Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christian Koenig, Patrick Weigelt, Amanda Taylor, Anke Stein, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Mark van Kleunen, Marten Winter, Cyrille Chatelain, Jan J. Wieringa, Pavel Krestov, Holger Kreft
Summary: The study developed a framework to assess global island disharmony and identified significant variation in representational disharmony within and among plant families. Some families were generally over-represented, while others were generally under-represented on islands compared to their mainland source regions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan Yue, Rong Li
Summary: This study in subtropical forest communities in the Dulong Valley of Yunnan Province, China, revealed that woody angiosperm species at higher elevations and in areas with lower temperatures tend to be more phylogenetically related. Winter average temperature is a major predictor of increasing phylogenetic relatedness with increasing elevation, supporting the 'Tropical Niche Conservatism' hypothesis.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
N. A. Aravind, Maanya Uma Shaanker, Poorna H. N. Bhat, Bipin Charles, Uma R. Shaanker, Manzoor A. Shah, G. Ravikanth
Summary: This study analyzes the niche shifts of 33 of the world's top invasive species and finds that 90% of them have largely stayed within similar habitats rather than moving to completely new ones. This indicates the potential inertia that species may face when leaving their fundamental niche and suggests that niche conservatism may play a role in dampening the rates of invasion.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Adrian Garcia-Rodriguez, Bernd Lenzner, Clara Marino, Chunlong Liu, Julian A. Velasco, Celine Bellard, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Hanno Seebens, Franz Essl
Summary: Shifts between native and alien climatic niches pose challenges for predicting biological invasions, especially for insular species. This study analyzed alien occurrences of endemic insular amphibians, reptiles, and birds and found that climatic mismatches were common in invasions of birds and reptiles, but less common in amphibians. Several predictors were identified for climatic mismatches, which varied among taxonomic groups.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Severin Biaou, Gerard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou, Florent Noulekoun, Kolawole Valere Salako, Jesugnon Marie Reine Houndjo Kpoviwanou, Thierry Dehouegnon Houehanou, Honore Samadori Sorotori Biaou
Summary: Climate change is expected to have an impact on species distribution globally. The current evaluation methods assume that species respond uniformly to environmental changes along their distribution range, but populations occupying different niches may respond differently due to local adaptation. Therefore, incorporating intraspecific variation into species distribution models can result in more reliable predictions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gwen S. Antell, Isabel S. Fenton, Paul J. Valdes, Erin E. Saupe
Summary: Research compared species with static niches and those with more flexible niches in terms of adapting to climate change, finding that species' temperature preferences did not adjust with global temperature changes. Intraspecific niches remained relatively stable both in the short term (8 ka) and across glacial and interglacial extremes. Evolutionary trait models supported widespread niche stasis within species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jianchao Liang, Zhifeng Ding, Ganwen Lie, Zhixin Zhou, Zhixiang Zhang, Huijian Hu
Summary: This study examines the elevational patterns of phylogenetic diversity and structure of seed plants in the Gyirong Valley, the longest valley in China's central Himalayas. The results show a hump-shaped pattern in phylogenetic diversity, with overdispersion at lower elevations and clustering at higher elevations. Climate factors have the highest explanatory power in understanding these patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Hai Ngoc Ngo, Dennis Roedder, Lee Grismer, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Shuo Qi, Thomas Ziegler
Summary: Based on phylogenetic analyses, the first divergence date of Goniurosaurus was estimated to be in the Eocene (approximately 45.3 million years ago). Diversification within four monophyletic species groups began in the mid-Miocene (approximately 13.4 to 7.7 million years ago) and continued until at least the early Pleistocene (approximately 2 million years ago). The ancestral regions of each monophyletic Goniurosaurus species group were predicted to be contiguous continental Eastern Asia. The assessments of their niche evolution can provide insights into vulnerability to climate change and improve conservation measures for Goniurosaurus species in the future.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Fangyuan Yu, Yiwen Sun, Tiejun Wang, Andrew K. Skidmore, Changqing Ding, Xinping Ye
Summary: The study integrated ecological niche dynamics into the species distribution modeling of the Asian crested ibis in East Asia. The research found that the crested ibis retained similar ecological niches over time.
The current suitable habitat for crested ibis has decreased by 39.6% compared to historical range, with human activity having a greater impact than climate change on their distribution. Future potentially suitable habitat may shift northeastward and northwestward, possibly expanding by 18.7% compared to historical range.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lixia Han, Zhixin Zhang, Weishan Tu, Qing Zhang, Yanhua Hong, Shengnan Chen, Zhiqiang Lin, Shimin Gu, Yuanbao Du, Zhengjun Wu, Xuan Liu
Summary: Many studies have questioned the niche conservatism hypothesis (NCH) and the usefulness of ecological niche models (ENMs) for predicting species distributions, as they have detected climatic niche shifts during range changes. Incorporating preferred prey in the assessment of NCH and ENM predictions improved the accuracy of predicting range shifts for the Asian openbill bird. Identifying species' preferred prey provides insights into the importance of trophic interactions and their impact on species distributions in response to climate change.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Pablo Fernando Cuervo, Fernando Sebastian Flores, Jose Manuel Venzal, Santiago Nava
Summary: This study investigated the ecological niches of the Amblyomma maculatum group of ticks, revealing evidence of niche differentiation among closely related taxa leading to geographical variation. It suggests niche conservatism for some pairs traditionally associated with allopatric speciation, while incipient niche divergence is observed in other comparisons, supporting the hypothesis of habitat conditions driving tick evolution.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lijuan Li, Xiaoting Xu, Hong Qian, Xianhan Huang, Pengju Liu, Jacob B. Landis, Quansheng Fu, Lu Sun, Hengchang Wang, Hang Sun, Tao Deng
Summary: The study on Mount Namjagbarwa revealed a typical hump-shaped pattern of species richness along the elevational gradient, while the phylogenetic structure showed a zig-zag pattern with three elevation segments, each with different formation mechanisms. Temperature tolerance played a key role in species richness and phylogenetic structure across the entire elevational gradient.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Lucie A. Malard, Heidi K. Mod, Nicolas Guex, Olivier Broennimann, Erika Yashiro, Enrique Lara, Edward A. D. Mitchell, Helene Niculita-Hirzel, Antoine Guisan
Summary: This study found that edaphic properties were the most important drivers of community diversity and composition for all microbial groups, with microbial taxa showing increased specialization in highly selective environments.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Xue Yin, Scott Jarvie, Wen-Yong Guo, Tao Deng, Lingfeng Mao, Minhua Zhang, Chengjin Chu, Hong Qian, Jens-Christian Svenning, Fangliang He
Summary: The study reveals niche conservatism among plant species sharing ancestors in eastern Asia and eastern North America, with significant negative relationships between niche overlap and divergence times. Herbaceous plants exhibit higher niche conservatism compared to woody plants.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hong Qian, Tao Deng, Robert E. Ricklefs
Summary: The study found that the flora of the Arctic is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the broader Northern Hemisphere flora, with some lineages being filtered stepwise into more northerly Arctic subzones.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vanesa S. Garcia de la Torre, Clarisse Majorel-Loulergue, Guillem J. Rigaill, Dubiel Alfonso-Gonzalez, Ludivine Soubigou-Taconnat, Yohan Pillon, Louise Barreau, Sebastien Thomine, Bruno Fogliani, Valerie Burtet-Sarramegna, Sylvain Merlot
Summary: The research suggests that many plant species growing on metalliferous soils can accumulate and tolerate high levels of nickel, a trait that has evolved independently multiple times in different plant families. Analysis reveals the presence of genes encoding functions related to nickel hyperaccumulation in these species, including biosynthesis of specialized metabolites and cell wall organization. Additionally, high expression of IREG/Ferroportin transporters is recurrently associated with nickel hyperaccumulation in plants.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yohan Pillon
Summary: The naming of species after people, known as eponyms, in the endemic flora of New Caledonia mainly comes from France and Europe, with a smaller number from neighboring countries in Oceania or North America. Only 7% of these eponyms were born in New Caledonia, with 6% being women, and most corresponding species were described in the past five decades. While still preliminary, evidence suggests that a species' name can significantly affect how people relate to it, especially important for threatened endemic species and local populations' willingness to preserve them. Adopting a more balanced approach to species naming, especially for newly described rare and endangered species, may help secure their future in the current extinction crisis.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Sebastien Thomine, Sylvain Merlot
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vincent Porcher, Stephanie M. Carriere, Sandrine Gallois, Herizo Randriambanona, Verohanitra M. Rafidison, Victoria Reyes-Garcia
Summary: Understanding local knowledge about wild edible plants is crucial for assessing plant services and improving biodiversity conservation efforts. However, specific groups such as women and children tend to be under-represented in local ecological knowledge research. This study explores the distribution of knowledge on wild edible plants across gender and life stages among the Betsileo people in Madagascar. The findings suggest that knowledge differs widely across gender and life stage, with children having extended knowledge and women specializing in herbaceous species. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of considering under-represented groups like women and children in future research.
Article
Plant Sciences
Julia Dupin, Cynthia Hong-Wa, Yohan Pillon, Guillaume Besnard
Summary: The complicated infrafamilial classification of Oleaceae, an economically important family, requires a gradual approach. This study focuses on the clade formed by Nestegis, Notelaea, Osmanthus, Phillyrea, and Picconia in subtribe Oleinae and aims to determine their boundaries, relationships, and biogeographic history. Phylogenomic analysis using DNA data reveals six subclades within this clade, which are geographically segregated in Australia, Hawaiian Islands, Macaronesia, Mediterranean Region, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. The study suggests that this clade originated in Eurasia during the Early Miocene and their global, disjunct distribution is mostly due to dispersal rather than continental vicariance.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Antony van der Ent, Yohan Pillon, Bruno Fogliani, Vidiro Gei, Tanguy Jaffre, Peter D. Erskine, Guillaume Echevarria, Kathryn M. Spiers, Adrian L. D. Paul, Sandrine Isnard
Summary: The Cunoniaceae in New Caledonia have 91 endemic species that hyperaccumulate multiple metals, making them an ideal model system for studying the hyperaccumulation phenomenon. XRF scanning revealed differences in Mn and Ni accumulation in different species, with Pancheria reticulata showing Mn concentration in hypodermal cells and P. xaragurensis mainly accumulating Ni in and around the epidermis. This suggests different ecophysiological adaptations in these species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Karine Gotty, Gael J. Kergoat, Pierre Jouannais, Vanessa Invernon, Sylvain Merlot, Yohan Pillon
Summary: Alseuosmineae is a relict lineage in Oceania with high diversity in New Caledonia, especially on ultramafic substrates. Molecular and metal concentration analyses indicate that this clade started diversifying about 75-80 million years ago, with slower net diversification rates compared to other Asterales groups. It is hypothesized that adaptation to ultramafic substrates and metal accumulation contribute to the survival of Alseuosmineae.
PLANT ECOLOGY & DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Josoa R. Randriamalala, Radobarimanjaka Rabeniala, Herizo Randriambanona
Summary: This study explores the complex interaction between eucalyptus plantations and native forests. The research found that eucalyptus trees have not spread to the understory of secondary forests, while native species from secondary forests have colonised the understory of eucalyptus plantations.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yohan Pillon
Summary: This article provides taxonomic notes on the Malpighiales of New Caledonia, including the lectotypification of several species. Based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence, Lasiochlamys Pax & K.Hoffm. is proposed to be treated as a synonym of Xylosma G.Forst., and five new combinations and one new name are provided to implement this change.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yohan Pillon, Karine Gotty, Helen C. F. Hopkins
Summary: Proteaceae, including the Macadamia nut family, have a wide variety of species in New Caledonia, with some also found in neighboring archipelagos. New molecular data and a review of morphology have helped resolve issues regarding generic limits within Pacific Proteaceae. Specifically, the Kermadecia, Sleumerodendron, and Turrillia genera within the Macadamieae tribe have been found to be better treated as a single genus, Kermadecia, with eight species. Additionally, the New Caledonian Garnieria spathulifolia has been transferred to the Persoonia genus.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yohan Pillon, Pauline Majourau, Karine Gotty, Sandrine Isnard, Bruno Fogliani, Mark W. Chase, Gael J. Kergoat
Summary: The assembly of island plant communities is influenced by immigration, speciation, and extinction. This study focused on the origin of the New Caledonian Grevillea, a largely Australian genus. The analysis of plastid genes and a low-copy nuclear gene revealed that the New Caledonian Grevillea are allotetraploids resulting from hybridization events between two or three distinct parents. The study also highlighted the ecological and morphological differences between the two groups of New Caledonian Grevillea.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Yohan Pillon, Sandrine Isnard, Lydiane Mattio
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Celestine Belloeil, Pierre Jouannais, Charles Malfaisan, Rolando Reyes Fernandez, Severine Lopez, Dulce Montserrat Navarrete Gutierrez, Swann Maeder-Pras, Paola Villanueva, Romane Tisserand, Melina Gallopin, Dubiel Alfonso-Gonzalez, Ilsa M. Fuentes Marrero, Serge Muller, Vanessa Invernon, Yohan Pillon, Guillaume Echevarria, Rosalina Berazain Iturralde, Sylvain Merlot
Summary: This study analyzed metal accumulation in a wide diversity of Neotropical flora using X-ray fluorescence technology and discovered new species with high metal accumulation capacity. These findings will be instrumental in supporting the development of phytotechnologies to mitigate soil metal pollution in the region.