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- MakaleAçık Erişim2023Geographic distribution of two Montivipera taxa using ecological niche modeling
Kurnaz, Muammer
Ecological niche modeling predicts the potential distribution areas of species and contributes to measuring the niche differentiation among taxa. Montivipera albizona and M. bulgardaghica are two mountain viper taxa distributed in Anatolia. In the present study, the habitat suitability of M. albizona and M. bulgardaghica was assessed, and ecological niche ranges between these taxa were compared. According to species distribution models, while the distribution area of M. albizona covers a relatively large region in central Anatolia, M. bulgardaghica has a relatively narrow distribution over the eastern Taurus mountains. The species distributional results showed that the annual temperature range and mean temperature of the coldest quarter were the highest contributing variables, with 62.5% for M. albizona and 67.9% for M. bulgardaghica. Montiverpa albizona prefers 13 different habitat types, while M. bulgardaghica prefers 6 different habitat types in their distribution areas. Niche differentiation analysis revealed that there was no overlap between the two taxa in terms of their ecological niches.
- MakaleYayıncıda açık erişim2021A contribution to the biogeography and taxonomy of two anatolian mountain brook newts, neurergus barani and n. Strauchii (amphibia: Salamandridae) using ecological niche modeling
Kurnaz, Muammer; Şahin, Mehmet Kürşat
The Anatolian newt, Neurergus strauchii, is an endemic Anatolian species. Until recently, N. strauchii was represented by three subspecies. It has been discussed within a recent phylogenetic study in which the subspecies N. s. barani is recommended to be evaluated as a cryptic but distinct species. To address this subject, we aimed to discuss the niche differentiation between N. barani and N. strauchii using geographical and bioclimatic aspects. All georeferenced data of N. barani and N. strauchii were used to estimate the potential distributions of these species in the Anatolian Peninsula. To evaluate their ecological niche differentiation, point-based analysis and niche similarity tests were done. Ecological niche modeling outcomes demonstrated a significant niche differentiation between N. barani and N. strauchii. Moreover, since these species are distributed in the east and west of the Euphrates Basin, this river might be considered as a geographic barrier that can cause isolation for these species. Lastly, we demonstrated their potential distributions for future with several scenarios. Our findings strengthened the results of the recent phylogenetic study and indicated the necessity of handling “barani” taxa at the species level. Moreover, these results contribute, as a piece of evidence, to the biodiversity of Anatolia where another endemic species lives.