Niche Estimation Above and Below the Species Level.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Biogeography

Background:

• Ecological niches are shaped by local adaptation and shared tolerances within related lineages.
• Phylogenetic relationships offer valuable, yet underutilized, insights for ecological niche modeling.
• Current niche modeling often defaults to the species level, overlooking evolutionary processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review strategies for integrating evolutionary information into ecological niche models.
• To challenge the species-level as the default for niche estimation.
• To promote a reevaluation of how ecological niche and distribution models are assessed.

Main Methods:

• Review of three strategies for incorporating phylogenetic data: lineage splitting, lumping, and partial pooling.
• Analysis of statistical frameworks that account for evolutionary relationships.
• Comparison of species-level modeling with evolution-informed approaches.

Main Results:

• Evolutionary information can enhance the accuracy and biological realism of niche models.
• Different strategies (splitting, lumping, pooling) offer distinct ways to leverage phylogenetic data.
• Modeling at the species level can obscure crucial aspects of niche evolution.

Conclusions:

• Integrating phylogenetic data is essential for robust ecological niche modeling.
• Moving beyond species-level analysis is critical for understanding niche evolution.
• Future progress depends on refining methods for assessing niche versus distribution models.