CBER External Seminar - Muyang Lu, Yale University

Abstract: Niche is one of the most fundamental concepts in ecology and evolution. It dictates how species interact with one another in an ever changing environment.
Quantifying niche variations across time and space is crucial for understanding and preserving biodiversity across the globe. Since the seminar work of Hutchinson, numerous measurements and definitions of niche have been proposed which have more often caused confusion than brought clarity to the interpretation of niche. The inconsistent use of the niche concept (such as in describing dietary requirement, habitat use and climate suitability) imposes a great challenge in linking niche variations across different spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales (e.g., from individual niche to population and species niche). Building on Hutchinson’s n-dimensional hypervolume concept, I will demonstrate how a hypervolume definition of niche could provide a unifying framework in predicting the spatial and taxonomic scaling of niches.