scholarly journals Nowhere to escape – Diversity and community composition of ferns and lycophytes on the highest mountain in Honduras

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Johan Reyes-Chávez ◽  
Megan Quail ◽  
Stephanie Tarvin ◽  
Michael Kessler ◽  
Sven P. Batke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
National Park ◽  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Air Humidity ◽  
High Altitudes ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
Celaque National Park ◽  
Epiphytic Fern ◽  
Ferns And Lycophytes

Abstract IPCC predictions for Honduras indicate that temperature will increase by up to 3–6°C and precipitation will decrease by up to 7–13% by the year 2050. To better understand how fern and lycophyte communities might be affected by climate change, we comprehensively surveyed the community compositions of ferns and lycophytes at Celaque National Park, the highest mountain in Honduras. We surveyed a total of 80 20 × 20 m2 plots along an altitudinal gradient of 1249–2844 m a.s.l., identifying all species and estimating their abundances. We recorded a total of 11,098 individuals from 160 species and 61 genera. Community composition was strongly influenced by changes in altitude, precipitation and the abundance of bryophytes (a proxy for air humidity). Of the 160 species, 63 are expected, under a RCP2.6 scenario for the year 2050, to shift their range fully or partially above the maximum altitude of the mountain. Of these, 65.1% are epiphytes. We found that species with narrow altitudinal ranges at high altitudes were more at risk. Our study indicated that conservation efforts should prioritise higher altitudinal sites, focusing particularly on preserving the vulnerable epiphytic fern species, which are likely to be at greater risk.

Dissolved oxygen and temperature best predict deep-sea fish community structure in the Gulf of California with climate change implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 159-180
Author(s):  
ND Gallo ◽  
M Beckwith ◽  
CL Wei ◽  
LA Levin ◽  
L Kuhnz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Explained Variance

Natural gradient systems can be used to examine the vulnerability of deep-sea communities to climate change. The Gulf of California presents an ideal system for examining relationships between faunal patterns and environmental conditions of deep-sea communities because deep-sea conditions change from warm and oxygen-rich in the north to cold and severely hypoxic in the south. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Doc Ricketts’ was used to conduct seafloor video transects at depths of ~200-1400 m in the northern, central, and southern Gulf. The community composition, density, and diversity of demersal fish assemblages were compared to environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that climate-relevant variables (temperature, oxygen, and primary production) have more explanatory power than static variables (latitude, depth, and benthic substrate) in explaining variation in fish community structure. Temperature best explained variance in density, while oxygen best explained variance in diversity and community composition. Both density and diversity declined with decreasing oxygen, but diversity declined at a higher oxygen threshold (~7 µmol kg-1). Remarkably, high-density fish communities were observed living under suboxic conditions (<5 µmol kg-1). Using an Earth systems global climate model forced under an RCP8.5 scenario, we found that by 2081-2100, the entire Gulf of California seafloor is expected to experience a mean temperature increase of 1.08 ± 1.07°C and modest deoxygenation. The projected changes in temperature and oxygen are expected to be accompanied by reduced diversity and related changes in deep-sea demersal fish communities.

Adapting to climate change at Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Halofsky ◽  
David L. Peterson ◽  
Kathy A. O’Halloran ◽  
Catherine Hawkins Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Park ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Olympic National Park

scholarly journals Methodology for classifying the ecosystem integrity of forests in Germany using quantified indicators

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jenssen ◽  
Stefan Nickel ◽  
Winfried Schröder
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Park ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Water Flux ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Atmospheric Nitrogen ◽  
Complete Coverage ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Quantitative Indicators

Abstract Background Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and climate change can have impacts on ecological structures and functions, and thus on the integrity of ecosystems and their services. Operationalization of ecosystem integrity is still an important desideratum. Results A methodology for classifying the ecosystem integrity of forests in Germany under the influence of climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition is presented. The methodology was based on 14 indicators for six ecosystem functions: habitat function, net primary function, carbon sequestration, nutrient and water flux, resilience. It allows assessments of ecosystem integrity changes by comparing current or prospective ecosystem states with ecosystem-type-specific reference states as described by quantitative indicators for 61 forest ecosystem types based on data before 1990. Conclusion The method developed enables site-specific classifications of ecosystem integrity as well as classifications with complete coverage and determinations of temporal trends as shown using examples from the Thuringian Forest and the “Kellerwald-Edersee” National Park (Germany).

Climate change refugia: landscape, stand and tree-scale microclimates in epiphyte community composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-148
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Ellis ◽  
Sally Eaton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Local Effects ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Epiphyte Community

AbstractThere is growing evidence that species and communities are responding to, and will continue to be affected by, climate change. For species at risk, vulnerability can be reduced by ensuring that their habitat is extensive, connected and provides opportunities for dispersal and/or gene flow, facilitating a biological response through migration or adaptation. For woodland epiphytes, vulnerability might also be reduced by ensuring sufficient habitat heterogeneity, so that microhabitats provide suitable local microclimates, even as the larger scale climate continues to change (i.e. microrefugia). This study used fuzzy set ordination to compare bryophyte and lichen epiphyte community composition to a large-scale gradient from an oceanic to a relatively more continental macroclimate. The residuals from this relationship identified microhabitats in which species composition reflected a climate that was more oceanic or more continental than would be expected given the prevailing macroclimate. Comparing these residuals to features that operate at different scales to create the microclimate (landscape, stand and tree-scale), it was possible to identify how one might engineer microrefugia into existing or new woodland, in order to reduce epiphyte vulnerability to climate change. Multimodel inference was used to identify the most important features for consideration, which included local effects such as height on the bole, angle of bole lean and bark water holding capacity, as well as tree species and tree age, and within the landscape, topographic wetness and physical exposure.

A perceptive study on carbon sequestration potential of Acacia catechu in the Mukundara National Park Rajasthan-India

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Nidhi Chaturvedi, ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
National Park ◽  
Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽  
Acacia Species ◽  
Significant Function ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Acacia Catechu

The carbon sequestration potential of an unmanaged and previously unstudied Acacia catechu in the Mukundara National Park Rajasthan, by estimating the total aboveground biomass contained in the forest. It turned into observed that the biomass, above ground comprising of stems, branches, and foliage, holds a total of 200 tons per hectare, foremost to a valued 100 tons of carbon being deposited per hectare aboveground. Acacia species consequently has the potential to play a significant function within the mitigation of climate change. The relation among the biomass, M, of each component (stems, branches, and foliage) and the diameter d, of the plant become also studied, by means of fitting allometric equations of the form M = αdβ. It was observed that all components fit this power law relation very well (R2 > 0.7), chiefly the stems (R2 > 0.8) and branches (R2 > 0.9) for which the relation is found to be almost linear.

Categorizing Online Climate Change Interpretation Across the National Park System

2021 ◽  
pp. 109258722110429
Author(s):  
Ryan Roberts ◽  
Matt Holly ◽  
Larry Perez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Park ◽  
Baseline Measure ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Future Assessment ◽  
Intensive Approach ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
National Park System

Climate change effects are evident across the National Park System, and units are encouraged to provide proactive, meaningful interpretation on the issue to cultivate informed partners and encourage collaborative stewardship. But climate change is not currently interpreted across all units of the National Park System. Anecdotal observations suggest some units highly prioritize the topic, while others do not. Thus, we conducted an assessment of current online climate change interpretation across the National Park System as one means of quantifying park engagement. Results suggest that—of the 391 units included in the analysis—37% interpreted climate change in some manner online as of February, 2019. Though our method of analysis does not fully describe park interpretive efforts, our findings provide a baseline measure of online interpretation and help to prioritize future training and support. Furthermore, our work provides a minimally intensive approach for future assessment of online climate change interpretation.

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