Abstract
AbstractThe analysis of ecological niche is an important task to correctly identify the role exerted by species within ecosystems, to assess their vulnerability, to plan effective measures addressed at fulfilling the postulates of biological conservation, and ultimately to prevent biodiversity loss. However, for the majority of organisms our knowledge about the actual extent of their ecological niche is quite limited. This is especially true for microscopic organisms. Evidence exists that in different geographical areas allegedly conspecific populations can show different, if not antithetical, ecological requirements and not-overlapping ecological niches. This opinion paper discusses whether this “niche displacement” effectively occurs between conspecific populations or if the pattern is rather due to an inaccurate identification of species and/or to an insufficient knowledge about population and community ecology. Hence, some subjectively selected study cases when alleged phenomena of niche displacements take place are presented, and shortfalls in the correct assessment of the identity and ecological niches of microscopic aquatic eukaryotes, namely phytoplankton, zooplankton, and meiofauna are shown.
Funder
Università degli Studi di Palermo
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Reference132 articles.
1. Agapow, P.-M., O. R. P. Bininda-Emons, K. A. Crandall, J. L. Gittleman, G. M. Mace, J. C. Marshall & A. Purvis, 2004. The impact of species concept on biodiversity studies. The Quarterly Review of Biology 79: 161–179.
2. Agnarsson, I. & M. Kuntner, 2007. Taxonomy in a changing world: seeking solutions for a science in crisis. Systematic Biology 56: 531–539.
3. Ajani, P. A., N. McGinty, Z. V. Finkel & A. J. Irwin, 2018. Phytoplankton realized niches track changing oceanic conditions at a long-term coastal station off Sydney Australia. Frontiers in Marine Science 5: 285.
4. Alfonso, G. & G. Belmonte, 2013. Neolovenula alluaudi (Guerne and Richard, 1890) (Calanoida: Diaptomidae: Paradiaptominae): first record in Italy and review of geographical distribution. Journal of Limnology 72: e20.
5. Alfonso, G., F. Stoch & F. Marrone, 2021. An annotated checklist and bibliography of the Diaptomidae (Copepoda, Calanoida) of Italy, Corsica, and the Maltese islands. Journal of Limnology 80: 2019.
Cited by
15 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献