Journal article

Ecophylogenetics: advances and perspectives

  • Mouquet, Nicolas Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université Montpellier2, France
  • Devictor, Vincent Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université Montpellier2, France
  • Meynard, Christine N. Cirad Montpellier SupAgro , Montferrier sur Lez, France
  • Munoz, Francois Botanique et BioinforMatique de l Architecture des Plantes, Montpellier, France
  • Bersier, Louis-Félix Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Chave, Jérôme Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
  • Couteron, Pierre Botanique et BioinforMatique de l Architecture des Plantes, Montpellier, France
  • Dalecky, Ambroise Cirad Montpellier SupAgro , Campus International de Baillarguet, CS 30016, 34988 Montferrier sur Lez, France
  • Fontaine, Colin Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France
  • Gravel, Dominique Université du Québec à Rimouski, Département de biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Québec, Canada
  • Hardy, Olivier J. Evolution Biologique et Ecologie, Brussels, Belgium
  • Jabot, Franck Laboratoire d Ingénierie pour les Systèmes Complexes, Aubière, France
  • Lavergne, Sébastien Laboratoire d Ecologie Alpine, Grenoble, France
  • Leibold, Mathew Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • Mouillot, David Laboratoire ECOSYM Université Montpellier 2, France - ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
  • Münkemüller, Tamara Laboratoire d Ecologie Alpine, Grenoble, France
  • Pavoine, Sandrine Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France - Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
  • Prinzing, Andreas Equipe Ecologie de la Diversification, Rennes, France
  • Rodrigues, Ana S. L. Centre d Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Montpellier, France
  • Rohr, Rudolf P. Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Sevilla, Spain
  • Thébault, Elisa Biogéochimie et écologie des milieux continentaux, Paris, France
  • Thuiller, Wilfried Laboratoire d Ecologie Alpine, Grenoble, France
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    20.04.2012
Published in:
  • Biologial Review. - 2012, vol. 87, no. 4, p. 769-785
English Ecophylogenetics can be viewed as an emerging fusion of ecology, biogeography and macroevolution. This new and fast-growing field is promoting the incorporation of evolution and historical contingencies into the ecological research agenda through the widespread use of phylogenetic data. Including phylogeny into ecological thinking represents an opportunity for biologists from different fields to collaborate and has provided promising avenues of research in both theoretical and empirical ecology, towards a better understanding of the assembly of communities, the functioning of ecosystems and their responses to environmental changes. The time is ripe to assess critically the extent to which the integration of phylogeny into these different fields of ecology has delivered on its promise. Here we review how phylogenetic information has been used to identify better the key components of species interactions with their biotic and abiotic environments, to determine the relationships between diversity and ecosystem functioning and ultimately to establish good management practices to protect overall biodiversity in the face of global change. We evaluate the relevance of information provided by phylogenies to ecologists, highlighting current potential weaknesses and needs for future developments. We suggest that despite the strong progress that has been made, a consistent unified framework is still missing to link local ecological dynamics to macroevolution. This is a necessary step in order to interpret observed phylogenetic patterns in a wider ecological context. Beyond the fundamental question of how evolutionary history contributes to shape communities, ecophylogenetics will help ecology to become a better integrative and predictive science.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Biologie
Language
  • English
Classification
Biological sciences
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/302260
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