The prevalence of species-habitat association is not adequate for justifying the niche differentiation hypothesis

G. Shen; S. Tan; Q. Yang; X. Y. Sun; X. W. Sun; X. Wang

doi:10.1556/168.2018.19.1.5

Jump to Content

Community Ecology

Volume/Issue:: Volume 19: Issue 1

The prevalence of species-habitat association is not adequate for justifying the niche differentiation hypothesis

Authors:

G. Shen

G. Shen Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, Zhejiang, Ningbo, 315114, China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1515 North Zhongshan Rd. (No.2), Shanghai 200092, China

Search for other papers by G. Shen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

S. Tan

S. Tan East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

Search for other papers by S. Tan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Q. Yang

Q. Yang Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, Zhejiang, Ningbo, 315114, China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

Search for other papers by Q. Yang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

X. Y. Sun

X. Y. Sun Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, Zhejiang, Ningbo, 315114, China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

Search for other papers by X. Y. Sun in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

X. W. Sun

X. W. Sun Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, Zhejiang, Ningbo, 315114, China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

Search for other papers by X. W. Sun in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

, and

X. Wang

X. Wang Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, Zhejiang, Ningbo, 315114, China
East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1515 North Zhongshan Rd. (No.2), Shanghai 200092, China

Search for other papers by X. Wang in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

View More View Less

Pages:: 45–52

Online Publication Date:: Jun 2018

Publication Date:: 01 Jun 2018

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1556/168.2018.19.1.5

Keywords:: Cross-validation; Habitat complexity; Habitat preference; Species diversity; Tiantong plot

Restricted access

The hypothesis of niche differentiation with respect to resources is considered to be one of the most influential explanations for the maintenance of species diversity. The hypothesis has been examined extensively by testing its prediction of species-habitat association, which posits that the spatial distribution of species is highly correlated with environmental variables. However, we argue that widespread evidence of the species-habitat association lacks adequate rigor to justify the niche differentiation hypothesis. In this study, we tested whether and to what extent the observed species-habitat association could be caused by ecological processes other than niche differentiation, in a 20-ha subtropical forest plot. The niche differentiation hypothesis was evaluated by testing the species-habitat association and performing a cross-evaluation of the habitat-diversity expectation, which posits that a strong positive correlation exists between species diversity and habitat complexity. Failure to support the habitat-diversity expectation would at a minimum indicate that the niche differentiation hypothesis might not be the main underlying process of species distribution, despite prevalence of the species-habitat association in the same plot. Our analysis revealed that distributions of most species (86.11%) in the plot were significantly associated with at least one of eight topographical and soil nutrient variables. However, there was almost no significant positive correlation between species diversity and habitat complexity at various spatial scales in the same plot. The results indicate that additional caution is warranted when interpreting the species-habitat association from the niche differentiation perspective. A significant species-habitat association indicates only a species’ habitat preference. The association may reveal nothing about interspecific differences in habitat preference, which is a requirement of the niche differentiation hypothesis.

Supplementary Materials

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share Link

Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://akjournals.com/abstract/journals/168/19/1/article-p45.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

Community Ecology An Interdisciplinary Journal Reporting Progress in Community and Population Studies

Print ISSN:: 1585-8553

Online ISSN:: 1588-2756

To see the editorial board, please visit the website of Springer Nature.

Manuscript Submission: HERE

For subscription options, please visit the website of Springer Nature.

Community Ecology
Language	English
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	2000
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	3
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible Publisher	Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN	1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2756 (Online)