Macrogenetic alignment in ecological strategies better interprets assembly processes than pre-determined functional groupings

Understanding how species assemble across landscapes requires integration
of data representing evolutionary, ecological, and biogeographic
processes. We developed a comparative macrogenetic framework, applying it
across 22 co-distributed rainforest trees, to identify replicated
landscape-level genetic signatures. Diversity-migration analyses and
genogeographic clustering identified shared spatial dynamics in relation
to refugial areas and genetic turnover, but not simple functional trait
combinations. Three broad patterns emerged: Higher Northern Diversity with
southward migration, Higher Southern Diversity with northward migration,
and Homogeneous Diversity with no directional migration. We also
identified five (post hoc) species groups sharing gene flow and
isolation-by-distance dynamics in relation to recognised biogeographic
barriers. Replicated genetic signatures highlight how assembly processes
emerge from interacting ecological and historical filters rather than
single traits or biogeographic histories. We present a statistically
replicable interpretational framework to identify shared evolutionary and
ecological dynamics, offering scalable and management-relevant tools to
support restoration planning and biodiversity conservation under
environmental change across all types of vegetation.