Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs
The congeneric lagomorphs Lepus timidus and L. europaeus share allopatric distributions in many areas of Europe characterised by competitive exclusion and hybridisation. We investigated prospects for these species under climate change in northern England uplands. We created ensemble models predictin...
Published in: | Acta Oecologica |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2021
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Online Access: | https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/251002346/1_s2.0_S1146609X21000412_main.pdf |
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ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 2024-05-19T07:43:41+00:00 Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs Bedson, Carlos Devenish, Christian Symeonakis, Elias Mallon, David Reid, Neil Harris, W. Edwin Preziosi, Richard 2021-08-01 application/pdf https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/251002346/1_s2.0_S1146609X21000412_main.pdf eng eng https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Bedson , C , Devenish , C , Symeonakis , E , Mallon , D , Reid , N , Harris , W E & Preziosi , R 2021 , ' Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs ' , Acta Oecologica , vol. 111 , 103742 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 Climate change ecological niche model diet interspecific competition Lepus europaeus Lepus timidus /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105 name=Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2309 name=Nature and Landscape Conservation /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_on_land name=SDG 15 - Life on Land article 2021 ftqueensubelpubl https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 2024-05-02T00:38:30Z The congeneric lagomorphs Lepus timidus and L. europaeus share allopatric distributions in many areas of Europe characterised by competitive exclusion and hybridisation. We investigated prospects for these species under climate change in northern England uplands. We created ensemble models predicting niche realisation for these species, influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, estimating niche overlap in geo-environmental space. The two species occupy distinctly different niches, influenced more by vegetation preferences than climatic differences. The current climate niche for L. timidus featured higher elevations with cooler temperatures and 168km2 range extent. Its current habitat niche scale was larger at 269km2 , comprised entirely of upland dwarf shrubs: heather, cotton grass, moorland grasses. By contrast, the current climate niche predicted L. europaeus occupying lowland areas with a milder climate and range extent of 252km2. Its current habitat niche was also greater, 401km2, being mostly improved grassland. Competition was presently limited. The current niche predictions showed very little geographic overlap between the species. Niche overlap measured by Schoener Index was low: current climate niche 0.16; current habitat niche 0.07. The future climate niches for 2050 (IPCC RCP2.6), predicted L. timidus range contracting to 19km2, on hilltops and L. europaeus range expanding to 765km2. Consequently L. timidus range would be wholly within the L. europaeus range. In many contact zones throughout Europe, L. europaeus outcompetes L. timidus; however, in the Peak District their distributions are largely distinct. Future replacement of L. timidus by L. europaeus may be engendered by dietary convergence, should a warmer climate cause a transition of upland dwarf shrub vegetation to grasses. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lepus timidus Cotton-grass Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Acta Oecologica 111 103742 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University Belfast Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensubelpubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate change ecological niche model diet interspecific competition Lepus europaeus Lepus timidus /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105 name=Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2309 name=Nature and Landscape Conservation /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_on_land name=SDG 15 - Life on Land |
spellingShingle |
Climate change ecological niche model diet interspecific competition Lepus europaeus Lepus timidus /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105 name=Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2309 name=Nature and Landscape Conservation /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_on_land name=SDG 15 - Life on Land Bedson, Carlos Devenish, Christian Symeonakis, Elias Mallon, David Reid, Neil Harris, W. Edwin Preziosi, Richard Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
topic_facet |
Climate change ecological niche model diet interspecific competition Lepus europaeus Lepus timidus /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105 name=Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2309 name=Nature and Landscape Conservation /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_on_land name=SDG 15 - Life on Land |
description |
The congeneric lagomorphs Lepus timidus and L. europaeus share allopatric distributions in many areas of Europe characterised by competitive exclusion and hybridisation. We investigated prospects for these species under climate change in northern England uplands. We created ensemble models predicting niche realisation for these species, influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, estimating niche overlap in geo-environmental space. The two species occupy distinctly different niches, influenced more by vegetation preferences than climatic differences. The current climate niche for L. timidus featured higher elevations with cooler temperatures and 168km2 range extent. Its current habitat niche scale was larger at 269km2 , comprised entirely of upland dwarf shrubs: heather, cotton grass, moorland grasses. By contrast, the current climate niche predicted L. europaeus occupying lowland areas with a milder climate and range extent of 252km2. Its current habitat niche was also greater, 401km2, being mostly improved grassland. Competition was presently limited. The current niche predictions showed very little geographic overlap between the species. Niche overlap measured by Schoener Index was low: current climate niche 0.16; current habitat niche 0.07. The future climate niches for 2050 (IPCC RCP2.6), predicted L. timidus range contracting to 19km2, on hilltops and L. europaeus range expanding to 765km2. Consequently L. timidus range would be wholly within the L. europaeus range. In many contact zones throughout Europe, L. europaeus outcompetes L. timidus; however, in the Peak District their distributions are largely distinct. Future replacement of L. timidus by L. europaeus may be engendered by dietary convergence, should a warmer climate cause a transition of upland dwarf shrub vegetation to grasses. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bedson, Carlos Devenish, Christian Symeonakis, Elias Mallon, David Reid, Neil Harris, W. Edwin Preziosi, Richard |
author_facet |
Bedson, Carlos Devenish, Christian Symeonakis, Elias Mallon, David Reid, Neil Harris, W. Edwin Preziosi, Richard |
author_sort |
Bedson, Carlos |
title |
Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
title_short |
Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
title_full |
Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
title_fullStr |
Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
title_sort |
splitting hares: current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/251002346/1_s2.0_S1146609X21000412_main.pdf |
genre |
Lepus timidus Cotton-grass |
genre_facet |
Lepus timidus Cotton-grass |
op_source |
Bedson , C , Devenish , C , Symeonakis , E , Mallon , D , Reid , N , Harris , W E & Preziosi , R 2021 , ' Splitting hares: Current and future ecological niches predicted as distinctly different for two congeneric lagomorphs ' , Acta Oecologica , vol. 111 , 103742 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 |
op_relation |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/3e0974d1-e493-498e-a85e-9ffd4c0cc514 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103742 |
container_title |
Acta Oecologica |
container_volume |
111 |
container_start_page |
103742 |
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1799483439715450880 |