Abstract
Convergent evolution in mediterranean-climate ecosystems has received intensive study over the last decade. At this stage, with considerable data on bird community structure available from all five continents on which mediterranean-type habitats exist, there are both similarities and dissimilarities to be interpreted and resolved. In this paper I compare patterns of alpha and beta diversity in bird communities of California, Chile, Sardinia and South Africa and point out what questions remain unanswered, how they can be refined, and what sorts of data might help to answer them. I then discuss data from South Africa which help illuminate some of the factors that control species diversity patterns within continents, especially at the levels of β and γ diversity.
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Cody, M.L. (1983). Continental Diversity Patterns and Convergent Evolution in Bird Communities. In: Kruger, F.J., Mitchell, D.T., Jarvis, J.U.M. (eds) Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 43. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68935-2_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68935-2_20
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