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Lack of phylogenetic signals within environmental niches of tropical tree species across life stages

Zhang, Caicai; Yang, Jie; Sha, Liqing; Ci, Xiuqin; Li, Jie; Cao, Min; Brown, Calum ORCID iD icon; Swenson, Nathan G.; Lin, Luxiang

Abstract:

The lasting imprint of phylogenetic history on current day ecological patterns has long intrigued biologists. Over the past decade ecologists have increasingly sought to quantify phylogenetic signals in environmental niche preferences and, especially, traits to help uncover the mechanisms driving plant community assembly. However, relatively little is known about how phylogenetic patterns in environmental niches and traits compare, leaving significant uncertainty about the ecological implications of trait-based analyses. We examined phylogenetic signals within known environmental niches of 64 species, at seedling and adult life stages, in a Chinese tropical forest, to test whether local environmental niches had consistent relationships with phylogenies. Our analyses show that local environmental niches are highly phylogenetically labile for both seedlings and adult trees, with closely related species occupying niches that are no more similar than expected by random chance. These findings contrast with previous trait-based studies in the same forest, suggesting that phylogenetic signals in traits might not a reliable guide to niche preferences or, therefore, to community assembly processes in some ecosystems, like the tropical seasonal rainforest in this study.


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000080118
Veröffentlicht am 12.02.2018
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1038/srep42007
Scopus
Zitationen: 7
Web of Science
Zitationen: 8
Dimensions
Zitationen: 21
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung – Atmosphärische Umweltforschung (IMK-IFU)
KIT-Zentrum Klima und Umwelt (ZKU)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsdatum 09.02.2017
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 2045-2322
urn:nbn:de:swb:90-801181
KITopen-ID: 1000080118
HGF-Programm 12.02.02 (POF III, LK 01) Vegetation climate- and land use system
Erschienen in Scientific reports
Verlag Nature Research
Band 7
Seiten 42007
Schlagwörter Community ecology; Forest ecology
Nachgewiesen in Dimensions
Scopus
Web of Science
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