Comparing species distributions modelled from occurrence data and from expert-based range maps. Implication for predicting range shifts with climate change

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 8-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoan Fourcade
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Occurrence Data

scholarly journals Think globally, measure locally: The MIREN standardized protocol for monitoring species distributions along elevation gradients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Haider ◽  
Jonas Lembrechts ◽  
Keith McDougall ◽  
Anibal Pauchard ◽  
Jake M. Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Mountain Regions ◽  
Elevation Gradients ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Standardized Protocol

Climate change and other global change drivers threaten plant diversity in mountains worldwide. A widely documented response to such environmental modifications is for plant species to change their elevational ranges. Range shifts are often idiosyncratic and difficult to generalize, partly due to variation in sampling methods. There is thus a need for a standardized monitoring strategy that can be applied across mountain regions to assess distribution changes and community turnover of native and non-native plant species over space and time. Here, we present a conceptually intuitive and standardized protocol developed by the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) to systematically quantify global patterns of native and non-native species distributions along elevation gradients and shifts arising from interactive effects of climate change and human disturbance. Usually repeated every five years, surveys consist of 20 sample sites located at equal elevation increments along three replicate roads per sampling region. At each site, three plots extend from the side of a mountain road into surrounding natural vegetation. The protocol has been successfully used in 18 regions worldwide from 2007 to present. Analyses of one point in time already generated some salient results, and revealed region-specific elevational patterns of native plant species richness, but a globally consistent elevational decline in non-native species richness. Non-native plants were also more abundant directly adjacent to road edges, suggesting that disturbed roadsides serve as a vector for invasions into mountains. From the upcoming analyses of time series even more exciting results especially about range shifts can be expected. Implementing the protocol in more mountain regions globally would help to generate a more complete picture of how global change alters species distributions. This would inform conservation policy in mountain ecosystems, where some conservation policies remain poorly implemented.

scholarly journals Improvements in reports of species redistribution under climate change are required

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (15) ◽  
pp. eabe1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirin Taheri ◽  
Babak Naimi ◽  
Carsten Rahbek ◽  
Miguel B. Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Sufficient Data ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Distributional Shifts ◽  
Competing Priorities ◽  
Accurate Reporting ◽  
Over Time

Studies have documented climate change–induced shifts in species distributions but uncertainties associated with data and methods are typically unexplored. We reviewed 240 reports of climate-related species-range shifts and classified them based on three criteria. We ask whether observed distributional shifts are compared against random expectations, whether multicausal factors are examined on equal footing, and whether studies provide sufficient documentation to enable replication. We found that only ~12.1% of studies compare distributional shifts across multiple directions, ~1.6% distinguish observed patterns from random expectations, and ~19.66% examine multicausal factors. Last, ~75.5% of studies report sufficient data and results to allow replication. We show that despite gradual improvements over time, there is scope for raising standards in data and methods within reports of climate-change induced shifts in species distribution. Accurate reporting is important because policy responses depend on them. Flawed assessments can fuel criticism and divert scarce resources for biodiversity to competing priorities.

scholarly journals Climate change drives mountain butterflies towards the summits

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Rödder ◽  
Thomas Schmitt ◽  
Patrick Gros ◽  
Werner Ulrich ◽  
Jan Christian Habel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life History ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Annual Range

AbstractClimate change impacts biodiversity and is driving range shifts of species and populations across the globe. To understand the effects of climate warming on biota, long-term observations of the occurrence of species and detailed knowledge on their ecology and life-history is crucial. Mountain species particularly suffer under climate warming and often respond to environmental changes by altitudinal range shifts. We assessed long-term distribution trends of mountain butterflies across the eastern Alps and calculated species’ specific annual range shifts based on field observations and species distribution models, counterbalancing the potential drawbacks of both approaches. We also compiled details on the ecology, behaviour and life-history, and the climate niche of each species assessed. We found that the highest altitudinal maxima were observed recently in the majority of cases, while the lowest altitudes of observations were recorded before 1980. Mobile and generalist species with a broad ecological amplitude tended to move uphill more than specialist and sedentary species. As main drivers we identified climatic conditions and topographic variables, such as insolation and solar irradiation. This study provides important evidence for responses of high mountain taxa to rapid climate change. Our study underlines the advantage of combining historical surveys and museum collection data with cutting-edge analyses.

scholarly journals Diversity and species turnover on an altitudinal gradient in Western Cape, South Africa: baseline data for monitoring range shifts in response to climate change

Bothalia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Agenbag ◽  
K. J. Elser ◽  
G. F. Midgley ◽  
C. Boucher
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Moisture Gradient ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Succulent Karoo ◽  
Species Ranges

A temperature and moisture gradient on the equator-facing slope of Jonaskop on the Riviersonderend Mountain. Westem Cape has been selected as an important gradient for monitoring the effects of climate change on fynbos and the Fynbos- Succulent Karoo ecotone. This study provides a description of plant diversity patterns, growth form composition and species turnover across the gradient and the results of four years of climate monitoring at selected points along the altitudinal gradient.The aim o f this study is to provide data for a focused monitoring strategy for the early detection of climate change-related shifts in species’ ranges, as well as gaining a better understanding of the role of climate variability in shaping species growth responses, their distributions, and other ecosystem processes.

scholarly journals Forest fires and climate-induced tree range shifts in the western US

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Avery P. Hill ◽  
Christopher B. Field
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
Plant Populations ◽  
Wildfire Occurrence ◽  
Western Us ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Climate Space

AbstractDue to climate change, plant populations experience environmental conditions to which they are not adapted. Our understanding of the next century’s vegetation geography depends on the distance, direction, and rate at which plant distributions shift in response to a changing climate. In this study we test the sensitivity of tree range shifts (measured as the difference between seedling and mature tree ranges in climate space) to wildfire occurrence, using 74,069 Forest Inventory Analysis plots across nine states in the western United States. Wildfire significantly increased the seedling-only range displacement for 2 of the 8 tree species in which seedling-only plots were displaced from tree-plus-seedling plots in the same direction with and without recent fire. The direction of climatic displacement was consistent with that expected for warmer and drier conditions. The greater seedling-only range displacement observed across burned plots suggests that fire can accelerate climate-related range shifts and that fire and fire management will play a role in the rate of vegetation redistribution in response to climate change.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document