REFINING LATITUDINAL GRADIENT ANALYSES - DO WE LIVE IN A CLIMATICALLYSYMMETRICAL WORLD

Climatic conditions are not symmetrical about the cartographic equator as has been assumed by some biogeographers, but rather are centered a bout 3.4 degrees north, the true meteorological equator. This means th at 'pear-shaped' patterns in biodiversity that have been observed for some taxa (i.e. greater species richness per unit latitude south compa red to north of the equator) are even more remarkable in that they ope rate opposite to the climatic trend in asymmetry. Data compilations an d empirical syntheses relating gradients of species richness or produc tivity to climatic data should be adjusted to compensate for latitudin al differences between the cartographic and meteorological equators.