A matter of scale: apparent niche differentiation of diploid and tetraploid plants may depend on extent and grain of analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Emerging polyploids may depend on environmental niche shifts for successful establishment. Using the alpine plant Ranunculus kuepferi as a model system, we explore the niche shift hypothesis at different spatial resolutions and in contrasting parts of the species range.

Location

European Alps.

Methods

We sampled 12 individuals from each of 102 populations of R. kuepferi across the Alps, determined their ploidy levels, derived coarse-grain (100 × 100 m) environmental descriptors for all sampling sites by downscaling WorldClim maps, and calculated fine-scale environmental descriptors (2 × 2 m) from indicator values of the vegetation accompanying the sampled individuals. Both coarse and fine-scale variables were further computed for 8239 vegetation plot

SUBMITTER: Kirchheimer B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4966631 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature