Abstract Detail

Biodiversity synthesis: Linking large phylogenies with species traits and ecologies.

Guralnick, Robert [1], Li, Daijiang [2].

Niches in time, space, and environment: Concepts and comparative contexts.

Species' niches are often conceptualized as a key trait that evolves.  Here we focus on two different aspects of species niche biology and show how these conceptualizatons matter when applied to evolutionary comparative questions.  The first exemplar focuses on a classical, broad definition of species spatial niche as tropical or temperate.  This simple dichotomous description has both a geographic and climatic meaning, and we show in two case studies that it has implications for understanding long-standing biogeographic hypotheses including patterns of diversification into and out the tropics and rates of diversification.  Our second exemplar focuses on a key temporal niche characteristic, plant phenological events, and here we focus on the use of phylogenetic comparative methods to understand if species phenological timing and responses to climate and disturbance are phylogenetically conserved or not. If so, phylogenetic mixed models can be used to investigate how species phenological timing responds to environmental gradients while accounting for species’ evolutionary history.  Our main goal is to showcase vibrancy of niche biology and its tie to ecological and evolutionary pattern and process.

1 - Florida Museum of Natural History, 358 Dickinson Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
2 - Florida Museum of Natural History, 358 Dickinson Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States

Keywords:
niche evolution
phenology
Biogeography
climate change.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: COL01, Biodiversity synthesis: Linking large phylogenies with species traits and ecologies
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2020
Time: 10:30 AM
Number: COL01003
Abstract ID:588
Candidate for Awards:None