Abstract
Niche conservatism is considered a fundamental assumption to generate species distribution models and to estimate areas of invasion risk. These models estimate the climatic requirements of an invasive species and place these requirements outside its native region, thus, if the species has not changed its niche, possible areas of high risk of invasion are identified. This paper analyzes the concept of niche conservatism and its implications of the use of this theoretical assumption in estimating the risk of invasion. It was found that niche conservatism is repeated in many taxonomic groups, is a pattern that varies along a continuum and is affected by the scale or reference point on which it is working. The niche conservatism assumption is not always met, there are exceptions, which should be considered when using species distribution models to predict areas at risk of being invaded, otherwise these areas could be underestimated.
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