Environmental factors influencing bird species diversity in Kenya |
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Authors: | Boniface O. Oindo Rolf A. de By Andrew K. Skidmore |
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Affiliation: | International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, PO Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Sustainable resource management requires understanding the factors that increase or decrease species richness. Regional species richness patterns may be predicted by analysing patterns of variation in the environment. A number of studies have shown that bird species richness at a regional scale is influenced by climatic variables. We examined environmental correlates of bird species richness at a quarter degree square scale (55 × 55 km). Mean annual potential evapotranspiration accounts for 46% of the observed variation in species richness, while mean annual temperature and range annual potential evapotranspiration are significantly correlated with species richness and together account for a further 5% of the observed variation. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that environmentally available energy limits regional species richness. |
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Keywords: | abiotic factors birds Kenya species richness |
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