Ecological niche differentiation in peripheral populations: a comparative analysis of eleven Mediterranean plant species

Aim: The “central-peripheral” hypothesis has provided a baseline for many studies of population dynamics and genetic variability at species distribution limits. Although peripheral populations are often assumed to occur in ecologically marginal conditions, little is known about whether they effectively occur in a distinct ecological niche. Location: Western Mediterranean basin. Time Period: 2013-2014. Major taxa studied: A cross-taxa analysis of 11 Mediterranean vascular plants. Methods: We quantified variation in the ecological niche between populations at the northern range limits of species in Mediterranean France and those in the central part of the distribution in continental Spain or Italy. We analyzed both the macro-ecological niche where populations occur in terms of broad habitat and altitudinal range and the micro-ecological niche where individual plants grow in terms of soil and structural biotic and abiotic characteristics. Results: Most species occur in a single broad habit...

研究目的："中心-边缘"假说（central-peripheral hypothesis）为诸多针对物种分布极限处的种群动态与遗传变异研究奠定了理论基础。尽管学界通常假设边缘种群多处于生态边缘条件下，但目前对其是否真正占据独特生态位仍知之甚少。
研究区域：西地中海盆地
研究时段：2013—2014年
研究类群：针对11种地中海维管植物的跨类群分析
研究方法：我们量化了分布于地中海法国境内的物种北部分布极限种群，与分布于西班牙大陆或意大利境内的物种分布中心种群之间的生态位差异。本研究同时从宏观生态位与微观生态位两个维度开展分析：宏观生态位以种群所在的宽泛生境类型与海拔范围为衡量指标，微观生态位则以单个植株生长所处的土壤条件、结构生物与非生物特征为考察对象。
研究结果：多数物种仅占据单一宽泛的生境……