Spatial Ecology of Desert Rodent Communities

1 Introduction.- 2 Deserts of the World.- 2.1 Common Features.- 2.2 Regional Features.- 3 Composition of the Rodent Faunas of Different Desert Regions.- 3.1 Biogeographic Classification Using Rodents as a Key Taxon.- 3.2 Rodent Faunas of the World Deserts.- 4 Geographic Patterns of Faunistic Composition.- 4.1 Taxonomic Composition.- 4.2 Taxonomic Diversity.- 4.3 Species Richness.- 5 Inter-Desert Comparisons of Rodent Faunas.- 5.1 Climatic, Substrate and Vegetation Features Important for Rodents.- 5.2 Distribution of Body Sizes Within Regional Faunas.- 5.3 Distribution of Locomotory Modes Within Regional Faunas.- 5.4 Distribution of Feeding Modes Within Regional Faunas.- 6 Life Forms of Desert Rodents and Convergent Evolution Among Species of Different Faunas.- 6.1 Life Forms of Desert Rodents.- 6.2 Convergent Evolution Among Species of Different Faunas.- 7 Species-Habitat Relationships in Desert Environments.- 7.1 Methodology of Analysis: Niche Concept and Description of Niche Dimensions.- 7.2 Habitat Structure and Types of Habitat Specialization.- 7.3 Morphological Correlates of Habitat Specialization.- 7.4 Habitat Specialists and Habitat Generalists in Deserts.- 7.5 Habitat Selection as a Mechanism of Species Distribution.- 8 Spatial Organization of Desert Rodent Communities.- 8.1 Definitions.- 8.2 The Qualitative Approach to the Analysis of Community Composition.- 8.3 Multivariate Description of Spatial Structure.- 8.4 Environmental Factors Structuring a Community.- 8.5 Guild Structure and Factors Determining It.- 8.6 Spatial Patterns of Species Diversity in the Rodent Communities of Different Deserts.- 8.7 The Role of Interspecific Competition in Community Structure.- 8.8 Temporal Dynamics of Spatial Structure.- 9 Conclusions and Perspectives for the Future.- 9.1 Historical and Ecological Components of Spatial Structure.- 9.2 Ecological Concepts and Comparataive Approach.- 9.3 The Lack of Empirical Data.- References.- Appendix: List of Rodent Species Considered