Drivers of avian diversity on an altitudinal gradient of Mount Cameroon
Faktory ovlivňující rozmanitost ptáků na altitudinálním gradientu Kamerunské hory
dissertation thesis (DEFENDED)
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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/79698Identifiers
Study Information System: 114934
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- Kvalifikační práce [19055]
Author
Advisor
Consultant
Sedláček, Ondřej
Referee
Šálek, Miroslav
Waltert, Matthias
Faculty / Institute
Faculty of Science
Discipline
-
Department
Department of Ecology
Date of defense
11. 9. 2015
Publisher
Univerzita Karlova, Přírodovědecká fakultaLanguage
English
Grade
Pass
Keywords (Czech)
druhová bohatost, funkční rozmanitost, nadmořská výška, Afrika, ptačí společenstvaKeywords (English)
species richness, functional diversity, elevation, Africa, avian assemblagesAltitudinal gradients constitute a powerful test system for understanding distribution of species around the globe. Tropical mountains are quite rich in species even after controlling for environmental productivity, and are ideally suited for studying patterns of species distributions because they have had sufficient time for species to produce a response to environmental changes that affect their life histories. In this thesis, I investigate basic ecological mechanisms potentially behind avian distribution patterns along an altitudinal gradient in West-Central Africa. I used data collected with four methodological approaches (point counts, mist netting, random walks and artificial nest experiments) along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Cameroon from October 2011 to September 2013. This work is focused on two interrelated themes: selection pressures on life histories (Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4), and avian assemblage structures (Chapters 5 & 6). In the General Introduction, I present an overview of the study area with conservation implications of the study and my study objectives. In Chapters 1, 2 & 3, I investigate how selection pressures, i.e., nest predation and parasitism by haematozoa, affect bird assemblages. I used artificial nest experiments to assess nest predation rates in Chapters 1 & 2, and my...
Altitudinal gradients constitute a powerful test system for understanding distribution of species around the globe. Tropical mountains are quite rich in species even after controlling for environmental productivity, and are ideally suited for studying patterns of species distributions because they have had sufficient time for species to produce a response to environmental changes that affect their life histories. In this thesis, I investigate basic ecological mechanisms potentially behind avian distribution patterns along an altitudinal gradient in West-Central Africa. I used data collected with four methodological approaches (point counts, mist netting, random walks and artificial nest experiments) along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Cameroon from October 2011 to September 2013. This work is focused on two interrelated themes: selection pressures on life histories (Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4), and avian assemblage structures (Chapters 5 & 6). In the General Introduction, I present an overview of the study area with conservation implications of the study and my study objectives. In Chapters 1, 2 & 3, I investigate how selection pressures, i.e., nest predation and parasitism by haematozoa, affect bird assemblages. I used artificial nest experiments to assess nest predation rates in Chapters 1 & 2, and my...