Do Rapoport's Rule, Mid-Domain Effect or Environmental Factors Predict Latitudinal Range Size Patterns of Terrestrial Mammals in China?

Abstract

Latitudinal range size pattern of terrestrial mammals in China supported Rapoport's rule, though the extent of that support was strongly influenced by methodology. The critical factor underlying the observed gradient was the MDE, and the effects of climate, energy and topography were limited. The mean climate condition hypothesis, climate variability hypothesis, ambient energy hypotheses and topographical heterogeneity hypotheses were not supported.