Local niches explain coexistence in environmentally-distinct contact zones between Western Mediterranean vipers.

ABSTRACT: Species' ecological niches are frequently analysed to gain insights into how anthropogenic changes affect biodiversity. Coping with these changes often involves shifts in niche expression, which can disrupt local biotic interactions. Secondary contact zones, where competition and ecological segregation commonly occur, are ideal for studying the ecological factors influencing species' niches. In this study, we investigated the effect of climate and landscape factors on the ecological niches of two viper species, Vipera aspis and Vipera latastei, across three contact zones in northern Iberia, characterized by varying levels of landscape alteration. Using niche overlap tests, ecological niche models and spatial analyses we observed local variation in the expression of the species' niches acro

SUBMITTER: Freitas I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10689498 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature