积。年均降水量、最冷季度平均温、平均气温日较差、年均温、温度季节性、降水的季节性和高程被确定为影响骆驼刺潜在分布区的最重要因素。而在加入人类活动强度因素之后,骆驼刺适生区面积显著下降至71.31万km²,且呈现出破碎化状态。此时,年降水量、人类活动强度和高程是影响骆驼刺分布的最重要原因。在未来气候情景下,骆驼刺的适生区将产生一定的扩张。尤其在中高强迫（SSP370）和高强迫（SSP585）情景下,骆驼刺的适生面积将随时间推移产生显著的增加,且这种扩张主要向高纬度和高海拔地区发展。骆驼刺能保留大部分原有生境,仅在内蒙古中西部地区发生少量收缩。在气候变化条件下,骆驼刺能够在西北干旱区生存并扩张,故可将其作为防沙治沙的优良物种进行保护与开发。     

Patterns of tree species richness in relation to environment in southeastern New South Wales,Australia

Abstract We present regression models of species richness for total tree species, two growth forms, rainforest trees (broadleaf evergreens) and eucalypts (sclerophylls), and two large subgenera of Eucalyptus. The correlative models are based on a data set of 166 tree species from 7208 plots in an area of southeastern New South Wales, Australia. Eight environmental variables are used to model the patterns of species richness, four continuous variables (mean annual temperature, rainfall, radiation and plot size), plus four categorical factors (topographic position, lithology, soil nutrient level and rainfall seasonality). Generalized linear modelling with curvilinear and interaction terms, is used to derive the models. Each model shows a significant and differing response to the environmental predictors. Maximum species richness of eucalypts occurs at high temperatures, and intermediate rainfall and radiation conditions on ridges with aseasonal rainfall and intermediate nutrient levels. Maximum richness of rainforest species occurs at high temperatures, intermediate rainfall and low radiation in gullies with summer rainfall and high nutrient levels. The eucalypt subgenera models differ in ways consistent with experimental studies of habitat preferences of the subgenera. Curvilinear and interaction terms are necessary for adequate modelling. Patterns of richness vary widely with taxonomic rank and growth form. Any theories of species diversity should be consistent with these correlative models. The models are consistent with an available energy hypothesis based on actual evapotranspiration. We conclude that studies of species richness patterns should include local (e.g. soil nutrients, topographic position) and regional (e.g. mean annual temperature, annual rainfall) environmental variables before invoking concepts such as niche saturation.     

Environmental determinants of geographic butterfly richness pattern in eastern China

A long-standing task for ecologists and biogeographers is to reveal the underlying mechanisms accounting for the geographic pattern of species diversity. The number of hypotheses to explain geographic variation in species diversity has increased dramatically during the past half century. The oldest and the most popular one is environmental determination. However, seasonality, the intra-annual variability in climate variables has been rarely related to species richness. In this study, we assessed the relative importance of three environmental hypotheses: energy, seasonality and heterogeneity in explaining species richness pattern of butterflies in Eastern China. In addition, we also examined how environmental variables affect the relationship between species richness of butterflies and seed plants at geographic scale. All the environmental factors significantly affected butterfly richness, except sampling area and coefficient of variation of mean monthly precipitation. Energy and seasonality hypotheses explained comparable variation in butterfly richness (42.3 vs. 39.3 %), higher than that of heterogeneity hypothesis (25.9 %). Variation partitioning indicated that the independent effect of seasonality was much lower (0.0 %) than that of energy (5.5 %) and heterogeneity (6.3 %). However, seasonality performed better in explaining butterfly richness in topographically complex areas, reducing spatial autocorrelation in butterfly richness, and more strongly affect the association between butterflies and seed plants. The positive relationship between seed plant richness and butterfly richness was most likely the result of environmental variables (especially seasonality) influencing them in parallel. Insufficient sampling may partly explain the low explanatory power of environmental model (52.1 %) for geographic butterfly richness pattern. Our results have important implications for predicting the response of butterfly diversity to climate change.     

Ant biodiversity and its environmental predictors in the North Kimberley region of Australia’s seasonal tropics

Northern Australia supports the world’s largest estate of undeveloped tropical savannas, but previous studies of ant diversity in the region have covered only a fraction of its land area and habitat diversity. We assess patterns of ant species and functional diversity, their environmental predictors, and biogeographic significance in the central North Kimberley region of Australia’s seasonal tropics. Pitfall traps were used to sample ants at 69 plots in representative savanna habitats, collecting a total of 158 species from 30 genera. Total richness was estimated to be as high as 237 species. At least 29 species across 12 genera appear to have been collected for the first time. Only a single invasive ant was recorded from the study area. Based on cluster analysis we identified six compositionally distinct ant communities, each associated with a combination of vegetation type and underlying geology. Species richness and functional diversity was highest in savanna woodlands and grasslands on sandstone-derived soils, with increasing richness also predicted by a lower mean daily temperature range, a more complex understorey, and lower precipitation seasonality. The abundance of nearly all commonly trapped species was related to temperature, moisture, and habitat variables, although these relationships were highly idiosyncratic. Nearly 40 % of the collected species are known only from the North Kimberley region. The high level of endemism, together with the lack of introduced ant species, identifies the North Kimberley ant fauna as having outstanding biodiversity value. Our identification of ant community types based on mappable soil and vegetation units provides a basis for predicting ant distribution throughout the broader region, and therefore contributing to regional conservation planning and management.