Variation in successional niche turnover of multiple taxa in a recovering tropical rainforest

Understanding the niche turnover of ecological communities is fundamental for advancing successional theory and effective restoration. However, since niche preferences are known for a few taxa, ecosystem succession is only partially understood. To fill this gap, using a null model approach, we determined the niche optimal within eighteen ecological communities (bacteria, animals, and plants) across a tropical rainforest chronosequence to assess niche successional turnover. The approach was reliable, as niche determinations aligned with known habitat preferences of well-studied taxa (birds, trees, mammals). We found that niche turnover was pronounced, with one-third classified as early (pioneers), mid (intermediate), or late-successional (climax). Such turnover was continuous, with low species overlap and the highest species richness in old-growth forests, rejecting the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which predicts a peak in mid-successional forests. Our results highlight the importance of old growth and the necessity of addressing the distinct needs of various ecological communities for restoration. DOI https://doi.org/10.32942/X2934Z Subjects Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

tropical forest, secondary succession, niche turnover, intermediate disturbance hypothesis, multiple taxa Dates Published: 2025-03-25 14:04 Last Updated: 2025-03-25 14:04 License CC BY Attribution 4.0 International Additional Metadata Conflict of interest statement: We declare no conflict of interest Language: English