COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY PATTERNS OF PARIDS ALONG AN ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT IN WESTERN CHINA

摘要

Eight species of parids commonly occur in the mountains of northern Sichuan Province, Peo- ple's Republic of China. They represent four monophyletic groups regarded by some authorities as genera, but more traditionally as subgenera of the large genus Parus. To test the competition-based hypothesis that less closely related apecies are more likely to co-occur, we used specimens and observations obtained in October 1989 and May 1991 to delineate the morphology, elevational range, and habitat associations of each species in this rich assemblage.