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Rossi AJ, Klinger RC, Hellwig EC, Van Vuren DH. Niches of three sympatric montane ground‐dwelling squirrels: Relative importance of climate, topography, and landcover. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9949. [PMID: 37013103 PMCID: PMC10065979 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Species with different ecological niches will likely exhibit distinct responses to a changing environment. Differences in the magnitude of niche specialization may also indicate which species may be more vulnerable to environmental change, as many life‐history characteristics are known to affect climate change vulnerability. We characterized the niche space of three sympatric high‐elevation ground‐dwelling squirrels, yellow‐bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventer), Belding's ground squirrel (Urocitellus beldingi), and golden‐mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis), in the alpine and upper subalpine regions of the Sierra Nevada in California. We used 5879 observations of individual squirrels, collected from 4 years (2009–2012) of transect survey data, to quantify which ecogeographical variable types (climate, topography, or landcover) were most important in defining the niche of each species. We conducted Ecological Niche Factor Analysis to quantify the niche and generate indices of “marginality” (magnitude of selection) and “specialization” (narrowness of niche space). All three species demonstrated differential use of niche space when compared to the available niche space. Moreover, the relative importance of the variables shaping the niche differed among these species. For example, the presence of meadows was important in defining the niche for U. beldingi and M. flaviventer, but the presence of conifers was important to C. lateralis. Precipitation was important in defining the niche for all three species, positively so for U. beldingi, and negatively for the other two species. The niche breadth of these three species was also positively associated with geographic range size. Mammals in high‐elevation mountain systems often are perceived as vulnerable to climate shifts, but our results underscore the importance of also including non‐climate‐based factors in defining the niche. The overall magnitude of niche selection for all three species was driven by a combination of topographic, climatic, and landcover factors; thus, efforts to forecast areas where these species can persist in the future need to evaluate from more than just a climatic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviva J. Rossi
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation BiologyUniversity of California, DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Robert C. Klinger
- Western Ecological Research CenterU.S. Geological Survey2761 Glenbrook WayBishopCalifornia93514USA
| | - Elise C. Hellwig
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation BiologyUniversity of California, DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Dirk H. Van Vuren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation BiologyUniversity of California, DavisOne Shields AvenueDavisCalifornia95616USA
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2
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Hordley LA, Fox R, Suggitt AJ, Bourn NAD. Precipitation buffers temperature-driven local extinctions of moths at warm range margins. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:805-815. [PMID: 36946283 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Species' distributions are moving polewards in response to climate change, and although range expansions of relatively warm-adapted species are widely reported, reports of range retractions in cool-adapted species are less common. Here, we analysed species' distribution shifts for 76 cool-adapted moths in Great Britain using citizen science occurrence records from the National Moth Recording Scheme over a 40-year period. Although we find evidence for trailing edge shifts to higher latitudes, shifts in species' range centroids are oriented towards the north-west, and are more closely correlated with directional changes in total precipitation than average temperature. We also found that species' local extinction risk is higher in areas where temperature is high and precipitation is low, but this risk diminishes as precipitation increases. Adaptation efforts should therefore focus on maintaining or increasing water availability as the climate continues to change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Fox
- Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, Wareham, UK
| | - Andrew J Suggitt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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3
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Primack RB, Miller-Rushing AJ, Miller TK. Was Henry David Thoreau a Good Naturalist? An Approach for Assessing Data from Historical Natural History Records. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
abstract
Ecologists are increasingly combining historical observations made by naturalists with modern observations to detect the ecological effects of climate change. This use of historical observations raises the following question: How do we know that historical data are appropriate to use to answer current ecological questions? In the present article, we address this question for environmental philosopher Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden. Should we trust his observations? We qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate Thoreau's observations using a three-step framework: We assess the rigor, accuracy, and utility of his observations to investigate changes in plants and animals over time. We conclude that Thoreau was an accurate observer of nature and a reliable scientist. More importantly, we describe how this simple three-step approach could be used to assess the accuracy of other scientists and naturalists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Primack
- Department of Biology, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Abraham J Miller-Rushing
- US National Park Service, science coordinator for Acadia National Park , Bar Harbor, Maine, United States
| | - Tara K Miller
- Department of Biology, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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4
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Small mammals in a mountain ecosystem: the effect of topographic, micrometeorological, and biological correlates on their community structure. COMMUNITY ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-022-00104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAn increasing number of studies have investigated spatial and temporal patterns in species richness and assemblage composition in mountain ecosystems along altitudinal gradients. Small mammals have been successfully used as indicators of environmental health and as proxies of biodiversity. However, information about the composition and distribution of species assemblages in the mosaic of habitat and rocky landform types at a high altitude is still lacking for most of the mountain regions. Through the use of live traps and camera trapping, we described the small mammal community living above the treeline of the Western Dolomites (Italian Alps), investigating the species richness, abundance of individuals and community composition in relation to topographic, micrometeorological, mesohabitat, and biological correlates. A total of five species and 50 individuals were sampled, analysed, and released. At the extremes of the analysed altitudinal range (i.e. 1900 vs 2900 m a.s.l.), community composition was completely different and species richness was related to elevation, steepness, and vegetation cover. At the same time, the taxonomic distinctness of ground-dwelling arthropods (namely carabid beetles and spiders), a proxy of habitat complexity, showed higher values in areas with a greater small mammal species richness. We found a positive effect of steepness and rocky landform type “carsism” on the number of captured individuals, showing the importance of the availability of shelters and underground burrows for the sampled species. As a confirmation of the altitudinal shift for these species in relation to the ongoing climate change, we detected a negative impact of sub-surface ground temperature on small mammal abundance during the monitoring period. In conclusion, small mammals represent an excellent model for understanding the evolutionary processes of ecosystems, population dynamics under changing environmental conditions, and habitat vulnerabilities.
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5
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Teitelbaum CS, Sirén APK, Coffel E, Foster JR, Frair JL, Hinton JW, Horton RM, Kramer DW, Lesk C, Raymond C, Wattles DW, Zeller KA, Morelli TL. Habitat use as indicator of adaptive capacity to climate change. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexej P. K. Sirén
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
| | - Ethan Coffel
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Department of Geography and the Environment Syracuse University Syracuse NY USA
| | - Jane R. Foster
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Joseph W. Hinton
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Radley M. Horton
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - David W. Kramer
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation Albany NY USA
| | - Corey Lesk
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - Colin Raymond
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
| | | | - Katherine A. Zeller
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Amherst MA USA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Amherst MA USA
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Schulte To Bühne H, Tobias JA, Durant SM, Pettorelli N. Improving Predictions of Climate Change-Land Use Change Interactions. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:29-38. [PMID: 33020018 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Climate change and land use change often interact, altering biodiversity in unexpected ways. Research into climate change-land use change (CC-LUC) interactions has so far focused on quantifying biodiversity outcomes, rather than identifying the underlying ecological mechanisms, making it difficult to predict interactions and design appropriate conservation responses. We propose a risk-based framework to further our understanding of CC-LUC interactions. By identifying the factors driving the exposure and vulnerability of biodiversity to land use change, and then examining how these factors are altered by climate change (or vice versa), this framework will allow the effects of different interaction mechanisms to be compared across geographic and ecological contexts, supporting efforts to reduce biodiversity loss from interacting stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrike Schulte To Bühne
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY London, UK; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, SL5 7PY Ascot, UK.
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, SL5 7PY Ascot, UK
| | - Sarah M Durant
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY London, UK
| | - Nathalie Pettorelli
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY London, UK
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7
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Abstract
Climate-wise connectivity is essential to provide species access to suitable habitats in the future, yet we lack a consistent means of quantifying climate adaptation benefits of habitat linkages. Species range shifts to cooler climates have been widely observed, suggesting we should protect pathways providing access to cooler locations. However, in topographically diverse regions, the effects of elevation, seasonality, and proximity to large water bodies are complex drivers of biologically relevant temperature gradients. Here, we identify potential terrestrial and riparian linkages and their cooling benefit using mid-century summer and winter temperature extremes for interior coastal ranges in Northern California. It is rare for the same area to possess both terrestrial and riparian connectivity value. Our analysis reveals distinct differences in the magnitude and orientation of cooling benefits between the summer maximum and winter minimum temperatures provided by the linkages we delineated for the area. The cooling benefits for both linkage types were maximized to the west during summer, but upslope and to the northeast during winter. The approach we employ here provides an improved method to prioritize climate-wise connectivity and promote landscape resilience for topographically diverse regions.
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8
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Merker SA, Chandler RB. Identifying global hotspots of avian trailing-edge population diversity. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Morelli TL, Barrows CW, Ramirez AR, Cartwright JM, Ackerly DD, Eaves TD, Ebersole JL, Krawchuk MA, Letcher BH, Mahalovich MF, Meigs GW, Michalak JL, Millar CI, Quiñones RM, Stralberg D, Thorne JH. Climate-change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 2020; 18:228-234. [PMID: 33424494 PMCID: PMC7787983 DOI: 10.1002/fee.2189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Climate-change adaptation focuses on conducting and translating research to minimize the dire impacts of anthropogenic climate change, including threats to biodiversity and human welfare. One adaptation strategy is to focus conservation on climate-change refugia (that is, areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change over time that enable persistence of valued physical, ecological, and sociocultural resources). In this Special Issue, recent methodological and conceptual advances in refugia science will be highlighted. Advances in this emerging subdiscipline are improving scientific understanding and conservation in the face of climate change by considering scale and ecosystem dynamics, and looking beyond climate exposure to sensitivity and adaptive capacity. We propose considering refugia in the context of a multifaceted, long-term, network-based approach, as temporal and spatial gradients of ecological persistence that can act as "slow lanes" rather than areas of stasis. After years of discussion confined primarily to the scientific literature, researchers and resource managers are now working together to put refugia conservation into practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Lyn Morelli
- Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, US Geological Survey (USGS), Amherst, MA
| | - Cameron W Barrows
- Center for Conservation Biology, University of California–Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Aaron R Ramirez
- Department of Biology and Environmental Studies, Reed College, Portland, OR
| | | | - David D Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Tatiana D Eaves
- Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Joseph L Ebersole
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR
| | - Meg A Krawchuk
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
| | | | - Mary F Mahalovich
- Northern, Rocky Mountain, Southwestern, and Intermountain Regions, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Moscow, ID
| | - Garrett W Meigs
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
| | - Julia L Michalak
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | | | | | - Diana Stralberg
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - James H Thorne
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California–Davis, Davis, CA
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10
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Sirén APK, Morelli TL. Interactive range-limit theory (iRLT): An extension for predicting range shifts. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:940-954. [PMID: 31758805 PMCID: PMC7187220 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A central theme of range-limit theory (RLT) posits that abiotic factors form high-latitude/altitude limits, whereas biotic interactions create lower limits. This hypothesis, often credited to Charles Darwin, is a pattern widely assumed to occur in nature. However, abiotic factors can impose constraints on both limits and there is scant evidence to support the latter prediction. Deviations from these predictions may arise from correlations between abiotic factors and biotic interactions, as a lack of data to evaluate the hypothesis, or be an artifact of scale. Combining two tenets of ecology-niche theory and predator-prey theory-provides an opportunity to understand how biotic interactions influence range limits and how this varies by trophic level. We propose an expansion of RLT, interactive RLT (iRLT), to understand the causes of range limits and predict range shifts. Incorporating the main predictions of Darwin's hypothesis, iRLT hypothesizes that abiotic and biotic factors can interact to impact both limits of a species' range. We summarize current thinking on range limits and perform an integrative review to evaluate support for iRLT and trophic differences along range margins, surveying the mammal community along the boreal-temperate and forest-tundra ecotones of North America. Our review suggests that range-limit dynamics are more nuanced and interactive than classically predicted by RLT. Many (57 of 70) studies indicate that biotic factors can ameliorate harsh climatic conditions along high-latitude/altitude limits. Conversely, abiotic factors can also mediate biotic interactions along low-latitude/altitude limits (44 of 68 studies). Both scenarios facilitate range expansion, contraction or stability depending on the strength and the direction of the abiotic or biotic factors. As predicted, biotic interactions most often occurred along lower limits, yet there were trophic differences. Carnivores were only limited by competitive interactions (n = 25), whereas herbivores were more influenced by predation and parasitism (77%; 55 of 71 studies). We highlight how these differences may create divergent range patterns along lower limits. We conclude by (a) summarizing iRLT; (b) contrasting how our model system and others fit this hypothesis and (c) suggesting future directions for evaluating iRLT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexej P. K. Sirén
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAmherstMAUSA
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMAUSA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAmherstMAUSA
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMAUSA
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11
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MacLean SA, Rios Dominguez AF, de Valpine P, Beissinger SR. A century of climate and land-use change cause species turnover without loss of beta diversity in California's Central Valley. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5882-5894. [PMID: 30267548 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate and land-use changes are thought to be the greatest threats to biodiversity, but few studies have directly measured their simultaneous impacts on species distributions. We used a unique historic resource-early 20th-century bird surveys conducted by Joseph Grinnell and colleagues-paired with contemporary resurveys a century later to examine changes in bird distributions in California's Central Valley, one of the most intensively modified agricultural zones in the world and a region of heterogeneous climate change. We analyzed species- and community-level occupancy using multispecies occupancy models that explicitly accounted for imperfect detection probability, and developed a novel, simulation-based method to compare the relative influences of climate and land-use covariates on site-level species richness and beta diversity (measured by Jaccard similarity). Surprisingly, we show that mean occupancy, species richness and between-site similarity have remained remarkably stable over the past century. Stability in community-level metrics masked substantial changes in species composition; occupancy declines of some species were equally matched by increases in others, predominantly species with generalist or human-associated habitat preferences. Bird occupancy, richness and diversity within each era were driven most strongly by water availability (precipitation and percent water cover), indicating that both climate and land-use are important drivers of species distributions. Water availability had much stronger effects than temperature, urbanization and agricultural cover, which are typically thought to drive biodiversity decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A MacLean
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Andrea F Rios Dominguez
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Perry de Valpine
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Steven R Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California
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12
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Morelli TL, Maher SP, Lim MCW, Kastely C, Eastman LM, Flint LE, Flint AL, Beissinger SR, Moritz C. Climate change refugia and habitat connectivity promote species persistence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-017-0036-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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13
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Gür H, Perktaş U, Gür MK. Do climate-driven altitudinal range shifts explain the intraspecific diversification of a narrow ranging montane mammal, Taurus ground squirrels? MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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14
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Santos MJ, Smith AB, Thorne JH, Moritz C. The relative influence of change in habitat and climate on elevation range limits in small mammals in Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-017-0035-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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15
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Apparent climate-mediated loss and fragmentation of core habitat of the American pika in the Northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181834. [PMID: 28854268 PMCID: PMC5576638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary climate change has been widely documented as the apparent cause of range contraction at the edge of many species distributions but documentation of climate change as a cause of extirpation and fragmentation of the interior of a species’ core habitat has been lacking. Here, we report the extirpation of the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a temperature-sensitive small mammal, from a 165-km2 area located within its core habitat in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. While sites surrounding the area still maintain pikas, radiocarbon analyses of pika fecal pellets recovered within this area indicate that former patch occupancy ranges from before 1955, the beginning of the atmospheric spike in radiocarbon associated with above ground atomic bomb testing, to c. 1991. Despite an abundance of suitable rocky habitat climate warming appears to have precipitated their demise. Weather station data reveal a 1.9°C rise in local temperature and a significant decline in snowpack over the period of record, 1910–2015, pushing pika habitat into increasingly tenuous climate conditions during the period of extirpation. This is among the first accounts of an apparently climate-mediated, modern extirpation of a species from an interior portion of its geographic distribution, resulting in habitat fragmentation, and is the largest area yet reported for a modern-era pika extirpation. Our finding provides empirical support to model projections, indicating that even core areas of species habitat are vulnerable to climate change within a timeframe of decades.
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Maher SP, Morelli TL, Hershey M, Flint AL, Flint LE, Moritz C, Beissinger SR. Erosion of refugia in the Sierra Nevada meadows network with climate change. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sean P. Maher
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Biology Missouri State University Springfield Missouri 65897 USA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA
| | - Michelle Hershey
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Alan L. Flint
- California Water Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento California 95819 USA
| | - Lorraine E. Flint
- California Water Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento California 95819 USA
| | - Craig Moritz
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Research School of Biology Australia National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
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17
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Hall LE, Chalfoun AD, Beever EA, Loosen AE. Microrefuges and the occurrence of thermal specialists: implications for wildlife persistence amidst changing temperatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-016-0021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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18
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Morelli TL, Daly C, Dobrowski SZ, Dulen DM, Ebersole JL, Jackson ST, Lundquist JD, Millar CI, Maher SP, Monahan WB, Nydick KR, Redmond KT, Sawyer SC, Stock S, Beissinger SR. Managing Climate Change Refugia for Climate Adaptation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159909. [PMID: 27509088 PMCID: PMC4980047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Refugia have long been studied from paleontological and biogeographical perspectives to understand how populations persisted during past periods of unfavorable climate. Recently, researchers have applied the idea to contemporary landscapes to identify climate change refugia, here defined as areas relatively buffered from contemporary climate change over time that enable persistence of valued physical, ecological, and socio-cultural resources. We differentiate historical and contemporary views, and characterize physical and ecological processes that create and maintain climate change refugia. We then delineate how refugia can fit into existing decision support frameworks for climate adaptation and describe seven steps for managing them. Finally, we identify challenges and opportunities for operationalizing the concept of climate change refugia. Managing climate change refugia can be an important option for conservation in the face of ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Lyn Morelli
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Northeast Climate Science Center, Amherst, MA, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher Daly
- College of Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Solomon Z. Dobrowski
- College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States of America
| | - Deanna M. Dulen
- U.S. National Park Service, Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. Ebersole
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecological Division, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Jackson
- U.S. Geological Survey, DOI Southwest Climate Science Center, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
- Department of Geosciences and School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Jessica D. Lundquist
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Constance I. Millar
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA, United States of America
| | - Sean P. Maher
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States of America
| | - William B. Monahan
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Koren R. Nydick
- U.S. National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, CA, United States of America
| | - Kelly T. Redmond
- Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Sarah C. Sawyer
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Vallejo, CA, United States of America
| | - Sarah Stock
- U.S. National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, El Portal, CA, United States of America
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
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Holbrook JD, Arkle RS, Rachlow JL, Vierling KT, Pilliod DS, Wiest MM. Occupancy and abundance of predator and prey: implications of the fire‐cheatgrass cycle in sagebrush ecosystems. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Holbrook
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844‐1136 USA
| | - Robert S. Arkle
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho 83706 USA
| | - Janet L. Rachlow
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844‐1136 USA
| | - Kerri T. Vierling
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844‐1136 USA
| | - David S. Pilliod
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho 83706 USA
| | - Michelle M. Wiest
- Department of Statistical ScienceUniversity of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844‐1104 USA
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20
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Strong upslope shifts in Chimborazo's vegetation over two centuries since Humboldt. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:12741-5. [PMID: 26371298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1509938112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate change is driving species poleward and upward in high-latitude regions, but the extent to which the biodiverse tropics are similarly affected is poorly known due to a scarcity of historical records. In 1802, Alexander von Humboldt ascended the Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador. He recorded the distribution of plant species and vegetation zones along its slopes and in surrounding parts of the Andes. We revisited Chimborazo in 2012, precisely 210 y after Humboldt's expedition. We documented upward shifts in the distribution of vegetation zones as well as increases in maximum elevation limits of individual plant taxa of >500 m on average. These range shifts are consistent with increased temperatures and glacier retreat on Chimborazo since Humboldt's study. Our findings provide evidence that global warming is strongly reshaping tropical plant distributions, consistent with Humboldt's proposal that climate is the primary control on the altitudinal distribution of vegetation.
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21
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Rowe KC, Rowe KMC, Tingley MW, Koo MS, Patton JL, Conroy CJ, Perrine JD, Beissinger SR, Moritz C. Spatially heterogeneous impact of climate change on small mammals of montane California. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20141857. [PMID: 25621330 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Resurveys of historical collecting localities have revealed range shifts, primarily leading edge expansions, which have been attributed to global warming. However, there have been few spatially replicated community-scale resurveys testing whether species' responses are spatially consistent. Here we repeated early twentieth century surveys of small mammals along elevational gradients in northern, central and southern regions of montane California. Of the 34 species we analysed, 25 shifted their ranges upslope or downslope in at least one region. However, two-thirds of ranges in the three regions remained stable at one or both elevational limits and none of the 22 species found in all three regions shifted both their upper and lower limits in the same direction in all regions. When shifts occurred, high-elevation species typically contracted their lower limits upslope, whereas low-elevation species had heterogeneous responses. For high-elevation species, site-specific change in temperature better predicted the direction of shifts than change in precipitation, whereas the direction of shifts by low-elevation species was unpredictable by temperature or precipitation. While our results support previous findings of primarily upslope shifts in montane species, they also highlight the degree to which the responses of individual species vary across geographically replicated landscapes.
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22
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Wathen S, Thorne JH, Holguin A, Schwartz MW. Estimating the spatial and temporal distribution of species richness within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112465. [PMID: 25469873 PMCID: PMC4254294 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence for significant losses of species richness or biodiversity, even within protected natural areas, is mounting. Managers are increasingly being asked to monitor biodiversity, yet estimating biodiversity is often prohibitively expensive. As a cost-effective option, we estimated the spatial and temporal distribution of species richness for four taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), and plants) within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks using only existing biological studies undertaken within the Parks and the Parks' long-term wildlife observation database. We used a rarefaction approach to model species richness for the four taxonomic groups and analyzed those groups by habitat type, elevation zone, and time period. We then mapped the spatial distributions of species richness values for the four taxonomic groups, as well as total species richness, for the Parks. We also estimated changes in species richness for birds, mammals, and herpetofauna since 1980. The modeled patterns of species richness either peaked at mid elevations (mammals, plants, and total species richness) or declined consistently with increasing elevation (herpetofauna and birds). Plants reached maximum species richness values at much higher elevations than did vertebrate taxa, and non-flying mammals reached maximum species richness values at higher elevations than did birds. Alpine plant communities, including sagebrush, had higher species richness values than did subalpine plant communities located below them in elevation. These results are supported by other papers published in the scientific literature. Perhaps reflecting climate change: birds and herpetofauna displayed declines in species richness since 1980 at low and middle elevations and mammals displayed declines in species richness since 1980 at all elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Wathen
- John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - James H. Thorne
- Information Center for the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Andrew Holguin
- Information Center for the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Mark W. Schwartz
- John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
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23
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Rowe RJ, Terry RC. Small mammal responses to environmental change: integrating past and present dynamics. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-s-079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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24
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Rapacciuolo G, Maher SP, Schneider AC, Hammond TT, Jabis MD, Walsh RE, Iknayan KJ, Walden GK, Oldfather MF, Ackerly DD, Beissinger SR. Beyond a warming fingerprint: individualistic biogeographic responses to heterogeneous climate change in California. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2841-55. [PMID: 24934878 PMCID: PMC4145667 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding recent biogeographic responses to climate change is fundamental for improving our predictions of likely future responses and guiding conservation planning at both local and global scales. Studies of observed biogeographic responses to 20th century climate change have principally examined effects related to ubiquitous increases in temperature - collectively termed a warming fingerprint. Although the importance of changes in other aspects of climate - particularly precipitation and water availability - is widely acknowledged from a theoretical standpoint and supported by paleontological evidence, we lack a practical understanding of how these changes interact with temperature to drive biogeographic responses. Further complicating matters, differences in life history and ecological attributes may lead species to respond differently to the same changes in climate. Here, we examine whether recent biogeographic patterns across California are consistent with a warming fingerprint. We describe how various components of climate have changed regionally in California during the 20th century and review empirical evidence of biogeographic responses to these changes, particularly elevational range shifts. Many responses to climate change do not appear to be consistent with a warming fingerprint, with downslope shifts in elevation being as common as upslope shifts across a number of taxa and many demographic and community responses being inconsistent with upslope shifts. We identify a number of potential direct and indirect mechanisms for these responses, including the influence of aspects of climate change other than temperature (e.g., the shifting seasonal balance of energy and water availability), differences in each taxon's sensitivity to climate change, trophic interactions, and land-use change. Finally, we highlight the need to move beyond a warming fingerprint in studies of biogeographic responses by considering a more multifaceted view of climate, emphasizing local-scale effects, and including a priori knowledge of relevant natural history for the taxa and regions under study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Rapacciuolo
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sean P Maher
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Adam C Schneider
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California Berkeley1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Talisin T Hammond
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Meredith D Jabis
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Rachel E Walsh
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kelly J Iknayan
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Genevieve K Walden
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California Berkeley1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Meagan F Oldfather
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - David D Ackerly
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley1005 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California Berkeley1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Steven R Beissinger
- Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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Peers MJL, Wehtje M, Thornton DH, Murray DL. Prey switching as a means of enhancing persistence in predators at the trailing southern edge. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:1126-1135. [PMID: 24353147 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of climate change on species' persistence is a major research interest; however, most studies have focused on responses at the northern or expanding range edge. There is a pressing need to explain how species can persist at their southern range when changing biotic interactions will influence species occurrence. For predators, variation in distribution of primary prey owing to climate change will lead to mismatched distribution and local extinction, unless their diet is altered to more extensively include alternate prey. We assessed whether addition of prey information in climate projections restricted projected habitat of a specialist predator, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), and if switching from their primary prey (snowshoe hare; Lepus americanus) to an alternate prey (red squirrel; Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) mitigates range restriction along the southern range edge. Our models projected distributions of each species to 2050 and 2080 to then refine predictions for southern lynx on the basis of varying combinations of prey availability. We found that models that incorporated information on prey substantially reduced the total predicted southern range of lynx in both 2050 and 2080. However, models that emphasized red squirrel as the primary species had 7-24% lower southern range loss than the corresponding snowshoe hare model. These results illustrate that (i) persistence at the southern range may require species to exploit higher portions of alternate food; (ii) selection may act on marginal populations to accommodate phenotypic changes that will allow increased use of alternate resources; and (iii) climate projections based solely on abiotic data can underestimate the severity of future range restriction. In the case of Canada lynx, our results indicate that the southern range likely will be characterized by locally varying levels of mismatch with prey such that the extent of range recession or local adaptation may appear as a geographical mosaic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J L Peers
- Department of Biology, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8, USA
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26
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Caplat P, Hui C, Maxwell BD, Peltzer DA. Cross-scale management strategies for optimal control of trees invading from source plantations. Biol Invasions 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-013-0608-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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