Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients.
Liang J., Gamarra JGP., Picard N., Zhou M., Pijanowski B., Jacobs DF., Reich PB., Crowther TW., Nabuurs G-J., de-Miguel S., Fang J., Woodall CW., Svenning J-C., Jucker T., Bastin J-F., Wiser SK., Slik F., Hérault B., Alberti G., Keppel G., Hengeveld GM., Ibisch PL., Silva CA., Ter Steege H., Peri PL., Coomes DA., Searle EB., von Gadow K., Jaroszewicz B., Abbasi AO., Abegg M., Yao YCA., Aguirre-Gutiérrez J., Zambrano AMA., Altman J., Alvarez-Dávila E., Álvarez-González JG., Alves LF., Amani BHK., Amani CA., Ammer C., Ilondea BA., Antón-Fernández C., Avitabile V., Aymard GA., Azihou AF., Baard JA., Baker TR., Balazy R., Bastian ML., Batumike R., Bauters M., Beeckman H., Benu NMH., Bitariho R., Boeckx P., Bogaert J., Bongers F., Bouriaud O., Brancalion PHS., Brandl S., Brearley FQ., Briseno-Reyes J., Broadbent EN., Bruelheide H., Bulte E., Catlin AC., Cazzolla Gatti R., César RG., Chen HYH., Chisholm C., Cienciala E., Colletta GD., Corral-Rivas JJ., Cuchietti A., Cuni-Sanchez A., Dar JA., Dayanandan S., de Haulleville T., Decuyper M., Delabye S., Derroire G., DeVries B., Diisi J., Do TV., Dolezal J., Dourdain A., Durrheim GP., Obiang NLE., Ewango CEN., Eyre TJ., Fayle TM., Feunang LFN., Finér L., Fischer M., Fridman J., Frizzera L., de Gasper AL., Gianelle D., Glick HB., Gonzalez-Elizondo MS., Gorenstein L., Habonayo R., Hardy OJ., Harris DJ., Hector A., Hemp A., Herold M., Hillers A., Hubau W., Ibanez T., Imai N., Imani G., Jagodzinski AM., Janecek S., Johannsen VK., Joly CA., Jumbam B., Kabelong BLPR., Kahsay GA., Karminov V., Kartawinata K., Kassi JN., Kearsley E., Kennard DK., Kepfer-Rojas S., Khan ML., Kigomo JN., Kim HS., Klauberg C., Klomberg Y., Korjus H., Kothandaraman S., Kraxner F., Kumar A., Kuswandi R., Lang M., Lawes MJ., Leite RV., Lentner G., Lewis SL., Libalah MB., Lisingo J., López-Serrano PM., Lu H., Lukina NV., Lykke AM., Maicher V., Maitner BS., Marcon E., Marshall AR., Martin EH., Martynenko O., Mbayu FM., Mbuvi MTE., Meave JA., Merow C., Miscicki S., Moreno VS., Morera A., Mukul SA., Müller JC., Murdjoko A., Nava-Miranda MG., Ndive LE., Neldner VJ., Nevenic RV., Nforbelie LN., Ngoh ML., N'Guessan AE., Ngugi MR., Ngute ASK., Njila ENN., Nyako MC., Ochuodho TO., Oleksyn J., Paquette A., Parfenova EI., Park M., Parren M., Parthasarathy N., Pfautsch S., Phillips OL., Piedade MTF., Piotto D., Pollastrini M., Poorter L., Poulsen JR., Poulsen AD., Pretzsch H., Rodeghiero M., Rolim SG., Rovero F., Rutishauser E., Sagheb-Talebi K., Saikia P., Sainge MN., Salas-Eljatib C., Salis A., Schall P., Schepaschenko D., Scherer-Lorenzen M., Schmid B., Schöngart J., Šebeň V., Sellan G., Selvi F., Serra-Diaz JM., Sheil D., Shvidenko AZ., Sist P., Souza AF., Stereńczak KJ., Sullivan MJP., Sundarapandian S., Svoboda M., Swaine MD., Targhetta N., Tchebakova N., Trethowan LA., Tropek R., Mukendi JT., Umunay PM., Usoltsev VA., Vaglio Laurin G., Valentini R., Valladares F., van der Plas F., Vega-Nieva DJ., Verbeeck H., Viana H., Vibrans AC., Vieira SA., Vleminckx J., Waite CE., Wang H-F., Wasingya EK., Wekesa C., Westerlund B., Wittmann F., Wortel V., Zawiła-Niedźwiecki T., Zhang C., Zhao X., Zhu J., Zhu X., Zhu Z-X., Zo-Bi IC., Hui C.
The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is one of the most recognized global patterns of species richness exhibited across a wide range of taxa. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed in the past two centuries to explain LDG, but rigorous tests of the drivers of LDGs have been limited by a lack of high-quality global species richness data. Here we produce a high-resolution (0.025° × 0.025°) map of local tree species richness using a global forest inventory database with individual tree information and local biophysical characteristics from ~1.3 million sample plots. We then quantify drivers of local tree species richness patterns across latitudes. Generally, annual mean temperature was a dominant predictor of tree species richness, which is most consistent with the metabolic theory of biodiversity (MTB). However, MTB underestimated LDG in the tropics, where high species richness was also moderated by topographic, soil and anthropogenic factors operating at local scales. Given that local landscape variables operate synergistically with bioclimatic factors in shaping the global LDG pattern, we suggest that MTB be extended to account for co-limitation by subordinate drivers.