Biogeography, macroecology and species' traits mediate competitive interactions in the order<scp>L</scp>agomorpha

Leach, Katie; Montgomery, W. Ian; Reid, Neil

doi:10.1111/mam.12035

Cited by 27 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…European lagomorphs exhibit strong competitive interactions and occupy a wide range of environmental conditions (Leach et al 2015a). They occupy extreme elevations in the Alps, and are found across all European latitudes, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean (Chapman and Flux 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

Characterizing biotic interactions within the Order Lagomorpha using Joint Species Distribution Models at 3 different spatial scales

Leach¹,

Montgomery²,

Reid³

2017

Journal of Mammalogy

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Species Distribution Models (SDMs) rarely incorporate biotic interactions, even though the latter may have great impacts on biogeographical patterns, because interactions can be difficult to model in time and space. In addition, the resolution of input data can have dramatic effects on results, with coarser resolutions unlikely to capture climatic variation at small scales, particularly in mountainous regions. Joint SDMs can be used to explore distributions of multiple, coexisting species and characterize modelled biotic interactions; however, the influence of scale on predictions is yet to be tested. We produced Joint SDMs for European lagomorph species at 3 hierarchical resolutions and calculated residual and environmental correlations that could explain why species may or may not co-occur, thereby suggesting biotic interactions. European lagomorph species exhibited similar environmental and biotic responses at all 3 resolutions (50 km, 25 km, and 10 km), with models at finer resolutions producing more precise estimates but requiring considerable computing time. The majority of pairwise residual responses were negative, indicating that European lagomorph species co-occur less than expected given their similarity in environmental responses, and suggesting modelled biotic interactions consistent with those reported in the literature. Finescale data and models offer greater precision but are not always necessary for multi-species models. However, caution is advised when inferring biotic interactions using data and models based on a coarser scale.

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confidence: 99%

Characterizing biotic interactions within the Order Lagomorpha using Joint Species Distribution Models at 3 different spatial scales

Leach¹,

Montgomery²,

Reid³

2017

Journal of Mammalogy

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“…Sympatry with the Mexican cottontail was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of the volcano rabbit in the Sierra Chichnautzin, but positively correlated in the Sierra Nevada. Higher levels of human disturbance (human impact index of 0.7 in the Sierra Chichinautzin vs 0.6 in the Sierra Nevada; Table 1) may indicate lower habitat quality in the Sierra Chichinautzin, which could intensify competition between the volcano rabbit and other lagomorphs (Leach et al, 2015). This finding is consistent with high levels of physiological stress (inferred by the amount of cortisol and its derivatives measured in the excreta) reported for the volcano rabbit in some patches in the Sierra Chichinautzin (Rizo-Aguilar et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting presence and relative abundance of the Endangered volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi, a habitat specialist

Osuna

Guevara

Martínez‐Meyer

et al. 2021

Oryx

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Habitat specialists are particularly vulnerable to extinction when habitat conditions are altered. Information on the habitat use of such species is thus important because it provides insight into factors that influence distribution and abundance, which is crucial for conservation. Here, we aimed to identify factors that influence the patterns of presence and abundance of the Endangered volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi, a rare leporid with a patchy distribution. Through exhaustive sampling of its range in the Sierra Chichinautzin and Sierra Nevada volcanic fields, Mexico, and using generalized linear models, we found that the probability of patch occupancy was higher where bunchgrass cover exceeded 75%, rock cover exceeded 5%, no cattle grazing was observed and human settlements were at least 7 km away. Patches with greater relative abundance were those with similar characteristics, but located at elevations > 3,600 m, and with rock cover < 15%. Cattle grazing was identified as a major threat to local populations of the volcano rabbit, particularly in the Sierra Chichinautzin. Because of the significance of bunchgrasses for this species, the protection of the mountain grasslands is required in both volcanic fields.

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“…Such competitive replacement hypothesis is supported by the general tendency of hare species to exclude each other and avoid sympatry, with only transient and minor areas of co‐occurrence (Flux, ). Broad distributions of hare species are generally either allopatric or parapatric with little overlap, and that is the case in Western European hares (Thulin, ), suggesting that interspecific competition is a major determinant of the distribution boundaries (Leach, Montgomery, & Reid, ). In the current contact between L. europaeus and L. granatensis in Northern Iberian Peninsula, densities are smaller in the narrow area of co‐existence of the species, and asymmetric species competition has been suggested (Acevedo, Jiménez‐Valverde, Melo‐Ferreira, et al., ; Gortazar et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post‐glacial range revolutions in South European hares (Lepus spp.): Insights from ancient DNA and ecological niche modelling

Lado

Farelo

Forest

et al. 2018

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim:The distribution of hares (Lepus spp.) in southern Europe was markedly different at the Last Glacial Maximum. Historical hybridization during range replacements led to high frequencies of mtDNA introgression from Lepus timidus into populations of three other species in northern Iberian Peninsula, even though L. timidus subsequently disappeared from the region. We use palaeontological records to provide new insights on the biogeographic history of these range replacements, combining ancient DNA and ecological niche modelling.Location: Southern France. Taxon: Hares (genus Lepus).Methods: DNA was extracted from hare bones collected at Neolithic sites in southern France (5.5-7.5 thousand years before present; kyr BP) with uncertain species assignment. One mtDNA fragment was sequenced and 27 SNPs from 11 nuclear genes with species-diagnostic information were genotyped. Distributions of L. granatensis, L. europaeus, and L. timidus were modelled using spatial and bioclimatic predictors, and the favourability function. Each model was transferred to 6 kyr BP and favourabilities were combined to determine the species with the highest environmental favourability in each sampled locality.Results: Ancient DNA analysis showed that the screened specimens belong to L. granatensis, a species presently confined to the Iberian Peninsula, but carried mtDNA haplotypes from L. timidus. Niche models show that L. granatensis achieved highest favourability in southern France 6 kyr BP reinforcing the molecular evidences.Main conclusions: L. granatensis replaced L. timidus populations from Iberia to southern France, being present in this region 5.5 kyr BP. Subsequent westwards invasion of L. europaeus likely replaced these L. granatensis populations towards northern Iberia, establishing current ranges. Despite successive species replacements, introgressed mtDNA haplotypes from L. timidus mark the distribution of the species in northern Iberian Peninsula before it disappeared in the region. Characterizing complex biogeographic histories of interacting species is a key to understand processes that led to current distributions of genetic diversity.

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Biogeography, macroecology and species' traits mediate competitive interactions in the orderLagomorpha

Cited by 27 publications

References 86 publications

Characterizing biotic interactions within the Order Lagomorpha using Joint Species Distribution Models at 3 different spatial scales

Characterizing biotic interactions within the Order Lagomorpha using Joint Species Distribution Models at 3 different spatial scales

Factors affecting presence and relative abundance of the Endangered volcano rabbit Romerolagus diazi, a habitat specialist

Post‐glacial range revolutions in South European hares (Lepus spp.): Insights from ancient DNA and ecological niche modelling

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