specieswide

Specieswide is a term used in biology to describe analyses, distributions, or traits that pertain to an entire species rather than a single population or locality. In ecology, evolution, and conservation, a specieswide perspective seeks to capture patterns of variation and processes across the species’ full geographic range and genetic diversity.

Unlike population-wide studies that focus on one population, or global studies that may extend beyond a species’ range, specieswide research integrates data from multiple populations across the range, often combining genomic data, demographic information, and species distribution models to examine large-scale trends.

Applications include assessing conservation status with range-wide data, detecting geographic structure and local adaptation, and modelling range shifts under climate change. Specieswide analyses can reveal whether apparent traits are uniform across the species or confined to particular regions or lineages, informing management and policy decisions.

Methods commonly involve broad sampling, phylogeography and population-genetic analyses, landscape genetics, meta-analyses, and GIS-based niche modelling. Challenges include uneven sampling, missing data, and biases that can distort big-picture inferences. Interpreting specieswide patterns requires attention to population structure, historical demography, and ecological context.

See also: population genetics, conservation biology, biogeography.