Studies of Species Diversity of Gallinaceans in Gansu

Description of difference in the total number of species occurring in different areas has given rise to the concept of "species diversity".The fact that there are usually more species of plants and animals in tropics than in temperate region has been recognized for nearly a century.Since 1950s eight different theories have been produced at least as to possible mechanism for the control of diversity.Because of the global scale of latitudinal gradient in species drversity,there has been relatively little ecological investigation contrasting tropical with temperate diversity,some theories have not been interpreted so far.Both of species and geographic distributions of gallinacaens were known in detail in Gansu.The interrelationships between gallinacean diversity in Gansu and climate (without frost days,mean temperature in January,annual mean temperature,mean temperature in July and annual pracipitation),altitude differences,latitudes and diversity of vegetational form were statistically analysed in order to reveal controlling determinants of species diversity of gallinaceans in Gansu and deal with some theories mechanisms for the control of diversity.There are 19 species of gallinaceans in Gansu,forming species diversity gradients with difference of latitude.The species diversity of gallinaceans was controlled by the mean temperature in July,annual precipitation,altitude differences and latitudes,but there are greater species from 400 mm to 650 mm in annual precipitation and between 1500 and 3500 m at an altitude differences.There is no interrelation between gallinacean diversity and diversity of vegetational form.The number of species in an area not only depends on distance which the area is from species pool but depends on environmental spacial heterogeneity in the area.