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Hollenbeck EC, Sax DF. Experimental evidence of climate change extinction risk in Neotropical montane epiphytes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6045. [PMID: 39025837 PMCID: PMC11258140 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49181-5] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is conjectured to endanger tropical species, particularly in biodiverse montane regions, but accurate estimates of extinction risk are limited by a lack of empirical data demonstrating tropical species' sensitivity to climate. To fill this gap, studies could match high-quality distribution data with multi-year transplant experiments. Here, we conduct field surveys of epiphyte distributions on three mountains in Central America and perform reciprocal transplant experiments on one mountain across sites that varied in elevation, temperature and aridity. We find that most species are unable to survive outside of their narrow elevational distributions. Additionally, our findings suggest starkly different outcomes from temperature conditions expected by 2100 under different climate change scenarios. Under temperatures associated with low-emission scenarios, most tropical montane epiphyte species will survive, but under emission scenarios that are moderately high, 5-36% of our study species may go extinct and 10-55% of populations may be lost. Using a test of tropical species' climate tolerances from a large field experiment, paired with detailed species distribution data across multiple mountains, our work strengthens earlier conjecture about risks of wide-spread extinctions from climate change in tropical montane ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Hollenbeck
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology & Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Tiger Works Research & Development, Avenues: The World School, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Dov F Sax
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology & Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Flores-Tolentino M, García-Valdés R, Saénz-Romero C, Ávila-Díaz I, Paz H, Lopez-Toledo L. Distribution and conservation of species is misestimated if biotic interactions are ignored: the case of the orchid Laelia speciosa. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9542. [PMID: 32533000 PMCID: PMC7293343 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographic distribution of species depends on their relationships with climate and on the biotic interactions of the species. Ecological Niche Models (ENMs) mainly consider climatic variables only and may tend to overestimate these distributions, especially for species strongly restricted by biotic interactions. We identified the preference of Laelia speciosa for different host tree species and include this information in an ENM. The effect of habitat loss and climate change on the distribution of these species was also estimated. Although L. speciosa was recorded as epiphyte at six tree species, 96% of the individuals were registered at one single species (Quercus deserticola), which indicated a strong biotic interaction. We included the distribution of this host tree as a biotic variable in the ENM of L. speciosa. The contemporary distribution of L. speciosa is 52,892 km2, which represent 4% of Mexican territory and only 0.6% of the distribution falls within protected areas. Habitat loss rate for L. speciosa during the study period was 0.6% per year. Projections for 2050 and 2070 under optimistic and pessimistic climate change scenarios indicated a severe reduction in its distribution. Climaticaly suitable areas will also shift upwards (200-400 m higher). When estimating the distribution of a species, including its interactions can improve the performance of the ENMs, allowing for more accurate estimates of the actual distribution of the species, which in turn allows for better conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Flores-Tolentino
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Av. San Juanito Itzícuaro s/n, Col. Nueva Esperanza, Morelia, Michoacán, CP, 58330, Mexico
- Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, 48020, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallés), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallés), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Cuauhtémoc Saénz-Romero
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Av. San Juanito Itzícuaro s/n, Col. Nueva Esperanza, Morelia, Michoacán, CP, 58330, Mexico
| | - Irene Ávila-Díaz
- Facultad de Biología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, 48020, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Horacio Paz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Unidad Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro, 8701 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Leonel Lopez-Toledo
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Av. San Juanito Itzícuaro s/n, Col. Nueva Esperanza, Morelia, Michoacán, CP, 58330, Mexico.
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3
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Horwath AB, Royles J, Tito R, Gudiño JA, Salazar Allen N, Farfan-Rios W, Rapp JM, Silman MR, Malhi Y, Swamy V, Latorre Farfan JP, Griffiths H. Bryophyte stable isotope composition, diversity and biomass define tropical montane cloud forest extent. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20182284. [PMID: 30963945 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liverworts and mosses are a major component of the epiphyte flora of tropical montane forest ecosystems. Canopy access was used to analyse the distribution and vertical stratification of bryophyte epiphytes within tree crowns at nine forest sites across a 3400 m elevational gradient in Peru, from the Amazonian basin to the high Andes. The stable isotope compositions of bryophyte organic material (13C/12C and 18O/16O) are associated with surface water diffusive limitations and, along with C/N content, provide a generic index for the extent of cloud immersion. From lowland to cloud forest δ13C increased from -33‰ to -27‰, while δ18O increased from 16.3‰ to 18.0‰. Epiphytic bryophyte and associated canopy soil biomass in the cloud immersion zone was estimated at up to 45 t dry mass ha-1, and overall water holding capacity was equivalent to a 20 mm precipitation event. The study emphasizes the importance of diverse bryophyte communities in sequestering carbon in threatened habitats, with stable isotope analysis allowing future elevational shifts in the cloud base associated with changes in climate to be tracked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline B Horwath
- 1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA , UK.,2 Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling , Stirling FK9 4LA , UK
| | - Jessica Royles
- 1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA , UK
| | - Richard Tito
- 3 Herbario Vargas (CUZ), Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco , Cusco , Peru.,4 Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia , Uberlândia, MG , Brazil
| | - José A Gudiño
- 5 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama , Republic of Panama
| | - Noris Salazar Allen
- 5 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute , PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama , Republic of Panama
| | - William Farfan-Rios
- 3 Herbario Vargas (CUZ), Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco , Cusco , Peru.,6 Department of Biology, Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem, NC 27106 , USA
| | - Joshua M Rapp
- 6 Department of Biology, Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem, NC 27106 , USA.,7 Harvard Forest, Harvard University , 324 North Main St, Petersham, MA 01366 , USA
| | - Miles R Silman
- 6 Department of Biology, Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem, NC 27106 , USA
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- 8 Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Varun Swamy
- 9 San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research , 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92027 , USA
| | - Jean Paul Latorre Farfan
- 3 Herbario Vargas (CUZ), Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco , Cusco , Peru.,10 Aarhus University , Aarhus , Denmark
| | - Howard Griffiths
- 1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA , UK
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Wan X, Zou LH, Zheng BQ, Tian YQ, Wang Y. Transcriptomic profiling for prolonged drought in Dendrobium catenatum. Sci Data 2018; 5:180233. [PMID: 30375990 PMCID: PMC6207065 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Orchid epiphytes, a group containing at least 18,000 species, thrive in habitats that often undergo periodic drought stress. However, few global gene expression profiling datasets have been published for studies addressing the drought-resistant mechanism of this special population. In this study, an experiment involving the effect of continuous drought treatments on an epiphytic orchid, Dendrobium catenatum, was designed to generate 39 mature-leaf-tissue RNA-seq sequencing datasets with over two billion reads. These datasets were validated by a series of quality assessments including RNA sample quality, RNA-seq read quality, and global gene expression profiling. We believe that these comprehensive transcriptomic resources will allow a better understanding of the drought-resistant mechanisms of orchid epiphytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Long-Hai Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Bao-Qiang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Ying-Qiu Tian
- Wenshan Academy of Agriculture Sciences, NO. 2 in Taikang Road (West), Wenshan 663099, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
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Nowrouzi S, Andersen AN, Macfadyen S, Staunton KM, VanDerWal J, Robson SKA. Ant Diversity and Distribution along Elevation Gradients in the Australian Wet Tropics: The Importance of Seasonal Moisture Stability. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153420. [PMID: 27073848 PMCID: PMC4830544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of anthropogenic climate change has seen a renewed focus on understanding contemporary patterns of species distribution. This is especially the case for the biota of tropical mountains, because tropical species often have particularly narrow elevational ranges and there are high levels of short-range endemism. Here we describe geographic patterns of ant diversity and distribution in the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT), revealing seasonal moisture stability to be an important environmental correlate of elevational patterns of species composition. We sampled ants in leaf litter, on the litter surface and on tree trunks at 26 sites from six subregions spanning five degrees of latitude and elevation ranges from 100–1,300 m. A total of 296 species from 63 genera were recorded. Species richness showed a slight peak at mid elevations, and did not vary significantly with latitude. Species composition varied substantially between subregions, and many species have highly localised distributions. There was very marked species turnover with elevation, with a particularly striking compositional disjunction between 600 m and 800 m at each subregion. This disjunction coincides with a strong environmental threshold of seasonal stability in moisture associated with cloud ‘stripping’. Our study therefore provides further support for climatic stability as a potential mechanism underlying patterns of diversity. The average height of orographic cloud layers is predicted to rise under global warming, and associated shifts in seasonal moisture stability may exacerbate biotic change caused by rising temperature alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Nowrouzi
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- CSIRO Land & Water Flagship, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- * E-mail: ;
| | | | | | - Kyran M. Staunton
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Jeremy VanDerWal
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- eResearch Centre, Division of Research and Innovation, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Simon K. A. Robson
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, College of Marine and Ecosystem Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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