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Mammalian Species Richness in Tropical Rainforests

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Vertebrates in Complex Tropical Systems

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 69))

Abstract

The mammal fauna of tropical rainforests is generally considered as being reasonably well known, though a few species of bats, rodents, and other small mammals are still discovered every year, and the taxonomic status of many other forms remains unsettled. However, very little is known of the ecology and behavior of most rainforest species as compared to their relatives living in more open savannas. As for the structure and dynamics of rainforest mammalian communities, its study has hardly begun, though their species richness is generally emphasized. Is this last viewpoint justified? This is what I would like to consider in reviewing the scanty data available. The possible determinants of species diversity among tropical mammals will also be briefly discussed, and compared with those considered as important in enhancing and maintaining species diversity in other vertebrates.

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Authors
  1. Françis Bourlière
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Station Marine d’Endoume, Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, F-13007, Marseille, France

    Mireille L. Harmelin-Vivien

  2. Département de Physiologie, Université René Descartes, F-75007, Paris, France

    Françis Bourlière

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Bourlière, F. (1989). Mammalian Species Richness in Tropical Rainforests. In: Harmelin-Vivien, M.L., Bourlière, F. (eds) Vertebrates in Complex Tropical Systems. Ecological Studies, vol 69. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3510-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3510-1_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8133-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-3510-1

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