Scale-sensitivity in the measurement and interpretation of environmental niches. (June 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Muyang; Jetz, Walter
• Is Part Of: Trends in ecology & evolution. Volume 38:Number 6(2023)
• Page Start: 554
• Page End: 567
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Subjects: scaling -- niche evolution -- niche tracking -- hypervolume -- species distribution models -- climate change; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0169-5347

Abstract

Highlights: Organisms experience environmental conditions over contiguous geographic space. However, empirical studies tend to characterize this environment in a way that is discrete and often subjective. Owing to practical limitations, the spatial grain (resolution) at which we record environmental conditions often fails to capture the true environmental variation experienced by a species, therefore hindering estimation of the ecological niches of species. Despite the general awareness of the importance of spatial scale in niche studies, the impact of variable spatial grains in biodiversity and environmental data on ecological and evolutionary inference remains insufficiently appreciated. We illustrate the key drivers and consequences of the grain size-dependence of environmental niche estimates and provide general recommendations on how to address the issue of grain size-dependence in empirical studies. Abstract: Species environmental niches are central to ecology, evolution, and global change research, but their characterization and interpretation depend on the spatial scale (specifically, the spatial grain) of their measurement. We find that the spatial grain of niche measurement is usually uninformed by ecological processes and varies by orders of magnitude. We illustrate the consequences of this variation for the volume, position, and shape of niche estimates, and discuss how it interacts with geographic range size, habitat specialization, and environmental heterogeneity. Spatial grain significantly affects the study of niche breadth, environmental suitability, niche evolution, niche tracking, and climate change effects. These and other fields will benefit from a more mechanism-informed choice of spatial grain and cross-grain evaluations that integrate different data sources.