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Ainsworth A, Drake DR. Hawaiian Treeline Ecotones: Implications for Plant Community Conservation under Climate Change. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:123. [PMID: 38202431 PMCID: PMC10780311 DOI: 10.3390/plants13010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Species within tropical alpine treeline ecotones are predicted to be especially sensitive to climate variability because this zone represents tree species' altitudinal limits. Hawaiian volcanoes have distinct treeline ecotones driven by trade wind inversions. The local climate is changing, but little is known about how this influences treeline vegetation. To predict future impacts of climate variability on treelines, we must define the range of variation in treeline ecotone characteristics. Previous studies highlighted an abrupt transition between subalpine grasslands and wet forest on windward Haleakalā, but this site does not represent the diversity of treeline ecotones among volcanoes, lava substrates, and local climatic conditions. To capture this diversity, we used data from 225 plots spanning treelines (1500-2500 m) on Haleakalā and Mauna Loa to characterize ecotonal plant communities. Treeline indicator species differ by moisture and temperature, with common native species important for wet forest, subalpine woodland, and subalpine shrubland. The frequency or abundance of community indicator species may be better predictors of shifting local climates than the presence or absence of tree life forms per se. This study further supports the hypothesis that changes in available moisture, rather than temperature, will dictate the future trajectory of Hawaiian treeline ecotone communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Ainsworth
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA;
- National Park Service, Pacific Island Inventory and Monitoring Network, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718, USA
| | - Donald R. Drake
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA;
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2
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Feeley KJ, Bernal-Escobar M, Fortier R, Kullberg AT. Tropical Trees Will Need to Acclimate to Rising Temperatures-But Can They? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3142. [PMID: 37687387 PMCID: PMC10490527 DOI: 10.3390/plants12173142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
For tropical forests to survive anthropogenic global warming, trees will need to avoid rising temperatures through range shifts and "species migrations" or tolerate the newly emerging conditions through adaptation and/or acclimation. In this literature review, we synthesize the available knowledge to show that although many tropical tree species are shifting their distributions to higher, cooler elevations, the rates of these migrations are too slow to offset ongoing changes in temperatures, especially in lowland tropical rainforests where thermal gradients are shallow or nonexistent. We also show that the rapidity and severity of global warming make it unlikely that tropical tree species can adapt (with some possible exceptions). We argue that the best hope for tropical tree species to avoid becoming "committed to extinction" is individual-level acclimation. Although several new methods are being used to test for acclimation, we unfortunately still do not know if tropical tree species can acclimate, how acclimation abilities vary between species, or what factors may prevent or facilitate acclimation. Until all of these questions are answered, our ability to predict the fate of tropical species and tropical forests-and the many services that they provide to humanity-remains critically impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J. Feeley
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA; (M.B.-E.); (R.F.); (A.T.K.)
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3
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Mata-Guel EO, Soh MCK, Butler CW, Morris RJ, Razgour O, Peh KSH. Impacts of anthropogenic climate change on tropical montane forests: an appraisal of the evidence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1200-1224. [PMID: 36990691 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12950] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their small global area and restricted distributions, tropical montane forests (TMFs) are biodiversity hotspots and important ecosystem services providers, but are also highly vulnerable to climate change. To protect and preserve these ecosystems better, it is crucial to inform the design and implementation of conservation policies with the best available scientific evidence, and to identify knowledge gaps and future research needs. We conducted a systematic review and an appraisal of evidence quality to assess the impacts of climate change on TMFs. We identified several skews and shortcomings. Experimental study designs with controls and long-term (≥10 years) data sets provide the most reliable evidence, but were rare and gave an incomplete understanding of climate change impacts on TMFs. Most studies were based on predictive modelling approaches, short-term (<10 years) and cross-sectional study designs. Although these methods provide moderate to circumstantial evidence, they can advance our understanding on climate change effects. Current evidence suggests that increasing temperatures and rising cloud levels have caused distributional shifts (mainly upslope) of montane biota, leading to alterations in biodiversity and ecological functions. Neotropical TMFs were the best studied, thus the knowledge derived there can serve as a proxy for climate change responses in under-studied regions elsewhere. Most studies focused on vascular plants, birds, amphibians and insects, with other taxonomic groups poorly represented. Most ecological studies were conducted at species or community levels, with a marked paucity of genetic studies, limiting understanding of the adaptive capacity of TMF biota. We thus highlight the long-term need to widen the methodological, thematic and geographical scope of studies on TMFs under climate change to address these uncertainties. In the short term, however, in-depth research in well-studied regions and advances in computer modelling approaches offer the most reliable sources of information for expeditious conservation action for these threatened forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik O Mata-Guel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Malcolm C K Soh
- National Park Boards, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Connor W Butler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Rebecca J Morris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Kelvin S-H Peh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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Remotely sensed effectiveness assessments of protected areas lack a common framework: A review. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Bush MB, Rozas-Davila A, Raczka M, Nascimento M, Valencia B, Sales RK, McMichael CNH, Gosling WD. A palaeoecological perspective on the transformation of the tropical Andes by early human activity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200497. [PMID: 35249394 PMCID: PMC8899620 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeoecological records suggest that humans have been in the Andes since at least 14 000 years ago. Early human impacts on Andean ecosystems included an increase in fire activity and the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. These changes in Andean ecosystems coincided with rapid climate change as species were migrating upslope in response to deglacial warming. Microrefugia probably played a vital role in the speed and genetic composition of that migration. The period from ca 14 500 to 12 500 years ago was when novel combinations of plant species appeared to form no-analogue assemblages in the Andes. By 12 000 years ago most areas in what are today the Andean grasslands were being burned and modified by human activity. As the vegetation of these highland settings has been modified by human activity for the entirety of the Holocene, they should be regarded as long-term manufactutred landscapes. The sharp tree lines separating Andean forests from grasslands that we see today were probably also created by repeated burning and owe their position more to human-induced fire than climatic constraints. In areas that were readly penetrated by humans on the forested slopes of the Andes, substantial modification and settlement had occurred by the mid-Holocene. In hard-to-reach areas, however, the amount of human modification may always have been minimal, and these slopes can be considered as being close to natural in their vegetation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Bush
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - A Rozas-Davila
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - M Raczka
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AH, UK
| | - M Nascimento
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - B Valencia
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y Agua, Ciencias de la Tierra y Clima, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - R K Sales
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - C N H McMichael
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - W D Gosling
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Diazgranados M, Tovar C, Etherington TR, Rodríguez-Zorro PA, Castellanos-Castro C, Galvis Rueda M, Flantua SGA. Ecosystem services show variable responses to future climate conditions in the Colombian páramos. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11370. [PMID: 33987031 PMCID: PMC8101452 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The páramos, the high-elevation ecosystems of the northern Andes, are well-known for their high species richness and provide a variety of ecosystem services to local subsistence-based communities and regional urbanizations. Climate change is expected to negatively affect the provision of these services, but the level of this impact is still unclear. Here we assess future climate change impact on the ecosystem services provided by the critically important páramos of the department of Boyacá in Colombia, of which over 25% of its territory is páramo. Methods We first performed an extensive literature review to identify useful species of Boyacá, and selected 103 key plant species that, based on their uses, support the provision of ecosystem services in the páramos. We collated occurrence information for each key species and using a Mahalanobis distance approach we applied climate niche modelling for current and future conditions. Results We show an overall tendency of reduction in area for all ecosystem services under future climate conditions (mostly a loss of 10% but reaching up to a loss of 40%), but we observe also increases, and responses differ in intensity loss. Services such as Food for animals, Material and Medicinal, show a high range of changes that includes both positive and negative outcomes, while for Food for humans the responses are mostly substantially negative. Responses are less extreme than those projected for individual species but are often complex because a given ecosystem service is provided by several species. As the level of functional or ecological redundancy between species is not yet known, there is an urgency to expand our knowledge on páramos ecosystem services for more species. Our results are crucial for decision-makers, social and conservation organizations to support sustainable strategies to monitor and mitigate the potential consequences of climate change for human livelihoods in mountainous settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Diazgranados
- Natural Capital and Plant Health Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Ardingly, West Sussex, United Kingdom
| | - Carolina Tovar
- Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas R Etherington
- Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom.,Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Paula A Rodríguez-Zorro
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Carolina Castellanos-Castro
- Ciencias Básicas de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel Galvis Rueda
- Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigación en Estudios Micro y Macro Ambientales (MICRAM), Universidad Tecnológica y Pedagógica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
| | - Suzette G A Flantua
- Natural Capital and Plant Health Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Ardingly, West Sussex, United Kingdom.,Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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7
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Assessment of Potential Climate Change Impacts on Montane Forests in the Peruvian Andes: Implications for Conservation Prioritization. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12030375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Future climate change will result in profound shifts in the distribution and abundance of biodiversity in the Tropical Andes, and poses a challenge to contemporary conservation planning in the region. However, currently it is not well understood where the impacts of climate disruption will be most severe and how conservation policy should respond. This study examines climate change impacts in the Peruvian Andes, with a specific focus on tropical montane forest ecosystems, which are particularly susceptible to climate change. Using an ensemble of classification models coupled with different climate change scenarios, we estimate high and low potential impacts on montane forest, by projecting which areas will become climatically unsuitable to support montane forest ecosystems by 2070. These projections are subsequently used to examine potential impacts on protected areas containing montane forest. The modeling output indicates that climate change will have a high potential impact on 58% of all montane forests, particularly in the elevation range between 800 and 1200 m.a.s.l. Furthermore, about 64% of montane forests located in protected areas will be exposed to high potential impact. These results highlight the need for Peru’s conservation institutions to incorporate climate change considerations into prevailing conservation plans and adaptation strategies. To adjust to climate change, the adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems in the Peruvian Andes should be enhanced through restorative and preventive conservation measures such as improving forest functions and mitigating deforestation and forest degradation pressures.
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Chacón-Moreno E, Rodríguez-Morales M, Paredes D, Suárez del Moral P, Albarrán A. Impacts of Global Change on the Spatial Dynamics of Treeline in Venezuelan Andes. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.615223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The treeline in the Andes is considered an essential ecotone between the Montane forest and Páramo. This treeline in the Venezuelan Andes corresponds with a transitional ecosystem defined as the Páramo forest. In this work, we identify and analyze the impact of climate warming and land transformation as agents altering the Páramo forest ecosystem’s spatial dynamics along the Venezuelan Andes’ altitudinal gradient. We carry out multitemporal studies of 57 years of the land transformation at different landscapes of the Cordillera de Mérida and made a detailed analysis to understand the replacement of the ecosystems potential distribution. We found that the main ecosystem transition is from Páramo to the Páramo forest and from Páramo to the Montane forest. Based on the difference between the current lower Páramo limit and the Forest upper limit for 1952, the treeline border’s displacement is 72.7 m in the 57 years of study, representing ∼12.8 m per decade. These changes are mainly driven by climate warming and are carried out through an ecological process of densification of the woody composition instead of the shrubland structure. We found that Páramo forest ecosystems practically have been replaced by the Pastures and fallow vegetation, and the Crops. We present a synthesis of the transition and displacement of the different ecosystems and vegetation types in the treeline zone. The impact of climate warming and deforestation on the Páramo forest as a representative ecosystem of the treeline shows us that this study is necessary for an integrated global change adaptation plan.
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9
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Jobe JGD, Gedan K. Species-specific responses of a marsh-forest ecotone plant community responding to climate change. Ecology 2021; 102:e03296. [PMID: 33556188 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Ecotones are responsive to environmental change and pave a path for succession as they move across the landscape. We investigated the biotic and abiotic filters to species establishment on opposite ends of a tidal marsh-forest ecotone that is moving inland in response to sea level rise. We transplanted four plant species common to the ecotone to the leading or trailing edge of the migrating ecotone, with and without caging to protect them from ungulate herbivores. We found that species exhibited an individualistic response to abiotic and biotic pressures in this ecotone; three species performed better at the leading edge of the ecotone in the coastal forest, whereas one performed better at the trailing edge in the marsh. Specifically, grass species Phragmites australis and Panicum virgatum grew more in the low light and low salinity conditions of the leading edge of the ecotone (forest), whereas the shrub Iva frutescens grew better in the high light, high salinity conditions of the trailing edge of the ecotone (marsh). Furthermore, of the four species, only P. australis was affected by the biotic pressure of herbivory by an introduced ungulate, Cervus nippon, which greatly reduced its biomass and survival at the leading edge (forest). P. australis is an aggressive invasive species and has been observed to dominate in the wake of migrating marsh-forest ecotones. Our findings detail the role of lower salinity stress to promote and herbivory pressure to inhibit the establishment of P. australis during shifts of this ecotone, and also highlight an interaction between two nonnative species, P. australis and C. nippon. Understanding migration of the marsh-forest ecotone and the factors controlling P. australis establishment are critical for marsh conservation in the face of sea level rise. More generally, our findings support the conclusion that the abiotic and biotic filters of a migrating ecotone shape the resulting community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keryn Gedan
- The George Washington University, 800 22nd Street, Washington, D.C., 20052, USA
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10
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Toledo‐Aceves T, del‐Val E. Do plant‐herbivore interactions persist in assisted migration plantings? Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tarin Toledo‐Aceves
- Red de Ecología Funcional Instituto de Ecología, A.C Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351, El Haya C. P. 91073, Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Ek del‐Val
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, C. P. 58190, Morelia Michoacán Mexico
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Griffiths AR, Silman MR, Farfán Rios W, Feeley KJ, García Cabrera K, Meir P, Salinas N, Dexter KG. Evolutionary heritage shapes tree distributions along an Amazon‐to‐Andes elevation gradient. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Miles R. Silman
- Biology Department and Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Wake Forest University Winston‐Salem NC USA
| | - William Farfán Rios
- Living Earth Collaborative Washington University in Saint Louis St. Louis MO USA
- Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis MO USA
- Herbario Vargas (CUZ), Escuela Profesional de Biología Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco Cusco Peru
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables FL USA
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Coral Gables FL USA
| | - Karina García Cabrera
- Biology Department and Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Wake Forest University Winston‐Salem NC USA
| | - Patrick Meir
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Norma Salinas
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru Lima Peru
| | - Kyle G. Dexter
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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12
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Ospina-Sarria JJ, Angarita-Sierra T. A New Species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Eastern Slope of the Cordillera Oriental, Arauca, Colombia. HERPETOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-19-00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jhon Jairo Ospina-Sarria
- Calima, Fundación para la Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Conservación en el Trópico, Cra 67A # 33B 16, Cali, Colombia
| | - Teddy Angarita-Sierra
- Yoluka, Fundación de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Cra 68B # 23-88, Bogotá, Colombia
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13
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Is there potential in elevational assisted migration for the endangered Magnolia vovidesii? J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.125782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Aide TM, Grau HR, Graesser J, Andrade‐Nuñez MJ, Aráoz E, Barros AP, Campos‐Cerqueira M, Chacon‐Moreno E, Cuesta F, Espinoza R, Peralvo M, Polk MH, Rueda X, Sanchez A, Young KR, Zarbá L, Zimmerer KS. Woody vegetation dynamics in the tropical and subtropical Andes from 2001 to 2014: Satellite image interpretation and expert validation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2112-2126. [PMID: 30854741 PMCID: PMC6849738 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between climate and land-use change are dictating the distribution of flora and fauna and reshuffling biotic community composition around the world. Tropical mountains are particularly sensitive because they often have a high human population density, a long history of agriculture, range-restricted species, and high-beta diversity due to a steep elevation gradient. Here we evaluated the change in distribution of woody vegetation in the tropical Andes of South America for the period 2001-2014. For the analyses we created annual land-cover/land-use maps using MODIS satellite data at 250 m pixel resolution, calculated the cover of woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) in 9,274 hexagons of 115.47 km2 , and then determined if there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) 14 year linear trend (positive-forest gain, negative-forest loss) within each hexagon. Of the 1,308 hexagons with significant trends, 36.6% (n = 479) lost forests and 63.4% (n = 829) gained forests. We estimated an overall net gain of ~500,000 ha in woody vegetation. Forest loss dominated the 1,000-1,499 m elevation zone and forest gain dominated above 1,500 m. The most important transitions were forest loss at lower elevations for pastures and croplands, forest gain in abandoned pastures and cropland in mid-elevation areas, and shrub encroachment into highland grasslands. Expert validation confirmed the observed trends, but some areas of apparent forest gain were associated with new shade coffee, pine, or eucalypt plantations. In addition, after controlling for elevation and country, forest gain was associated with a decline in the rural population. Although we document an overall gain in forest cover, the recent reversal of forest gains in Colombia demonstrates that these coupled natural-human systems are highly dynamic and there is an urgent need of a regional real-time land-use, biodiversity, and ecosystem services monitoring network.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Mitchell Aide
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Puerto RicoSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - H. Ricardo Grau
- Instituto de Ecología RegionalCONICET‐Universidad Nacional de TucumánTucumánArgentina
| | - Jordan Graesser
- The Department of Earth and EnvironmentBoston UniversityBostonMassachusetts
| | | | - Ezequiel Aráoz
- Instituto de Ecología RegionalCONICET‐Universidad Nacional de TucumánTucumánArgentina
| | - Ana P. Barros
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDuke UniversityDurhamNorth Carolina
| | | | - Eulogio Chacon‐Moreno
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas (ICAE)Universidad de Los AndesMéridaVenezuela
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN)QuitoEcuador
- Palaeoecology & Landscape Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED)University of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Raul Espinoza
- Centro de Competencias del Agua (CCA)LimaPeru
- Instituto Geofisicos del Peru (IGP)LimaPeru
| | - Manuel Peralvo
- Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN)QuitoEcuador
| | - Molly H. Polk
- Department of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of Texas at AustinAustinTexas
| | - Ximena Rueda
- School of Management Universidad de los AndesBogotaColombia
| | | | - Kenneth R. Young
- Department of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of Texas at AustinAustinTexas
| | - Lucía Zarbá
- Instituto de Ecología RegionalCONICET‐Universidad Nacional de TucumánTucumánArgentina
| | - Karl S. Zimmerer
- Departments of Geography and Rural Sociology, GeoSyntheSES LabPennsylvania State UniversityState CollegePennsylvania
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15
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Helmer EH, Gerson EA, Baggett LS, Bird BJ, Ruzycki TS, Voggesser SM. Neotropical cloud forests and páramo to contract and dry from declines in cloud immersion and frost. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213155. [PMID: 30995232 PMCID: PMC6469753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Clouds persistently engulf many tropical mountains at elevations cool enough for clouds to form, creating isolated areas with frequent fog and mist. Under these isolated conditions, thousands of unique species have evolved in what are known as tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) and páramo. Páramo comprises a set of alpine ecosystems that occur above TMCF from about 11° N to 9° S along the Americas continental divide. TMCF occur on all continents and island chains with tropical climates and mountains and are increasingly threatened by climate and land-use change. Climate change could impact a primary feature distinguishing these ecosystems, cloud immersion. But where and in what direction cloud immersion of TMCF and páramo will change with climate are fundamental unknowns. Prior studies at a few TMCF sites suggest that cloud immersion will increase in some places while declining in others. Other unknowns include the extent of deforestation in protected and unprotected cloud forest climatic zones, and deforestation extent compared with projected climate change. Here we use a new empirical approach combining relative humidity, frost, and novel application of maximum watershed elevation to project change in TMCF and páramo for Representative greenhouse gas emissions Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. Results suggest that in <25–45 yr, 70–86% of páramo will dry or be subject to tree invasion, and cloud immersion declines will shrink or dry 57–80% of Neotropical TMCF, including 100% of TMCF across Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, much of Northern South America, and parts of Southeast Brazil. These estimates rise to 86% of Neotropical TMCF and 98% of páramo in <45–65 yr if greenhouse gas emissions continue rising throughout the 21st century. We also find that TMCF zones are largely forested, but some of the most deforested areas will undergo the least climate change. We project that cloud immersion will increase for only about 1% of all TMCF and in only a few places. Declines in cloud immersion dominate TMCF change across the Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. H. Helmer
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - E. A. Gerson
- Ecological Research Support, Houghton, Michigan, United States of America
| | - L. Scott Baggett
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J. Bird
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Thomas S. Ruzycki
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shannon M. Voggesser
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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16
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Variation in Tree Community Composition and Carbon Stock under Natural and Human Disturbances in Andean Forests, Peru. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9070390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Assessment of Land Cover Change in Peri-Urban High Andean Environments South of Bogotá, Colombia. LAND 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/land7020075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Abstract
Monkeys first arrived in the Neotropics about 36 Ma, and the ancestry of all living Neotropical primates (Platyrrhini) traces to a single common ancestral population from 24 to 19 Ma. The availability of lush Amazonian habitat, the rise of the Andes, the transition from the lacustrine to riverine system in the Amazon Basin, and the intermittent connection between the Amazon and the Atlantic tropical forests have all shaped how primates spread and diversified. Primates outcompeted native South American mammals but faced an influx of North American fauna with the closing of the Isthmus of Panama. Humans, extreme newcomers in the Neotropics, have influenced primate habitat and ecology over the last 13,000 years, with radical transformations in the last 500 years as a result of European colonization and land use change. Neotropical primate biogeography informs taxonomic work and conservation efforts, with a mind toward mitigating effects of direct human impact and human-mediated climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Lynch Alfaro
- Institute for Society and Genetics and Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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19
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Báez S, Jaramillo L, Cuesta F, Donoso DA. Effects of climate change on Andean biodiversity: a synthesis of studies published until 2015. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2016.1248710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Selene Báez
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregion Andina, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Liliana Jaramillo
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregion Andina, Lima, Peru
- Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David A. Donoso
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
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20
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Seedling transplants reveal species-specific responses of high-elevation tropical treeline trees to climate change. Oecologia 2016; 181:1233-42. [PMID: 27071667 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3619-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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21
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Projected distribution shifts and protected area coverage of range-restricted Andean birds under climate change. Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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22
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Rehm EM, Feeley KJ. Freezing temperatures as a limit to forest recruitment above tropical Andean treelines. Ecology 2015; 96:1856-65. [DOI: 10.1890/14-1992.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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23
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Urbina JC, Benavides JC. Simulated Small Scale Disturbances Increase Decomposition Rates and Facilitates Invasive Species Encroachment in a High Elevation Tropical Andean Peatland. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenny C. Urbina
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program; Oregon State University; Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
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