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Broad-scale patterns of geographic avoidance between species emerge in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence

Broad-scale patterns of geographic avoidance between species emerge in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence
Broad-scale patterns of geographic avoidance between species emerge in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence
Aim
The need to forecast range shifts under future climate change has motivated an increasing interest in better understanding the role of biotic interactions in driving diversity patterns. The contribution of biotic interactions to shaping broad-scale species distributions is, however, still debated, partly due to the difficulty of detecting their effects. We aim to test whether spatial exclusion between potentially competing species can be detected at the species range scale, and whether this pattern relates to fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence.

Location
Western Palearctic.

Methods
We develop and evaluate a measure of geographic avoidance that uses outputs of species distribution models to quantify geographic exclusion patterns expected if interspecific competition affects broad-scale distributions. We apply the measure to 10 Palearctic bat species belonging to four morphologically similar cryptic groups in which competition is likely to occur. We compare outputs to null models based on pairs of virtual species and to expectations based on ecological similarity and fine-scale coexistence mechanisms. We project changes in range suitability under climate change taking into account effects of geographic avoidance.

Results
Values of geographic avoidance were above null expectations for two cryptic species pairs, suggesting that interspecific competition could have contributed to shaping their broad-scale distributions. These two pairs showed highest levels of ecological similarity and no trophic or habitat partitioning. Considering the role of competition modified predictions of future range suitability.

Main conclusions
Our results support the role of interspecific competition in limiting the geographic ranges of morphologically similar species in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence. This study highlights the importance of incorporating biotic interactions into predictive models of range shifts under climate change, and the need for further integration of community ecology with species distribution models to understand the role of competition in ecology and biogeography.
bats, biotic interactions, competition, cryptic species, geographic avoidance, species distribution modelling, species ranges
1366-9516
1606-1618
Novella-Fernandez, Roberto
25b2cef1-c3a7-4fae-99f5-8c26b584445b
Juste, Javier
d44bbd1c-ec75-43f4-87e6-214729740e0e
Ibanez, Carlos
720fc66b-56ca-469e-90cb-dacef91483e3
Rebelo, Hugo
81a4b2cf-7d26-4a69-974f-ea0854c33b0d
Russo, Danilo
da0cb292-a6c8-4d7d-ac52-702153623fe2
Alberdi, Antton
9811e238-964e-48e6-8bfb-b0a9d08a3f4a
Kiefer, Andreas
508fd66c-edf9-4b8b-ad9d-0338b43dcde5
Graham, Laura
bc76bad7-f0fd-4e94-acf9-c7450ec36ae2
Paul, Hynek
4f7ce88c-6890-4341-a126-f5a53329be63
Doncaster, Charles Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Razgour, Orly
107f4912-304a-44d5-99f8-cdf2a9ce6f14
Novella-Fernandez, Roberto
25b2cef1-c3a7-4fae-99f5-8c26b584445b
Juste, Javier
d44bbd1c-ec75-43f4-87e6-214729740e0e
Ibanez, Carlos
720fc66b-56ca-469e-90cb-dacef91483e3
Rebelo, Hugo
81a4b2cf-7d26-4a69-974f-ea0854c33b0d
Russo, Danilo
da0cb292-a6c8-4d7d-ac52-702153623fe2
Alberdi, Antton
9811e238-964e-48e6-8bfb-b0a9d08a3f4a
Kiefer, Andreas
508fd66c-edf9-4b8b-ad9d-0338b43dcde5
Graham, Laura
bc76bad7-f0fd-4e94-acf9-c7450ec36ae2
Paul, Hynek
4f7ce88c-6890-4341-a126-f5a53329be63
Doncaster, Charles Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Razgour, Orly
107f4912-304a-44d5-99f8-cdf2a9ce6f14

Novella-Fernandez, Roberto, Juste, Javier, Ibanez, Carlos, Rebelo, Hugo, Russo, Danilo, Alberdi, Antton, Kiefer, Andreas, Graham, Laura, Paul, Hynek, Doncaster, Charles Patrick and Razgour, Orly (2021) Broad-scale patterns of geographic avoidance between species emerge in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence. Diversity and Distributions, 27 (9), 1606-1618. (doi:10.1111/ddi.13375).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aim
The need to forecast range shifts under future climate change has motivated an increasing interest in better understanding the role of biotic interactions in driving diversity patterns. The contribution of biotic interactions to shaping broad-scale species distributions is, however, still debated, partly due to the difficulty of detecting their effects. We aim to test whether spatial exclusion between potentially competing species can be detected at the species range scale, and whether this pattern relates to fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence.

Location
Western Palearctic.

Methods
We develop and evaluate a measure of geographic avoidance that uses outputs of species distribution models to quantify geographic exclusion patterns expected if interspecific competition affects broad-scale distributions. We apply the measure to 10 Palearctic bat species belonging to four morphologically similar cryptic groups in which competition is likely to occur. We compare outputs to null models based on pairs of virtual species and to expectations based on ecological similarity and fine-scale coexistence mechanisms. We project changes in range suitability under climate change taking into account effects of geographic avoidance.

Results
Values of geographic avoidance were above null expectations for two cryptic species pairs, suggesting that interspecific competition could have contributed to shaping their broad-scale distributions. These two pairs showed highest levels of ecological similarity and no trophic or habitat partitioning. Considering the role of competition modified predictions of future range suitability.

Main conclusions
Our results support the role of interspecific competition in limiting the geographic ranges of morphologically similar species in the absence of fine-scale mechanisms of coexistence. This study highlights the importance of incorporating biotic interactions into predictive models of range shifts under climate change, and the need for further integration of community ecology with species distribution models to understand the role of competition in ecology and biogeography.

Text
Diversity and Distributions - 2021 - Novella‐Fernandez - Broad‐scale patterns of geographic avoidance between species (1) - Version of Record
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 7 June 2021
Published date: 26 July 2021
Keywords: bats, biotic interactions, competition, cryptic species, geographic avoidance, species distribution modelling, species ranges

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 456863
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/456863
ISSN: 1366-9516
PURE UUID: 1cc8be74-f18e-40d6-a551-e0af96626561
ORCID for Hynek Paul: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2202-7971
ORCID for Charles Patrick Doncaster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9406-0693
ORCID for Orly Razgour: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3186-0313

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 13 May 2022 16:37
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:42

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Contributors

Author: Roberto Novella-Fernandez
Author: Javier Juste
Author: Carlos Ibanez
Author: Hugo Rebelo
Author: Danilo Russo
Author: Antton Alberdi
Author: Andreas Kiefer
Author: Laura Graham
Author: Hynek Paul ORCID iD
Author: Orly Razgour ORCID iD

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