A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape
Abstract Aim We analyse the latitudinal variation of range shape, testing whether ranges at higher latitudes or of larger size tend to be elongated in an east–west direction, as expected from climatic niche constraints. Additionally, we assess whether poleward range limits are less stochastic than e...
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crwiley:10.1111/geb.12702 2024-09-15T17:42:35+00:00 A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape Castro‐Insua, Adrián Gómez‐Rodríguez, Carola Svenning, Jens‐Christian Baselga, Andrés European Regional Development Fund Villum Fonden 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.12702 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fgeb.12702 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.12702 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Global Ecology and Biogeography volume 27, issue 3, page 357-367 ISSN 1466-822X 1466-8238 journal-article 2018 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12702 2024-07-02T04:13:25Z Abstract Aim We analyse the latitudinal variation of range shape, testing whether ranges at higher latitudes or of larger size tend to be elongated in an east–west direction, as expected from climatic niche constraints. Additionally, we assess whether poleward range limits are less stochastic than equatorward limits. Location Global; all terrestrial areas except Antarctica. Time period Contemporaneous. Major taxa studied Birds and mammals. Methods We quantified the shape of the distribution ranges of 10,057 species of birds and 5,411 species of mammals, and assessed the relationship of range shape with latitude and range size using generalized additive models. The observed pattern was compared with that predicted by a null model, in which species ranges were constrained only by the shape of the landmasses. Furthermore, we divided each range in two polygons and measured their separate perimeters, to compare the limits of the poleward and equatorward portions of each range. Results In terrestrial mammals and birds, only species living at higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and with large range sizes have ranges that consistently tend to be elongated in an east–west direction. The difference between observed and null range shapes increases from the Southern Hemisphere and the tropics towards the north. The difference between equatorward and poleward semi‐perimeters was relevant only in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is probably explained by the shape of the continents. Main conclusions The existence of a latitudinal gradient in range shape is consistent with a different role of deterministic and stochastic processes in the tropics versus high latitudes. Specifically, the results are in line with a scenario in which tropical niche conservatism and relatively evolutionarily labile lower thermal tolerance increase the relevance of climate in determining range limits towards the poles, with stochastic factors (e.g., dispersal limitation) more relevant in shaping low‐latitude range limits. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Wiley Online Library Global Ecology and Biogeography 27 3 357 367 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
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Abstract Aim We analyse the latitudinal variation of range shape, testing whether ranges at higher latitudes or of larger size tend to be elongated in an east–west direction, as expected from climatic niche constraints. Additionally, we assess whether poleward range limits are less stochastic than equatorward limits. Location Global; all terrestrial areas except Antarctica. Time period Contemporaneous. Major taxa studied Birds and mammals. Methods We quantified the shape of the distribution ranges of 10,057 species of birds and 5,411 species of mammals, and assessed the relationship of range shape with latitude and range size using generalized additive models. The observed pattern was compared with that predicted by a null model, in which species ranges were constrained only by the shape of the landmasses. Furthermore, we divided each range in two polygons and measured their separate perimeters, to compare the limits of the poleward and equatorward portions of each range. Results In terrestrial mammals and birds, only species living at higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere and with large range sizes have ranges that consistently tend to be elongated in an east–west direction. The difference between observed and null range shapes increases from the Southern Hemisphere and the tropics towards the north. The difference between equatorward and poleward semi‐perimeters was relevant only in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is probably explained by the shape of the continents. Main conclusions The existence of a latitudinal gradient in range shape is consistent with a different role of deterministic and stochastic processes in the tropics versus high latitudes. Specifically, the results are in line with a scenario in which tropical niche conservatism and relatively evolutionarily labile lower thermal tolerance increase the relevance of climate in determining range limits towards the poles, with stochastic factors (e.g., dispersal limitation) more relevant in shaping low‐latitude range limits. |
author2 |
European Regional Development Fund Villum Fonden |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Castro‐Insua, Adrián Gómez‐Rodríguez, Carola Svenning, Jens‐Christian Baselga, Andrés |
spellingShingle |
Castro‐Insua, Adrián Gómez‐Rodríguez, Carola Svenning, Jens‐Christian Baselga, Andrés A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
author_facet |
Castro‐Insua, Adrián Gómez‐Rodríguez, Carola Svenning, Jens‐Christian Baselga, Andrés |
author_sort |
Castro‐Insua, Adrián |
title |
A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
title_short |
A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
title_full |
A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
title_fullStr |
A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new macroecological pattern: The latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
title_sort |
new macroecological pattern: the latitudinal gradient in species range shape |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.12702 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fgeb.12702 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.12702 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Global Ecology and Biogeography volume 27, issue 3, page 357-367 ISSN 1466-822X 1466-8238 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12702 |
container_title |
Global Ecology and Biogeography |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
357 |
op_container_end_page |
367 |
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1810489200975282176 |