Biome: evolution of a crucial ecological and biogeographical concept

Abstract

Summary A biome is a key community ecological and biogeographical concept and, as such, has profited from the overall progress of community ecology, punctuated by two major innovations: shifting the focus from pure pattern description to understanding functionality, and changing the approach from observational to explanatory and, most importantly, from descriptive to predictive. The functional focus enabled development of mechanistic and function‐focused predictive and retrodictive modelling; it also shaped the current understanding of the concept of a biome as a dynamic biological entity having many aspects, with deep roots in the evolutionary past, and which is undergoing change. The evolution of the biome concept was punctuated by three synthetic steps: the first synthesis formulated a solid body of theory explaining the ecological and biogeographical meaning of zonality and collated our knowledge on drivers of vegetation patterns at large spatial scales; the second translated this knowledge into effective mechanistic modelling tools, developing further the link between ecosystem functionality and biogeography; and the third (still in progress) is seeking common ground between large‐scale ecological and biogeographic phenomena, using macroecology and macroevolutionary research tools.

Exploring patterns of beta‐diversity to test the consistency of biogeographical boundaries: A case study across forest plant communities of Italy

“…This historical phase strongly influenced biogeographical and evolutionary processes, determining species distribution patterns across Italy and contributing to the distinctiveness of the Alpine biota (Schönswetter et al, ). These historical aspects would confirm the idea that biogeographical regions are dynamic entities over evolutionary time (e.g., Mucina, ).…”

“…Besides the role of the Alps as topographic barrier, which limits the dispersion of species, and the low connectivity between Alps and Apennines, the distinctiveness of forest plant communities in the Alpine region is certainly related to a strong latitudinal and elevation difference compared to other Italian regions where distinct climatic differences are more important. Climatic factors, related for instance to the water-energy balance (Hawkins et al, 2003;Whittaker, Nogués-Bravo, & Araújo, 2007), are among the main drivers of biogeographical patterns (Mucina, 2019;Rueda et al, 2010;Sexton, McIntyre, Angert, & Rice, 2009), influencing fundamental biotic processes as reproduction, dispersal, and establishment. According to the climate hypothesis (Hawkins et al, 2003), these processes play a key role in controlling species distribution patterns.…”

Diversification is decoupled from biome fidelity: Acacia – a case study

“…However, biome concepts do not generally consider disturbance or biotic processes which are known to influence species distributions (Moncrieff et al, ), and therefore may represent incomplete descriptors of the niches of species. There are many biome classifications defined in a variety of ways (Mucina, ), our approach is to use a range of biome classifications that differ strongly in their underlying assumptions.…”

“…There are many biome classifications defined in a variety of ways (Mucina, 2018), our approach is to use a range of biome classifications that differ strongly in their underlying assumptions.…”

Modeling phylogenetic biome shifts on a planet with a past

“…Biomes are ecologically and climatically distinct species assemblages that vary in 39 size, shape, and continuity across geographical regions, in large part due to regional 40 differences in temperature, precipitation, seasonality, altitude, soil types, and 41 continentality (Whittaker 1970;Wolfe 1985;Olson et al 2001;Mucina 2019). The diversity 42 of biomes occupied by particular lineages also varies considerably, with some clades 43 exhibiting strict associations with particular biomes, and others showing multiple 44 transitions between biomes over time .…”