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Research article2013Peer reviewedOpen access

Ecological niche shifts of understorey plants along a latitudinal gradient of temperate forests in north-western Europe

Wasof, Safaa; Lenoir, Jonathan; Gallet-Moron, Emilie; Jamoneau, Aurélien; Brunet, Jörg; Cousins, S A O; De Frenne, Pieter; Diekmann, M.; Hermy, Martin; Kolb, Anette; Liira, Jaan; Verheyen, K; Wulf, Monika; Decocq, Guillaume

Abstract

Main conclusions Forest understorey plants shifted their realized niche along the latitudinal gradient, suggesting local adaptation and/or plasticity. This macroecological pattern casts doubt on the idea that the realized niche is stable in space and time, which is a key assumption of species distribution models used to predict the future of biodiversity, hence raising concern about predicted extinction rates.

Keywords

Beta diversity; climate change; detrended correspondence analyses; Ellenberg indicator values; forest understorey plant species; niche optimum; niche width; plant community; realized niche

Published in

Global Ecology and Biogeography
2013, Volume: 22, number: 10, pages: 1130-1140
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
    SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Botany
    Ecology
    Climate Research

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12073

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/50598