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<p>Understanding how ecological differentiation contributes to plant diversification is central to evolutionary biogeography, particularly in environmentally heterogeneous regions. This study investigates whether ecological niche divergence underlies subspecies differentiation within the <i>Dianthus polylepis</i> complex, between <i>D. p. polylepis</i> and <i>D. p. binaludensis</i>. I combined ecological niche modeling (MaxEnt), multivariate environmental analyses (PCA, density kernel plots), and quantitative niche overlap metrics (Schoener’s <i>D</i>, <i>I</i>-statistic, Hellinger distance) to assess the degree and nature of ecological separation. My results revealed partial but consistent niche divergence, with <i>D. p. polylepis</i> occupying a broader and more environmentally variable niche, while <i>D. p. binaludensis</i> is more specialized, supporting partial niche differentiation driven by distinct environmental filters. Although background similarity and equivalence tests did not detect statistically significant divergence, moderate ecological dissimilarity, especially in NDVI and soil variables, suggests emerging habitat differentiation. The lack of statistically significant niche divergence may partly result from limited sample sizes, which can reduce the statistical power of background similarity tests to detect subtle ecological differentiation. These findings are consistent with a scenario of incipient ecological divergence, where core climatic niche conservatism is maintained while divergence proceeds along secondary environmental axes. This study highlights the utility of integrated environmental and spatial analyses for detecting early signals of ecological differentiation and provides insights into the potential role of niche evolution in shaping plant diversification within mountainous biodiversity hotspots.</p>

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Partial ecological niche differentiation suggests incipient ecological divergence in Dianthus polylepis subspecies

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月30日

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  • Maryam Behroozian

摘要

Understanding how ecological differentiation contributes to plant diversification is central to evolutionary biogeography, particularly in environmentally heterogeneous regions. This study investigates whether ecological niche divergence underlies subspecies differentiation within the Dianthus polylepis complex, between D. p. polylepis and D. p. binaludensis. I combined ecological niche modeling (MaxEnt), multivariate environmental analyses (PCA, density kernel plots), and quantitative niche overlap metrics (Schoener’s D, I-statistic, Hellinger distance) to assess the degree and nature of ecological separation. My results revealed partial but consistent niche divergence, with D. p. polylepis occupying a broader and more environmentally variable niche, while D. p. binaludensis is more specialized, supporting partial niche differentiation driven by distinct environmental filters. Although background similarity and equivalence tests did not detect statistically significant divergence, moderate ecological dissimilarity, especially in NDVI and soil variables, suggests emerging habitat differentiation. The lack of statistically significant niche divergence may partly result from limited sample sizes, which can reduce the statistical power of background similarity tests to detect subtle ecological differentiation. These findings are consistent with a scenario of incipient ecological divergence, where core climatic niche conservatism is maintained while divergence proceeds along secondary environmental axes. This study highlights the utility of integrated environmental and spatial analyses for detecting early signals of ecological differentiation and provides insights into the potential role of niche evolution in shaping plant diversification within mountainous biodiversity hotspots.