Species distribution modelling and predictor variables for species distribution and niche preferences of Pilosocereus leucocephalus group s.s. (Cactaceae)
Por:
Franco-Estrada, Daniel, Ortiz, Enrique, Villasenor, Jose Luis, Arias, Salvador
Publicada:
31 dic 2022
Resumen:
Ecological niche modelling is useful in estimating the environmental
requirements of species and, by extension, can also estimate their
distributional areas. For most cacti, ecological niche modelling and
comparisons between species have only been performed for a set of
variables mainly associated with temperature and precipitation. To
expand environmental predictors in addition to climate variables, we use
topographic and edaphic variables. The aims of this study were to
determine which environmental factors influence the geographical
distribution of the P. leucocephalus species group s.s. from Mexico and
Central America, to build species distribution models, and to assess
whether species have different climatic preferences. Based on ecological
niche modelling, the main environmental variables that contribute to the
distribution of species and the similarities or differences in
ecological niches between species were inferred using Maxent and
ENMTools. The results revealed that the studied species had different
responses to environmental variables, resulting in a unique combination
of conditions for each species, showing only six environmental variables
in common. In general, variables with the greatest contributions to the
models were climatic, followed by edaphic and topographic variables. The
results of the quantification of niches between species showed that
there was less than 0.5 overlap in Schoener's D values, suggesting niche
divergence for the group species but in environments more similar than
would be expected by random chance. Although species shared affinities
for seasonally dry tropical forests, the importance of preferences for
different sets of environmental variables by each species was clear. In
addition, niche divergence between closely related species of the P.
leucocephalus group s.s. is concordant with the previous delimitation at
the species level.
Filiaciones:
Franco-Estrada, Daniel:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Posgrad Ciencias Biol, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Jardin Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Ortiz, Enrique:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Villasenor, Jose Luis:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Arias, Salvador:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Jardin Bot, Ciudad Univ, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
|