Publication
Title
Patterns of niche conservatism among non-native birds in Europe are dependent on introduction history and selection of variables
Author
Abstract
Recently, the study of niche dynamics using spatial environmental data and species occurrences has become an active field of research. Several studies report niche shifts between native and invasive populations, but it is debated whether these shifts are biologically meaningful or result from methodological artefacts. Using data on the occurrence of non-native birds in Europe, we assess the prevalence of niche shifts along a selected number of climatic variables and find that although niche differences are frequent, biological explanations are often not necessary. Niche shifts occurred more frequently along variables that were of little ecological importance in the non-native range, and about 75 % of the shifts detected do not result from range expansion into different environments but only reflect climatic conditions at introduction locations. Excluding variables exhibiting a niche shift increases the accuracy of predictions of invasion risk generated by native-range based distribution models, evidencing that selection of variables is a crucial step when studying niche changes during biological invasions.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Biological invasions. - Dordrecht, 1999, currens
Publication
Dordrecht : 2014
ISSN
1387-3547 [print]
1573-1464 [online]
DOI
10.1007/S10530-013-0539-3
Volume/pages
16 :4 (2014) , p. 759-764
ISI
000333011700003
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 18.09.2013
Last edited 09.10.2023
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