J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (1): 176-185 .DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rty007

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Inconsistent interspecific and intraspecific differentiation of climate envelopes in a subtropical tree

Qiuchi Wan1,2,*, Zhuo Zheng1, Marta Benito-Garzón2 and Rémy J. Petit2   

  1. 1 School of Earth Science and Geological Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, 135 Xingang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510275, China
    2 Biogeco, INRA, University of Bordeaux, 69 Arcachon Road, 33610 Cestas, France
    *Correspondence address. School of Earth Science and Geological Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. E-mail: wanqch@mail3.sysu.edu.cn
  • Received:2017-05-08 Revised:2018-01-11 Accepted:2018-01-29 Online:2018-02-03 Published:2019-02-01

Abstract:

Aims

Comparisons of climate envelopes among species have shown that niche conservatism tends to break down over time. Here, we use the Asian tree genus Platycarya (Juglandaceae) as a case study to test this tendency at relatively short timescales in a single lineage. This, together with a reanalysis of the extant literature, should help evaluate prospects of using correlations between climate and species occurrence data to infer evolutionary processes.

Methods

We rely on species distribution models (SDMs) and multivariate analyses to compare current and past (Last Glacial Maximum ~21ka) climatic envelopes between the two extant Platycarya species (Platycarya strobilacea and Platycarya longipes) and between mainland and Taiwan populations of P. strobilacea, paying particular attention to autocorrelation issues. We also review interpretations provided in similar studies comparing climate envelopes between and within species, including in studies involving native and introduced populations of the same species.

Important Findings

We find intraspecific but not interspecific differentiation in climate envelopes of Platycarya, despite the prediction that niche differentiation should be stronger between older groups. Our review also suggests that differentiation in climate envelopes need not imply rapid evolutionary divergence. Whereas SDMs can be used to raise evolutionary hypotheses to be validated with other data, we conclude that it should not be used to directly infer short-term evolutionary processes.

Key words: climate envelope, Last Glacial Maximum, evolution, Platycarya, species distribution models