Trees have overlapping potential niches that extend beyond their realized niches

Tree species appear to prefer distinct climatic conditions, but the true nature of these preferences is obscured by species interactions and dispersal, which limit species' ranges. We quantified realized and potential thermal niches of 188 North American tree species to conduct a continental-sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2024-07, Vol.385 (6704), p.75-80
Main Authors: Laughlin, Daniel C, McGill, Brian J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arboreta
Climate Change
Dispersal
Ecosystem
Environmental changes
Indigenous species
Niches
North America
Temperature
Temperature tolerance
Tolerances
Trees
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Summary:Tree species appear to prefer distinct climatic conditions, but the true nature of these preferences is obscured by species interactions and dispersal, which limit species' ranges. We quantified realized and potential thermal niches of 188 North American tree species to conduct a continental-scale test of the architecture of niches. We found strong and consistent evidence that species occurring at thermal extremes occupy less than three-quarters of their potential niches, and species' potential niches overlap at a mean annual temperature of ~12°C. These results clarify the breadth of thermal tolerances of temperate tree species and support the centrifugal organization of thermal niches. Accounting for the nonrealized components of ecological niches will advance theory and prediction in global change ecology.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adm8671