Do local moisture stress responses across tree species reflect dry limits of their geographic ranges?

Under future climate drought‐induced tree mortality may result in the contraction of species ranges and the reorganization of community composition where abundant and peripheral species exchange their patterns of dominance. Predicting these changes will be challenging because the future suitable habitat may be a mismatch for the current bioclimatic envelope because of discrepancies between the realized and fundamental niche. Here we evaluate the extent of the discrepancy, as applied to tree species in relation to their relative field‐recorded drought sensitivities and their observed range‐wide environmental moisture envelopes. The hypothesis tested was that different species levels of drought‐induced damage at sites where they co‐occur will be positively associated with the minimum moisture availability in the most drought‐prone part of each species current geographic range. We tested the hypothesis using drought damage measurements for 13 Australian Myrtaceae (including Eucalyptus) tree species at a site where all co‐occur, together with 120 years of climate data across their geographical ranges. With limited statistical power the results generated only modest support for the hypothesis suggesting limited capacity to predict future distributions under climate change scenarios. In spite of the poor dispersal capacities of Eucalyptus and allied genera, but consistent with knowledge of breeding systems and genetic variability within Eucalyptus, the findings also suggest that many species have a capacity for rapid adaptive response to climate change, including the vicissitudes of the late Quaternary.     

Global realized niche divergence in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis

Although of crucial importance for invasion biology and impact assessments of climate change, it remains widely unknown how species cope with and adapt to environmental conditions beyond their currently realized climatic niches (i.e., those climatic conditions existing populations are exposed to). The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, native to southern Africa, has established numerous invasive populations on multiple continents making it a pertinent model organism to study environmental niche dynamics. In this study, we assess whether the realized niches of the invasive populations in Europe, South, and North America represent subsets of the species’ realized niche in its native distributional range or if niche shifts are traceable. If shifts are traceable, we ask whether the realized niches of invasive populations still contain signatures of the niche of source populations what could indicate local adaptations. Univariate comparisons among bioclimatic conditions at native and invaded ranges revealed the invasive populations to be nested within the variable range of the native population. However, at the same time, invasive populations are well differentiated in multidimensional niche space as quantified via n‐dimensional hypervolumes. The most deviant invasive population are those from Europe. Our results suggest varying degrees of realized niche shifts, which are mainly driven by temperature related variables. The crosswise projection of the hypervolumes that were trained in invaded ranges revealed the south‐western Cape region as likely area of origin for all invasive populations, which is largely congruent with DNA sequence data and suggests a gradual exploration of novel climate space in invasive populations.     

Niche evolution and diversification in a Neotropical radiation of birds (Aves: Furnariidae)

Rapid diversification may be caused by ecological adaptive radiation via niche divergence. In this model, speciation is coupled with niche divergence and lineage diversification is predicted to be correlated with rates of niche evolution. Studies of the role of niche evolution in diversification have generally focused on ecomorphological diversification but climatic‐niche evolution may also be important. We tested these alternatives using a phylogeny of 298 species of ovenbirds (Aves: Furnariidae). We found that within Furnariidae, variation in species richness and diversification rates of subclades were best predicted by rate of climatic‐niche evolution than ecomorphological evolution. Although both are clearly important, univariate regression and multivariate model averaging more consistently supported the climatic‐niche as the best predictor of lineage diversification. Our study adds to the growing body of evidence, suggesting that climatic‐niche divergence may be an important driver of rapid diversification in addition to ecomorphological evolution. However, this pattern may depend on the phylogenetic scale at which rate heterogeneity is examined.     

Explaining Andean megadiversity: the evolutionary and ecological causes of glassfrog elevational richness patterns

The Tropical Andes are an important global biodiversity hotspot, harbouring extraordinarily high richness and endemism. Although elevational richness and speciation have been studied independently in some Andean groups, the evolutionary and ecological processes that explain elevational richness patterns in the Andes have not been analysed together. Herein, we elucidate the processes underlying Andean richness patterns using glassfrogs (Centrolenidae) as a model system. Glassfrogs show the widespread mid‐elevation diversity peak for both local and regional richness. Remarkably, these patterns are explained by greater time (montane museum) rather than faster speciation at mid‐elevations (montane species pump), despite the recency of the major Andean uplift. We also show for the first time that rates of climatic‐niche evolution and elevational change are related, supporting the hypothesis that climatic‐niche conservatism decelerates species' shifts in elevational distributions and underlies the mid‐elevation richness peak. These results may be relevant to other Andean clades and montane systems globally.     

Influence of niche similarity on hybridization between Myriophyllum sibiricum and M. spicatum

The impact of ecological factors on natural hybridization is of widespread interest. Here, we asked whether climate niche influences hybridization between the two closely related plant species Myriophyllum sibiricum and M. spicatum. Eight microsatellite loci and two chloroplast fragments were used to investigate the occurrence of hybridization between these two species in two co‐occurring regions: north‐east China (NEC) and the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The climate niches of the species were quantified by principal component analysis with bioclimatic data, and niche comparisons were performed between the two species in each region. Reciprocal hybridization was observed, and M. sibiricum was favoured as the maternal species. Furthermore, hybrids were rare in NEC but common in the QTP. Accordingly, in NEC, the two species were climatically distinct, and hybrids only occurred in the narrow geographical or ecological transition zone, whereas in the QTP, obvious niche overlaps were found for the two species, and hybrids occurred in multiple contact zones. This association between hybridization pattern and climate niche similarity suggests that the level of hybridization was promoted by niche overlap. Compared with the parental species, similar climate niches were found for the hybrid populations in the QTP, indicating that other environmental factors rather than climate were important for hybrid persistence. Our findings highlight the significance of climate niche with respect to hybridization patterns in plants.     

Parallelism in adaptive radiations of experimental Escherichia coli populations

Adaptive radiations are major contributors to species diversity. Although the underlying mechanisms of adaptive radiations, specialization and trade‐offs, are relatively well understood, the tempo and repeatability of adaptive radiations remain elusive. Ecological specialization can occur through the expansion into novel niches or through partitioning of an existing niche. To test how the mode of resource specialization affects the tempo and repeatability of adaptive radiations, we selected replicate bacterial populations in environments that promoted the evolution of diversity either through niche expansion or through niche partitioning, and in a third low‐quality single‐resource environment, in which diversity was not expected to evolve. Colony size diversity evolved equally fast in environments that provided ecological opportunities regardless of the mode of resource specialization. In the low‐quality environments, diversity did not consistently evolve. We observed the largest fitness improvement in the low‐quality environment and the smallest the glucose‐limited environment. We did not observe a change in the rate of evolutionary change in either trait or environment, suggesting that the pool of beneficial mutations was not exhausted. Overall, the mode of resource specialization did not affect the tempo or repeatability of adaptive radiations. These results demonstrate the limitations of eco‐evolutionary feedbacks to affect evolutionary outcomes.     

Water availability,fundamental niches and realized niches: A case study from the Cape flora

The ability of plants to survive drought or waterlogging constitutes an important niche parameter, which might be particularly significant in explaining species coexistence in the species‐rich and seasonally dry Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. However, the degree of physiological adaptation and specialization to these eco‐hydrological parameters (the fundamental niche) cannot be readily inferred from correlative studies based on species distributions and spatial variation in environmental parameters (the realized niche). We used an ex situ greenhouse experiment to compare the fundamental hydrological niches (different mean annual precipitation, rainfall seasonality and soil drainage) of six eco‐hydrologically divergent African Restionaceae species. Juvenile plants were subjected to six different watering treatments, ranging from no watering to waterlogging, to determine drought and waterlogging susceptibility and optimal growth conditions. We used the rate of biomass accumulation and survival rate as response measures. We found that species from dry and mesic (but well‐drained) habitats had optimal or near‐optimal growth at benign conditions (under which most restio species grow well). All species performed worse when droughted and died when not watered. Species from dry habitats tended to perform better (assessed in growth) than species from wet habitats under droughting. Species from wet habitats performed best when waterlogged, whereas species from dry habitats performed very poorly when waterlogged – thus showing that realized and fundamental niches covaried at the wet end of the hydrological gradient. We conclude that eco‐hydrological parameters are part of the fundamental niche, and fundamental and realized species niches are approximately correlated along them. The distribution of wet habitat species appears not to reflect their drought tolerance, suggesting that it may not be predicted by bioclimatic variables, but rather by soil drainage characteristics.     

Population trends influence species ability to track climate change

Shifts of distributions have been attributed to species tracking their fundamental climate niches through space. However, several studies have now demonstrated that niche tracking is imperfect, that species’ climate niches may vary with population trends, and that geographic distributions may lag behind rapid climate change. These reports of imperfect niche tracking imply shifts in species’ realized climate niches. We argue that quantifying climate niche shifts and analyzing them for a suite of species reveal general patterns of niche shifts and the factors affecting species’ ability to track climate change. We analyzed changes in realized climate niche between 1984 and 2012 for 46 species of North American birds in relation to population trends in an effort to determine whether species differ in the ability to track climate change and whether differences in niche tracking are related to population trends. We found that increasingly abundant species tended to show greater levels of niche expansion (climate space occupied in 2012 but not in 1980) compared to declining species. Declining species had significantly greater niche unfilling (climate space occupied in 1980 but not in 2012) compared to increasing species due to an inability to colonize new sites beyond their range peripheries after climate had changed at sites of occurrence. Increasing species, conversely, were better able to colonize new sites and therefore showed very little niche unfilling. Our results indicate that species with increasing trends are better able to geographically track climate change compared to declining species, which exhibited lags relative to changes in climate. These findings have important implications for understanding past changes in distribution, as well as modeling dynamic species distributions in the face of climate change.     

莱州湾鱼类群落优势种生态位

根据2011年5月、8月、10月和12月莱州湾底拖网调查资料,对该海域鱼类群落优势种的生态位进行了研究。结果表明,全年调查共捕获鱼类49种,各季节优势种种类数分别为春季3种,夏季5种,秋季3种,冬季4种。夏、冬季优势种的丛生指数较低,春、秋季较高;冬、春季优势种的平均拥挤度较低,夏、秋季较高。基于欧氏距离的优势种丰度聚类结果同优势度排序结果吻合。主成分分析(PCA)表明,青鳞小沙丁鱼(Sardinella zunasi)和赤鼻棱鳀(Thryssa kammalensis)分别是影响第一轴和第二轴的主要种类。绯鱼衔(Callionymus beniteguri)、鲬(Platycephalus indicus)、髭缟虾虎鱼(Tridentiger barbatus)和短吻红舌鳎(Cynoglossus joyneri)是时空二维生态位宽度最高的种类(2)。时空生态位显著重叠(0.6)的种类有7组,其中银姑鱼(Pennahia argentata)和皮氏叫姑鱼(Johnius belengerii)重叠值最高(0.798)。δ~(13)C值变幅(CR)最大的种类为斑鱼祭(Konosirus punctatus),δ~(15)N值变幅(NR)最大的种类为青鳞小沙丁鱼;青鳞小沙丁鱼和鱼祭生态位总面积超过20,皮氏叫姑鱼生态位总面积最小(1.38)且与其他优势种营养生态位重叠较高。等级聚类、排序、PCA和优势种排序结果较一致,而与时空生态位宽度分析结果差异较大,表明莱州湾鱼类群落结构受洄游鱼类的影响较大。时空生态位宽度较高的种类主要为集群特征不明显的周年定居种(绯鱼衔、鲬、短吻红舌鳎等底层鱼类),而季节洄游种(青鳞小沙丁鱼、鱼祭、赤鼻棱鳀等中上层鱼类)因时间生态位宽度较低导致时空生态位宽度较低。时空生态位和营养生态位分析表明,生态位重叠导致的资源利用性竞争并不是导致莱州湾鱼类群落结构现状的决定性因素,而更多可能是人为干扰形成的。     

生态位有关术语的定义及计算公式评述

生态位(niche)理论在种间关系、群落结构、种的多样性及种群进化的研究中已被广泛应用。但对生态位及有关术语诸如生态位宽度、生态位重叠、生态位大小的定义至今还比较混乱。对于它们的计测,虽已提出了许多公式,但对其在生态学上的合理性仍有争议,本文试就这方面的问题作一评述。     

长苞铁杉群落优势种群高度生态位研究

基于天宝岩国家级自然保护区内长苞铁杉群落的调查数据 ,以不同高度作为一维资源位状态 ,以个体多度为生态位计测的资源状态指标 ,对群落中的 1 2个优势树种进行了生态位的计测和分析。结果表明 ,长苞铁杉具有较大的生态位宽度值 ,具有一定的稳定性 ;各优势树种 ,均表现出一定程度的对环境适应的相似性和生态位重叠。长苞铁杉与阳性树种柳杉、耐荫树种中偏阳性树种木荷之间的生态位相似性和生态位重叠值比与耐荫性树种深山含笑、细叶青冈之间的都要大。这些分析结果为珍稀濒危植物长苞铁杉的保护提供了科学依据     

生态位态势理论与扩充假说

生态位态势理论,即从个体到生物圈,无论是自然还是社会中的生物单元都具有生态和势两个方面的属性,态是指生物的状态,是过去生长发育,学习,社会经济发展以及与环境相互和积累的结果;势是指生物单元对环境的现实影响力或支配力,始能量和物质变换的速率,生产力,生物增长率,经济增长率,占据新生境的能力,生物单元态的变化一般呈“Ｓ”型曲线,而势的变化则呈“钟”型曲线,特定生态系统中某生物单元的生态位即是该生物单元     

Predicting phenology by integrating ecology,evolution and climate science

Forecasting how species and ecosystems will respond to climate change has been a major aim of ecology in recent years. Much of this research has focused on phenology – the timing of life‐history events. Phenology has well‐demonstrated links to climate, from genetic to landscape scales; yet our ability to explain and predict variation in phenology across species, habitats and time remains poor. Here, we outline how merging approaches from ecology, climate science and evolutionary biology can advance research on phenological responses to climate variability. Using insight into seasonal and interannual climate variability combined with niche theory and community phylogenetics, we develop a predictive approach for species’ reponses to changing climate. Our approach predicts that species occupying higher latitudes or the early growing season should be most sensitive to climate and have the most phylogenetically conserved phenologies. We further predict that temperate species will respond to climate change by shifting in time, while tropical species will respond by shifting space, or by evolving. Although we focus here on plant phenology, our approach is broadly applicable to ecological research of plant responses to climate variability.     

Accounting for dispersal and biotic interactions to disentangle the drivers of species distributions and their abundances

Although abiotic factors, together with dispersal and biotic interactions, are often suggested to explain the distribution of species and their abundances, species distribution models usually focus on abiotic factors only. We propose an integrative framework linking ecological theory, empirical data and statistical models to understand the distribution of species and their abundances together with the underlying community assembly dynamics. We illustrate our approach with 21 plant species in the French Alps. We show that a spatially nested modelling framework significantly improves the model's performance and that the spatial variations of species presence-absence and abundances are predominantly explained by different factors. We also show that incorporating abiotic, dispersal and biotic factors into the same model bring new insights to our understanding of community assembly. This approach, at the crossroads between community ecology and biogeography, is a promising avenue for a better understanding of species co-existence and biodiversity distribution.