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Martins LP, Stouffer DB, Blendinger PG, Böhning-Gaese K, Costa JM, Dehling DM, Donatti CI, Emer C, Galetti M, Heleno R, Menezes Í, Morante-Filho JC, Muñoz MC, Neuschulz EL, Pizo MA, Quitián M, Ruggera RA, Saavedra F, Santillán V, Schleuning M, da Silva LP, Ribeiro da Silva F, Tobias JA, Traveset A, Vollstädt MGR, Tylianakis JM. Birds optimize fruit size consumed near their geographic range limits. Science 2024; 385:331-336. [PMID: 39024457 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Animals can adjust their diet to maximize energy or nutritional intake. For example, birds often target fruits that match their beak size because those fruits can be consumed more efficiently. We hypothesized that pressure to optimize diet-measured as matching between fruit and beak size-increases under stressful environments, such as those that determine species' range edges. Using fruit-consumption and trait information for 97 frugivorous bird and 831 plant species across six continents, we demonstrate that birds feed more frequently on closely size-matched fruits near their geographic range limits. This pattern was particularly strong for highly frugivorous birds, whereas opportunistic frugivores showed no such tendency. These findings highlight how frugivore interactions might respond to stressful conditions and reveal that trait matching may not predict resource use consistently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas P Martins
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Daniel B Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Pedro G Blendinger
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and CONICET, CC 34, 4107 Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 2005, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - José Miguel Costa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - D Matthias Dehling
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Camila I Donatti
- Conservation International, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, USA
| | - Carine Emer
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-030, Brazil
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
- Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ícaro Menezes
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-000, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Morante-Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Santa Cruz State University, Rodovia Ilhéus- Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-000, Brazil
| | - Marcia C Muñoz
- Programa de Biología, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 2 # 10-70, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Eike Lena Neuschulz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco Aurélio Pizo
- Center for Reseach on Biodiversity and Climate Change (CBioClima), Department of Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Marta Quitián
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Systematic Zoology Laboratory, Tokyo Metropolitan University TMU, Tokyo, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Roman A Ruggera
- Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Jujuy), Canónigo Gorriti 237, Y4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
- Cátedra de Diversidad Biológica III, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, Y4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Francisco Saavedra
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Instituto de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Vinicio Santillán
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Unidad Académica de Posgrado, Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Av. de las Américas, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Luís Pascoal da Silva
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva
- Laboratory of Ecology and Management of Forest Ecosystems, University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Anna Traveset
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Canterbury, Private bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
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2
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Aihara T, Araki K, Onuma Y, Cai Y, Paing AMM, Goto S, Hisamoto Y, Tomaru N, Homma K, Takagi M, Yoshida T, Iio A, Nagamatsu D, Kobayashi H, Hirota M, Uchiyama K, Tsumura Y. Divergent mechanisms of reduced growth performance in Betula ermanii saplings from high-altitude and low-latitude range edges. Heredity (Edinb) 2023; 131:387-397. [PMID: 37940658 PMCID: PMC10673911 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-023-00655-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The reduced growth performance of individuals from range edges is a common phenomenon in various taxa, and considered to be an evolutionary factor that limits the species' range. However, most studies did not distinguish between two mechanisms that can lead to this reduction: genetic load and adaptive selection to harsh conditions. To address this lack of understanding, we investigated the climatic and genetic factors underlying the growth performance of Betula ermanii saplings transplanted from 11 populations including high-altitude edge and low-latitude edge population. We estimated the climatic position of the populations within the overall B. ermanii's distribution, and the genetic composition and diversity using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing, and measured survival, growth rates and individual size of the saplings. The high-altitude edge population (APW) was located below the 95% significance interval for the mean annual temperature range, but did not show any distinctive genetic characteristics. In contrast, the low-latitude edge population (SHK) exhibited a high level of linkage disequilibrium, low genetic diversity, a distinct genetic composition from the other populations, and a high relatedness coefficient. Both APW and SHK saplings displayed lower survival rates, heights and diameters, while SHK saplings also exhibited lower growth rates than the other populations' saplings. The low heights and diameters of APW saplings was likely the result of adaptive selection to harsh conditions, while the low survival and growth rates of SHK saplings was likely the result of genetic load. Our findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying the reduced growth performance of range-edge populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaki Aihara
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kyoko Araki
- Garden Division, Maintenance and Works Department, the Imperial Household Agency, 1-1, Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8111, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Yunosuke Onuma
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Yihan Cai
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Aye Myat Myat Paing
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Susumu Goto
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yoko Hisamoto
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Tomaru
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Cikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-0804, Japan
| | - Kosuke Homma
- Sado Island Center for Ecological Sustainability, Niigata University, 1101-1, Niibokatagami, Sado, Niigata, 952-0103, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takagi
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1, Gakuen kibanadai nishi, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan
| | - Toshiya Yoshida
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Atsuhiro Iio
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836, Ohtani, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8017, Japan
| | - Dai Nagamatsu
- Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, 4-101, Koyama-cho, Tottori, Tottori, 680-8553, Japan
| | - Hajime Kobayashi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304, Minamiminowa-mura, Kamiina-gun, Nagano, 399-4598, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Hirota
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kentaro Uchiyama
- Department of Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Tsumura
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
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Martínez-Vilalta J, García-Valdés R, Jump A, Vilà-Cabrera A, Mencuccini M. Accounting for trait variability and coordination in predictions of drought-induced range shifts in woody plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:23-40. [PMID: 37501525 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits offer a promising avenue to improve predictions of species range shifts under climate change, which will entail warmer and often drier conditions. Although the conceptual foundation linking traits with plant performance and range shifts appears solid, the predictive ability of individual traits remains generally low. In this review, we address this apparent paradox, emphasizing examples of woody plants and traits associated with drought responses at the species' rear edge. Low predictive ability reflects the fact not only that range dynamics tend to be complex and multifactorial, as well as uncertainty in the identification of relevant traits and limited data availability, but also that trait effects are scale- and context-dependent. The latter results from the complex interactions among traits (e.g. compensatory effects) and between them and the environment (e.g. exposure), which ultimately determine persistence and colonization capacity. To confront this complexity, a more balanced coverage of the main functional dimensions involved (stress tolerance, resource use, regeneration and dispersal) is needed, and modelling approaches must be developed that explicitly account for: trait coordination in a hierarchical context; trait variability in space and time and its relationship with exposure; and the effect of biotic interactions in an ecological community context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), E25280, Solsona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, E28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alistair Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E08010, Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Carscadden KA, Doak DF, Oldfather MF, Emery NC. Demographic responses of hybridizing cinquefoils to changing climate in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10097. [PMID: 37449020 PMCID: PMC10336340 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybridization between taxa generates new pools of genetic variation that can lead to different environmental responses and demographic trajectories over time than seen in parental lineages. The potential for hybrids to have novel environmental tolerances may be increasingly important in mountainous regions, which are rapidly warming and drying due to climate change. Demographic analysis makes it possible to quantify within- and among-species responses to variation in climate and to predict population growth rates as those conditions change. We estimated vital rates and population growth in 13 natural populations of two cinquefoil taxa (Potentilla hippiana and P. pulcherrima) and their hybrid across elevation gradients in the Southern Rockies. Using three consecutive years of environmental and demographic data, we compared the demographic responses of hybrid and parental taxa to environmental variation across space and time. All three taxa had lower predicted population growth rates under warm, dry conditions. However, the magnitude of these responses varied among taxa and populations. Hybrids had consistently lower predicted population growth rates than P. hippiana. In contrast, hybrid performance relative to P. pulcherrima varied with population and climate, with the hybrid maintaining relatively stable growth rates while populations of P. pulcherrima shrank under warm, dry conditions. Our findings demonstrate that hybrids in this system are neither intrinsically unfit nor universally more vigorous than parents, suggesting that the demographic consequences of hybridization are context-dependent. Our results also imply that shifts to warmer and drier conditions could have particularly negative repercussions for P. pulcherrima, which is currently the most abundant taxon in the study area, possibly as a legacy of more favorable historical climates. More broadly, the distributions of these long-lived taxa are lagging behind their demographic trajectories, such that the currently less common P. hippiana could become the most abundant of the Potentilla taxa as this region continues to warm and dry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A. Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColoradoUSA
| | - Daniel F. Doak
- Department of Environmental StudiesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColoradoUSA
| | - Meagan F. Oldfather
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColoradoUSA
| | - Nancy C. Emery
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColoradoUSA
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5
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Zimmerman SJ, Aldridge CL, O'Donnell MS, Edmunds DR, Coates PS, Prochazka BG, Fike JA, Cross TB, Fedy BC, Oyler-McCance SJ. A genetic warning system for a hierarchically structured wildlife monitoring framework. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2787. [PMID: 36482030 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variation is a well-known indicator of population fitness yet is not typically included in monitoring programs for sensitive species. Additionally, most programs monitor populations at one scale, which can lead to potential mismatches with ecological processes critical to species' conservation. Recently developed methods generating hierarchically nested population units (i.e., clusters of varying scales) for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have identified population trend declines across spatiotemporal scales to help managers target areas for conservation. The same clusters used as a proxy for spatial scale can alert managers to local units (i.e., neighborhood-scale) with low genetic diversity, further facilitating identification of management targets. We developed a genetic warning system utilizing previously developed hierarchical population units to identify management-relevant areas with low genetic diversity within the greater sage-grouse range. Within this warning system we characterized conservation concern thresholds based on values of genetic diversity and developed a statistical model for microsatellite data to robustly estimate these values for hierarchically nested populations. We found that 41 of 224 neighborhood-scale clusters had low genetic diversity, 23 of which were coupled with documented local population trend decline. We also found evidence of cross-scale low genetic diversity in the small and isolated Washington population, unlikely to be reversed through typical local management actions alone. The combination of low genetic diversity and a declining population suggests relatively high conservation concern. Our findings could further facilitate conservation action prioritization in combination with population trend assessments and (or) local information, and act as a base-line of genetic diversity for future comparison. Importantly, the approach we used is broadly applicable across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawna J Zimmerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Cameron L Aldridge
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael S O'Donnell
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - David R Edmunds
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Peter S Coates
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, USA
| | - Brian G Prochazka
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, USA
| | - Jennifer A Fike
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Todd B Cross
- School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bradley C Fedy
- School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sara J Oyler-McCance
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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6
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Lerner D, Martínez MF, Livne-Luzon S, Belmaker J, Peñuelas J, Klein T. A biome-dependent distribution gradient of tree species range edges is strongly dictated by climate spatial heterogeneity. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:544-553. [PMID: 36894625 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the causes of the arrest of species distributions has been a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. These questions are of particular interest for trees owing to their long lifespan and sessile nature. A surge in data availability evokes a macro-ecological analysis to determine the underlying forces limiting distributions. Here we analyse the spatial distribution of >3,600 major tree species to determine geographical areas of range-edge hotspots and find drivers for their arrest. We confirmed biome edges to be strong delineators of distributions. Importantly, we identified a stronger contribution of temperate than tropical biomes to range edges, adding strength to the notion that tropical areas are centres of radiation. We subsequently identified a strong association of range-edge hotspots with steep spatial climatic gradients. We linked spatial and temporal homogeneity and high potential evapotranspiration in the tropics as the strongest predictors of this phenomenon. We propose that the poleward migration of species in light of climate change might be hindered because of steep climatic gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lerner
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | | | - Stav Livne-Luzon
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jonathan Belmaker
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CREAF, Cerdanyola de Vallès, Spain
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Tamir Klein
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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7
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Alagador D. Effective conservation planning of Iberian amphibians based on a regionalization of climate-driven range shifts. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14026. [PMID: 36317717 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians are severely affected by climate change, particularly in regions where droughts prevail and water availability is scarce. The extirpation of amphibians triggers cascading effects that disrupt the trophic structure of food webs and ecosystems. Dedicated assessments of the spatial adaptive potential of amphibian species under climate change are, therefore, essential to provide guidelines for their effective conservation. I used predictions about the location of suitable climates for 27 amphibian species in the Iberian Peninsula from a baseline period to 2080 to typify shifting species' ranges. The time at which these range types are expected to be functionally important for the adaptation of a species was used to identify full or partial refugia; areas most likely to be the home of populations moving into new climatically suitable grounds; areas most likely to receive populations after climate adaptive dispersal; and climatically unsuitable areas near suitable areas. I implemented an area prioritization protocol for each species to obtain a cohesive set of areas that would provide maximum adaptability and where management interventions should be prioritized. A connectivity assessment pinpointed where facilitative strategies would be most effective. Each of the 27 species had distinct spatial requirements but, common to all species, a bottleneck effect was predicted by 2050 because source areas for subsequent dispersal were small in extent. Three species emerged as difficult to maintain up to 2080. The Iberian northwest was predicted to capture adaptive range for most species. My study offers analytical guidelines for managers and decision makers to undertake systematic assessments on where and when to intervene to maximize the persistence of amphibian species and the functionality of the ecosystems that depend on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Alagador
- The Biodiversity Chair, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
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8
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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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9
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Ma KCK, Monsinjon JR, Froneman PW, McQuaid CD. Thermal stress gradient causes increasingly negative effects towards the range limit of an invasive mussel. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161184. [PMID: 36581263 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental filtering (EF), the abiotic exclusion of species, can have first order, direct effects with cascading consequences for population dynamics, especially at range edges where abiotic conditions are suboptimal. Abiotic stress gradients associated with EF may also drive indirect second order effects, including exacerbating the effects of competitors, disease, and parasites on marginal populations because of suboptimal physiological performance. We predicted a cascade of first and second order EF-associated effects on marginal populations of the invasive mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, plus a third order effect of EF of increased epibiont load due to second order shell degradation by endoliths. Mussel populations on rocky shores were surveyed across 850 km of the south-southeast coast of South Africa, from the species' warm-edge range limit to sites in the centre of their distribution, to quantify second order (endolithic shell degradation) and third order (number of barnacle epibionts) EF-associated effects as a function of along-shore distance from the range edge. Inshore temperature data were interpolated from the literature. Using in situ temperature logger data, we calculated the effective shore level for several sites by determining the duration of immersion and emersion. Summer and winter inshore water temperatures were linked to distance from the mussel's warm range edge (our proxy for an EF-associated stress gradient), suggesting that seasonality in temperature contributes to first order effects. The gradient in thermal stress clearly affected densities, but its influence on mussel size, shell degradation, and epibiosis was weaker. Relationships among mussel size, shell degradation, and epibiosis were more robust. Larger, older mussels had more degraded shells and more epibionts, with endolithic damage facilitating epibiosis. EF associated with a gradient in thermal stress directly limits the distribution, abundance, and size structure of mussel populations, with important indirect second and third order effects of parasitic disease and epibiont load, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C K Ma
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
| | - Jonathan R Monsinjon
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; Ifremer, Indian Ocean Delegation, Le Port, La Réunion, France
| | - P William Froneman
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Christopher D McQuaid
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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10
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Boisvert‐Marsh L, Pedlar JH, de Blois S, Le Squin A, Lawrence K, McKenney DW, Williams C, Aubin I. Migration‐based simulations for Canadian trees show limited tracking of suitable climate under climate change. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Boisvert‐Marsh
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie Ontario Canada
- Department of Plant Science Macdonald Campus of McGill University Ste‐Anne‐de‐Bellevue Quebec Canada
| | - John H. Pedlar
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie Ontario Canada
| | - Sylvie de Blois
- Department of Plant Science Macdonald Campus of McGill University Ste‐Anne‐de‐Bellevue Quebec Canada
- Bieler School of Environment McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Amael Le Squin
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Kevin Lawrence
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie Ontario Canada
| | - Daniel W. McKenney
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie Ontario Canada
| | - Charlene Williams
- Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
- Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Lincoln Ontario Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubin
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie Ontario Canada
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11
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Variability in Crop Response to Spatiotemporal Variation in Climate in China, 1980–2014. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11081152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
As the population increases and climate extremes become more frequent, the pressure on food supply increases. A better understanding of the influence of climate variations on crop yield in China would be of great benefit to global food security. In this study, gridded, daily meteorological data and county-level annual yield data were used to quantify the climate sensitivity of corn, rice, and spring wheat yields, and identify the spatiotemporal variation relationship between climate and yields from 1980 to 2014. The results showed that rice and corn were more sensitive to climate variations than spring wheat, both spatially and temporally. Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) was found to be beneficial to rice in northeast China and the Yangtze River basin, as well as corn in the south and spring wheat in Xinjiang, but not to rice in the south of the Yangtze River and spring wheat in the southeast coast. The temperature centroid shift was the main driving factor causing the movement of the centroid of the three crops. For every 1 km shift of the temperature centroid, the corn and rice yield centroids moved 0.97 km and 0.34 km, respectively. These findings improve our understanding of the impacts of climate variations on agricultural yields in different regions of China.
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12
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Beers AT, Frey SN. Greater sage‐grouse habitat selection varies across the marginal habitat of its lagging range margin. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aidan T. Beers
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | - Shandra N. Frey
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah USA
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13
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Liberman R, Shlesinger T, Loya Y, Benayahu Y. Soft coral reproductive phenology along a depth gradient: Can "going deeper" provide a viable refuge? Ecology 2022; 103:e3760. [PMID: 35582927 PMCID: PMC9540190 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Many species across a wide range of taxa and habitats display phenological shifts and differences in response to both environmental gradients and climate change. Moreover, the wide‐scale decline of numerous ecosystems is leading to increasing efforts to identify zones that might serve as natural refuges from various disturbances, including ocean warming. One such refuge was suggested to be that of the deep coral reefs, but whether depth can provide coral populations with a viable and reproductive refuge remains unclear. Given the global coral‐reef degradation and the key role that corals play as ecosystem engineers, their reproductive ecology has been widely studied. A particular knowledge gap nonetheless exists regarding coral reproductive phenology along a depth gradient. Filling in this gap may uncover the environmental cues that regulate coral reproduction, leading to better predictions of population connectivity, and their possible responses to climate change and other environmental changes. Here, using long‐term in situ observations of the soft coral Rhytisma fulvum's reproductive activity along its entire depth range (0–45 m), we examined the relationship among several environmental factors and the coral's reproductive phenology and activity over five successive annual breeding seasons. Compared with the shallow depths, a lower number of reproducing colonies was found in habitats deeper than 30 m, highlighting possible constraints on coral reproduction at the deeper end of their range. Our results further revealed that an increase in seawater temperature over 1–2‐day intervals during the breeding season correlated with the onset of reproductive activity along the depth gradient, leading to different reproductive periodicities in different depths. These differences suggest that differential temperature regimes and reproductive timing across depth may create intraspecific temporal reproductive segregation, possibly reducing connectivity among populations along a depth gradient. Moreover, we found high variability among years in both the timing of breeding activities and in the level of reproductive synchrony among corals from different depths. Overall, our study questions whether depth can provide a long‐term and viable refuge for corals in the face of global environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Liberman
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel
| | - Tom Shlesinger
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Current address: Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA
| | - Yossi Loya
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yehuda Benayahu
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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14
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Chardon NI, Nabe‐Nielsen J, Assmann JJ, Dyrholm Jacobsen IB, Guéguen M, Normand S, Wipf S. High resolution species distribution and abundance models cannot predict separate shrub datasets in adjacent Arctic fjords. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Isabelle Chardon
- Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research Davos Dorf Switzerland
- Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Maya Guéguen
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc CNRS, LECA Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine Grenoble France
| | - Signe Normand
- Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Sonja Wipf
- Swiss National Park Chastè Planta‐Wildenberg Zernez Switzerland
- Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC Davos Dorf Switzerland
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15
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Shay JE, Pennington LK, Mandussi Montiel-Molina JA, Toews DJ, Hendrickson BT, Sexton JP. Rules of Plant Species Ranges: Applications for Conservation Strategies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.700962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Earth is changing rapidly and so are many plant species’ ranges. Here, we synthesize eco-evolutionary patterns found in plant range studies and how knowledge of species ranges can inform our understanding of species conservation in the face of global change. We discuss whether general biogeographic “rules” are reliable and how they can be used to develop adaptive conservation strategies of native plant species across their ranges. Rules considered include (1) factors that set species range limits and promote range shifts; (2) the impact of biotic interactions on species range limits; (3) patterns of abundance and adaptive properties across species ranges; (4) patterns of gene flow and their implications for genetic rescue, and (5) the relationship between range size and conservation risk. We conclude by summarizing and evaluating potential species range rules to inform future conservation and management decisions. We also outline areas of research to better understand the adaptive capacity of plants under environmental change and the properties that govern species ranges. We advise conservationists to extend their work to specifically consider peripheral and novel populations, with a particular emphasis on small ranges. Finally, we call for a global effort to identify, synthesize, and analyze prevailing patterns or rules in ecology to help speed conservation efforts.
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16
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Billman PD, Beever EA, McWethy DB, Thurman LL, Wilson KC. Factors influencing distributional shifts and abundance at the range core of a climate-sensitive mammal. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4498-4515. [PMID: 34236759 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Species are frequently responding to contemporary climate change by shifting to higher elevations and poleward to track suitable climate space. However, depending on local conditions and species' sensitivity, the nature of these shifts can be highly variable and difficult to predict. Here, we examine how the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a philopatric, montane lagomorph, responds to climatic gradients at three spatial scales. Using mixed-effects modeling in an information-theoretic approach, we evaluated a priori model suites regarding predictors of site occupancy, relative abundance, and elevational-range retraction across 760 talus patches, nested within 64 watersheds across the Northern Rocky Mountains of North America, during 2017-2020. The top environmental predictors differed across these response metrics. Warmer temperatures in summer and winter were associated with lower occupancy, lower relative abundances, and greater elevational retraction across watersheds. Occupancy was also strongly influenced by habitat patch size, but only when combined with climate metrics such as actual evapotranspiration. Using a second analytical approach, acute heat stress and summer precipitation best explained retraction residuals (i.e., the relative extent of retraction given the original elevational range of occupancy). Despite the study domain occurring near the species' geographic-range center, where populations might have higher abundances and be at lower risk of climate-related stress, 33.9% of patches showed evidence of recent extirpations. Pika-extirpated sites averaged 1.44℃ warmer in summer than did occupied sites. Additionally, the minimum elevation of pika occupancy has retracted upslope in 69% of watersheds (mean: 281 m). Our results emphasize the nuance associated with evaluating species' range dynamics in response to climate gradients, variability, and temperature exceedances, especially in regions where species occupy gradients of conditions that may constitute multiple range edges. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of evaluating diverse drivers across response metrics to improve the predictive accuracy of widely used, correlative models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Billman
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - David B McWethy
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lindsey L Thurman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kenneth C Wilson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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17
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Draining the Swamping Hypothesis: Little Evidence that Gene Flow Reduces Fitness at Range Edges. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:533-544. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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Climate Change, Ecosystem Processes and Biological Diversity Responses in High Elevation Communities. CLIMATE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cli9050087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The populations, species, and communities in high elevation mountainous regions at or above tree line are being impacted by the changing climate. Mountain systems have been recognized as both resilient and extremely threatened by climate change, requiring a more nuanced understanding of potential trajectories of the biotic communities. For high elevation systems in particular, we need to consider how the interactions among climate drivers and topography currently structure the diversity, species composition, and life-history strategies of these communities. Further, predicting biotic responses to changing climate requires knowledge of intra- and inter-specific climate associations within the context of topographically heterogenous landscapes. Changes in temperature, snow, and rain characteristics at regional scales are amplified or attenuated by slope, aspect, and wind patterns occurring at local scales that are often under a hectare or even a meter in extent. Community assemblages are structured by the soil moisture and growing season duration at these local sites, and directional climate change has the potential to alter these two drivers together, independently, or in opposition to one another due to local, intervening variables. Changes threaten species whose water and growing season duration requirements are locally extirpated or species who may be outcompeted by nearby faster-growing, warmer/drier adapted species. However, barring non-analogue climate conditions, species may also be able to more easily track required resource regimes in topographically heterogenous landscapes. New species arrivals composed of competitors, predators and pathogens can further mediate the direct impacts of the changing climate. Plants are moving uphill, demonstrating primary succession with the emergence of new habitats from snow and rock, but these shifts are constrained over the short term by soil limitations and microbes and ultimately by the lack of colonizable terrestrial surfaces. Meanwhile, both subalpine herbaceous and woody species pose threats to more cold-adapted species. Overall, the multiple interacting direct and indirect effects of the changing climate on high elevation systems may lead to multiple potential trajectories for these systems.
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19
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Block S, Levine JM. How Dispersal Evolution and Local Adaptation Affect the Range Dynamics of Species Lagging Behind Climate Change. Am Nat 2021; 197:E173-E187. [PMID: 33989146 DOI: 10.1086/714130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAs climate changes, species' ability to spatially track suitable climate depends on their spread velocity, a function of their population growth and dispersal capacity. When climate changes faster than species can spread, the climate experienced at species' expanding range edges may ameliorate as conditions become increasingly similar to those of the range core. When this boosts species' growth rates, their spread accelerates. Here, we use simulations of a spreading population with an annual life history to explore how climatic amelioration interacts with dispersal evolution and local adaptation to determine the dynamics of spread. We found that depending on the timing of dispersal evolution, spread velocity can show contrasting trajectories, sometimes transiently exceeding the climate velocity before decelerating. Climatic amelioration can also accelerate the spread of populations composed of genotypes best adapted to local climatic conditions, but the exact dynamics depends on the pattern of climatic adaptation. We conclude that failing to account for demographic variation across climatic gradients can lead to erroneous conclusions about species' capacity to spatially track suitable climate.
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20
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Bontrager M, Usui T, Lee-Yaw JA, Anstett DN, Branch HA, Hargreaves AL, Muir CD, Angert AL. Adaptation across geographic ranges is consistent with strong selection in marginal climates and legacies of range expansion. Evolution 2021; 75:1316-1333. [PMID: 33885152 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Every species experiences limits to its geographic distribution. Some evolutionary models predict that populations at range edges are less well adapted to their local environments due to drift, expansion load, or swamping gene flow from the range interior. Alternatively, populations near range edges might be uniquely adapted to marginal environments. In this study, we use a database of transplant studies that quantify performance at broad geographic scales to test how local adaptation, site quality, and population quality change from spatial and climatic range centers toward edges. We find that populations from poleward edges perform relatively poorly, both on average across all sites (15% lower population quality) and when compared to other populations at home (31% relative fitness disadvantage), consistent with these populations harboring high genetic load. Populations from equatorial edges also perform poorly on average (18% lower population quality) but, in contrast, outperform foreign populations (16% relative fitness advantage), suggesting that populations from equatorial edges have strongly adapted to unique environments. Finally, we find that populations from sites that are thermally extreme relative to the species' niche demonstrate strong local adaptation, regardless of their geographic position. Our findings indicate that both nonadaptive processes and adaptive evolution contribute to variation in adaptation across species' ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Bontrager
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Current Address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Takuji Usui
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Julie A Lee-Yaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Daniel N Anstett
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Haley A Branch
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Christopher D Muir
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, United States
| | - Amy L Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and the Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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21
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Ni M, Vellend M. Space-for-time inferences about range-edge dynamics of tree species can be influenced by sampling biases. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2102-2112. [PMID: 33459442 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Differences between the distributions of tree saplings and adults in geographic or niche space have been used to infer climate change effects on tree range dynamics. Previous studies have reported narrower latitudinal or climatic niche ranges of juvenile trees compared to adults, concluding that tree ranges are contracting, contradicting climate-based predictions. However, more comprehensive sampling of adult trees than juvenile trees in most regional forest inventories could potentially bias ontogenetic comparisons. Here we first report spatial simulations showing that reduced sampling intensity can result in underestimates of range and niche limits, but that resampling the same number of individuals of different life stages can eliminate this bias. We then reanalyzed the U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis data, comparing the range and niche limits between adult trees and saplings of 92 tree species, both using the original data and two resampling procedures. Resampling aimed to reduce sampling biases by controlling for either sampling area or the number of individuals sampled. Overall, these resampling procedures had a major influence on the estimation of range limits, most often by reducing, eliminating, or even reversing the tendency in the original analyses for saplings to have broader distributions than adult trees. These results indicate that previous conclusions that the distributions of juvenile trees were contracting in response to climate change were potentially artifacts of sampling in the underlying data. More generally, sampling effects involved in the estimation of geographic ranges and environmental niche widths need to be taken into account in studies comparing different life stages, and also likely in other types of distribution comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ni
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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22
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DeMarche ML, Bailes G, Hendricks LB, Pfeifer‐Meister L, Reed PB, Bridgham SD, Johnson BR, Shriver R, Waddle E, Wroton H, Doak DF, Roy BA, Morris WF. Latitudinal gradients in population growth do not reflect demographic responses to climate. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2242. [PMID: 33098736 PMCID: PMC7988552 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spatial gradients in population growth, such as across latitudinal or elevational gradients, are often assumed to primarily be driven by variation in climate, and are frequently used to infer species' responses to climate change. Here, we use a novel demographic, mixed-model approach to dissect the contributions of climate variables vs. other latitudinal or local site effects on spatiotemporal variation in population performance in three perennial bunchgrasses. For all three species, we find that performance of local populations decreases with warmer and drier conditions, despite latitudinal trends of decreasing population growth toward the cooler and wetter northern portion of each species' range. Thus, latitudinal gradients in performance are not predictive of either local or species-wide responses to climate. This pattern could be common, as many environmental drivers, such as habitat quality or species' interactions, are likely to vary with latitude or elevation, and thus influence or oppose climate responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Graham Bailes
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon97403USA
| | | | | | - Paul B. Reed
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon97403USA
| | - Scott D. Bridgham
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon97403USA
| | - Bart R. Johnson
- Department of Landscape ArchitectureUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon97403USA
| | - Robert Shriver
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of NevadaRenoNevada89557USA
| | - Ellen Waddle
- Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColorado80309USA
| | - Hannah Wroton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of Colorado BoulderColorado80309USA
| | - Daniel F. Doak
- Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderColorado80309USA
| | - Bitty A. Roy
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon97403USA
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23
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Oldfather MF, Koontz MJ, Doak DF, Ackerly DD. Range dynamics mediated by compensatory life stage responses to experimental climate manipulations. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:772-780. [PMID: 33559296 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The expectations of polar or upslope distributional shifts of species ranges in response to warming climate conditions have been recently questioned. Diverse responses of different life stages to changing temperature and moisture regimes may alter these predicted range dynamics. Furthermore, the climate driver(s) influencing demographic rates, and the contribution of each demographic rate to population growth rate (λ), may shift across a species range. We investigated these demographic effects by experimentally manipulating climate and measuring responses of λ in nine populations spanning the elevation range of an alpine plant (Ivesia lycopodioides). Populations exhibited stable growth rates (λ ~ 1) under naturally wet conditions and declining rates (λ < 1) under naturally dry conditions. However, opposing vital rate responses to experimental heating and watering lead to negligible or negative effects on population stability. These findings indicate that life stage-specific responses to changing climate can disrupt the current relationships between population stability and climate across species ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan F Oldfather
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Michael J Koontz
- Earth Lab, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Daniel F Doak
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - David D Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Jepson Herbarium, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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24
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Carroll C, Noss RF. Rewilding in the face of climate change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:155-167. [PMID: 32557877 PMCID: PMC7984084 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of the global protected-area network has been proposed as a strategy to address threats from accelerating climate change and species extinction. A key step in increasing the effectiveness of such expansion is understanding how novel threats to biodiversity from climate change alter concepts such as rewilding, which have underpinned many proposals for large interconnected reserves. We reviewed potential challenges that climate change poses to rewilding and found that the conservation value of large protected areas persists under climate change. Nevertheless, more attention should be given to protection of microrefugia, macrorefugia, complete environmental gradients, and areas that connect current and future suitable climates and to maintaining ecosystem processes and stabilizing feedbacks via conservation strategies that are resilient to uncertainty regarding climate trends. Because a major element of the threat from climate change stems from its novel geographic patterns, we examined, as an example, the implications for climate-adaptation planning of latitudinal, longitudinal (continental to maritime), and elevational gradients in climate-change exposure across the Yellowstone-to-Yukon region, the locus of an iconic conservation proposal initially designed to conserve wide-ranging carnivore species. In addition to a continued emphasis on conserving intact landscapes, restoration of degraded low-elevation areas within the region is needed to capture sites important for landscape-level climate resilience. Extreme climate exposure projected for boreal North America suggests the need for ambitious goals for expansion of the protected-area network there to include refugia created by topography and ecological features, such as peatlands, whose conservation can also reduce emissions from carbon stored in soil. Qualitative understanding of underlying reserve design rules and the geography of climate-change exposure can strengthen the outcomes of inclusive regional planning processes that identify specific sites for protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Carroll
- Klamath Center for Conservation ResearchOrleansCA95556U.S.A.
| | - Reed F. Noss
- Florida Institute for Conservation ScienceMelroseFL32666U.S.A.
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Ecological Diversity within Rear-Edge: A Case Study from Mediterranean Quercus pyrenaica Willd. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f12010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the ecology of populations located in the rear edge of their distribution is key to assessing the response of the species to changing environmental conditions. Here, we focus on rear-edge populations of Quercus pyrenaica in Sierra Nevada (southern Iberian Peninsula) to analyze their ecological and floristic diversity. We perform multivariate analyses using high-resolution environmental information and forest inventories to determine how environmental variables differ among oak populations, and to identify population groups based on environmental and floristic composition. We find that water availability is a key variable in explaining the distribution of Q. pyrenaica and the floristic diversity of their accompanying communities within its rear edge. Three cluster of oak populations were identified based on environmental variables. We found differences among these clusters regarding plant diversity, but not for forest attributes. A remarkable match between the populations clustering derived from analysis of environmental variables and the ordination of the populations according to species composition was found. The diversity of ecological behaviors for Q. pyrenaica populations in this rear edge are consistent with the high genetic diversity shown by populations of this oak in the Sierra Nevada. The identification of differences between oak populations within the rear-edge with respect to environmental variables can aid with planning the forest management and restoration actions, particularly considering the importance of some environmental factors in key ecological aspects.
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Angert AL, Bontrager MG, Ågren J. What Do We Really Know About Adaptation at Range Edges? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012120-091002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent theory and empirical evidence have provided new insights regarding how evolutionary forces interact to shape adaptation at stable and transient range margins. Predictions regarding trait divergence at leading edges are frequently supported. However, declines in fitness at and beyond edges show that trait divergence has sometimes been insufficient to maintain high fitness, so identifying constraints to adaptation at range edges remains a key challenge. Indirect evidence suggests that range expansion may be limited by adaptive genetic variation, but direct estimates of genetic constraints at and beyond range edges are still scarce. Sequence data suggest increased genetic load in edge populations in several systems, but its causes and fitness consequences are usually poorly understood. The balance between maladaptive and positive effects of gene flow on fitness at range edges deserves further study. It is becoming increasingly clear that characterizations about degree of adaptation based solely on geographical peripherality are unsupported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Megan G. Bontrager
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Jon Ågren
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Smith S, Brauer CJ, Sasaki M, Unmack PJ, Guillot G, Laporte M, Bernatchez L, Beheregaray LB. Latitudinal variation in climate-associated genes imperils range edge populations. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4337-4349. [PMID: 32930432 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The ecological impacts of increasing global temperatures are evident in most ecosystems on Earth, but our understanding of how climatic variation influences natural selection and adaptive resilience across latitudes remains largely unknown. Latitudinal gradients allow testing general ecosystem-level theories relevant to climatic adaptation. We assessed differences in adaptive diversity of populations along a latitudinal region spanning highly variable temperate to subtropical climates. We generated and integrated information from environmental mapping, phenotypic variation and genome-wide data from across the geographical range of the rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi, an emerging aquatic system for studies of climate change. We detected, after controlling for spatial population structure, strong interactions between genotypes and environment associated with variation in stream flow and temperature. Some of these hydroclimate-associated genes were found to interact within functional protein networks that contain genes of adaptive significance for projected future climates in rainbowfish. Hydroclimatic selection was also associated with variation in phenotypic traits, including traits known to affect fitness of rainbowfish exposed to different flow environments. Consistent with predictions from the "climatic variability hypothesis," populations exposed to extremes of important environmental variables showed stronger adaptive divergence and less variation in climate-associated genes compared to populations at the centre of the environmental gradient. Our findings suggest that populations that evolved at environmental range margins and at geographical range edges may be more vulnerable to changing climates, a finding with implications for predicting adaptive resilience and managing biodiversity under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Smith
- Molecular Ecology Lab, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris J Brauer
- Molecular Ecology Lab, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Minami Sasaki
- Molecular Ecology Lab, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Peter J Unmack
- Centre for Applied Water Science, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, Australia
| | - Gilles Guillot
- International Prevention Research Institute, Dardilly, France
| | - Martin Laporte
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval Québec, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval Québec, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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Land-Use Legacies and Climate Change as a Double Challenge to Oak Forest Resilience: Mismatches of Geographical and Ecological Rear Edges. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00547-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Distribution Pattern of Endangered Plant Semiliquidambar cathayensis (Hamamelidaceae) in Response to Climate Change after the Last Interglacial Period. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11040434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Semiliquidambar cathayensis is a special and endangered plant in China, used for traditional Chinese medicine and in landscape applications. Predicting the impact of climate change on the distribution of S. cathayensis is crucial for its protection and the sustainable use of resources. We used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model optimized by the ENMeval data packet to analyze the potential geographic distribution changes of S. cathayensis in 12 provinces of Southern China for the different periods since the last interglacial period (LIG, 120–140 ka). Considering the potential geographic distribution changes in the province, and based on the two climate scenarios of Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6 and RCP 8.5, the distribution range of S. cathayensis was analyzed and we predicted the range for the 2050s (average for 2041–2060) and 2070s (average for 2061–2080). The area under AUC (Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve) is 0.9388 under these parameters, which indicates that the model is very accurate. We speculate that the glacial period refugia were the Nanling and Wuyi Mountains for S. cathayensis, and central and Western Fujian and Taiwan are likely to be the future climate refugia. In the mid-Holocene (MH, 6 ka), the growth habitat was 32.41% larger than the modern habitat; in the 2050s and 2070s (except RCP2.6–2070s), the growth habitat will shrink to varying degrees, so efforts to support its in situ and ex situ conservation are urgently needed. The jackknife test showed that the main factors affecting the geographical distribution of S. cathayensis were annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, and precipitation of the driest month. The annual precipitation may be the key factor restricting the northward distribution of S. cathayensis. In general, the centroid of the distribution of S. cathayensis will move northward. The centroid of the adaptive habitats will move northward with the highest degree of climate abnormality. We think that Hainan Island is the most likely origin of S. cathayensis. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of genetic resources protection measures, the construction of core germplasm resources, and the study of the formation and evolution of Hamamelidaceae.
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