Climate Change in the Tropics: Ecological and Evolutionary Responses at Low Latitudes

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 303-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly S. Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is affecting every ecosystem on Earth. Though climate change is global in scope, literature reviews on the biotic impacts of climate change have focused on temperate and polar regions. Tropical species have distinct life histories and physiologies, and ecological communities are assembled differently across latitude. Thus, tropical species and communities may exhibit different responses to climate change compared with those in temperate and polar regions. What are the fingerprints of climate change in the tropics? This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on impacts of climate change in tropical regions and discusses research priorities to better understand the ways in which species and ecological communities are responding to climate change in the most biodiverse places on Earth.

scholarly journals Hot topics in biodiversity and climate change research

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 928
Author(s):  
Barry W. Brook ◽  
Damien A. Fordham
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Consistent Finding ◽  
Large Databases ◽  
New Methodologies ◽  
Societal Interest ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change ◽  
Highly Cited

With scientific and societal interest in biodiversity impacts of climate change growing enormously over the last decade, we analysed directions and biases in the recent most highly cited data papers in this field of research (from 2012 to 2014). The majority of this work relied on leveraging large databases of already collected historical information (but not paleo- or genetic data), and coupled these to new methodologies for making forward projections of shifts in species’ geographical ranges, with a focus on temperate and montane plants. A consistent finding was that the pace of climate-driven habitat change, along with increased frequency of extreme events, is outpacing the capacity of species or ecological communities to respond and adapt.

scholarly journals The impacts of climate change on marine mammals: early signs of significant problems

Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Simmonds ◽  
Stephen J. Isaac
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Baleen Whale ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Conservation Plans ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is now known to be affecting the oceans. It is widely anticipated that impacts on marine mammals will be mediated primarily via changes in prey distribution and abundance and that the more mobile (or otherwise adaptable) species may be able to respond to this to some extent. However, the extent of this adaptability is largely unknown. Meanwhile, within the last few years direct observations have been made of several marine mammal populations that illustrate reactions to climate change. These observations indicate that certain species and populations may be especially vulnerable, including those with a limited habitat range, such as the vaquita Phocoena sinus, or those for which sea ice provides an important part of their habitat, such as narwhals Monodon monoceros, bowhead Balaena mysticetus and beluga Delphinapterus leucas whales and polar bears Ursus maritimus. Similarly, there are concerns about those species that migrate to feeding grounds in polar regions because of rapidly changing conditions there, and this includes many baleen whale populations. This review highlights the need to take projected impacts into account in future conservation and management plans, including species assessments. How this should be done in an adequately precautionary manner offers a significant challenge to those involved in such processes, although it is possible to identify at this time at least some species and populations that may be regarded as especially vulnerable. Marine ecosystems modellers and marine mammal experts will need to work together to make such assessments and conservation plans as robust as possible.

Tropical rock coasts

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherith A. Moses
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Rock coasts are widespread in the tropics and exhibit particular morphologies that may be specific to their tropical, micro-tidal location. Notches are particularly well developed, often linked to onshore cliffs and fronted by subhorizontal platforms. Through a review of previously published data across the tropics, average cliff face erosion rates are calculated as 2.15 ± 2.62 mm a−1, intertidal erosion rates 3.03 ± 7.50 mm a−1 and subtidal erosion rates 0.96 ± 0.44 mm a−1. Intertidal erosion rates are variable within and across latitudinal ranges: within 10°N and S of the equator average rates are 1.42 ± 1.22 mm a−1; between latitudes of 10°and 20°, 0.88 ± 1.16 mm a−1 and between latitudes of 20°and 30°, 2.04 ± 2.57 mm a−1. A consideration of temporal variations in intertidal erosion rates provides insights into the potential impacts of climate change on the erosion dynamics of rock coasts in the tropics. This paper highlights some of the interactions over time and space between process and measurement that continue to limit our understanding of, and ability to model, the erosion dynamics of tropical rock coasts. It concludes by identifying potentially fruitful areas for future research.

scholarly journals Advancing Polar Prediction Capabilities on Daily to Seasonal Time Scales

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 1631-1647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Jung ◽  
Neil D. Gordon ◽  
Peter Bauer ◽  
David H. Bromwich ◽  
Matthieu Chevallier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Industrial Accidents ◽  
Lower Priority ◽  
Environmental Prediction ◽  
Short Term Prediction

Abstract The polar regions have been attracting more and more attention in recent years, fueled by the perceptible impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Polar climate change provides new opportunities, such as shorter shipping routes between Europe and East Asia, but also new risks such as the potential for industrial accidents or emergencies in ice-covered seas. Here, it is argued that environmental prediction systems for the polar regions are less developed than elsewhere. There are many reasons for this situation, including the polar regions being (historically) lower priority, with fewer in situ observations, and with numerous local physical processes that are less well represented by models. By contrasting the relative importance of different physical processes in polar and lower latitudes, the need for a dedicated polar prediction effort is illustrated. Research priorities are identified that will help to advance environmental polar prediction capabilities. Examples include an improvement of the polar observing system; the use of coupled atmosphere–sea ice–ocean models, even for short-term prediction; and insight into polar–lower-latitude linkages and their role for forecasting. Given the enormity of some of the challenges ahead, in a harsh and remote environment such as the polar regions, it is argued that rapid progress will only be possible with a coordinated international effort. More specifically, it is proposed to hold a Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) from mid-2017 to mid-2019 in which the international research and operational forecasting communites will work together with stakeholders in a period of intensive observing, modeling, prediction, verification, user engagement, and educational activities.

scholarly journals A survey of lifespans in Oribatida excluding Astigmata (Acari)

Zoosymposia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOBIAS PFINGSTL ◽  
HEINRICH SCHATZ
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
As Species ◽  
Faster Development ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Change Of Life

This contribution provides an update on the duration of life cycles and lifespans of oribatid mites based on a literature review. The total lifespan is the sum of the immature developmental time (egg to adult) and the longevity of the adult. Most investigations were carried out in the laboratory, few were performed in the field, under field conditions and/or compared with field data. Many life cycles were investigated under different environmental influences. The life cycles of 144 oribatid species are listed. Compared with the total number of known oribatid species, this number is very low. Data for the total lifespan are given for 52 species, either from observations in the laboratory or estimated in comparison with field studies, but can only be guesses of the real lifespan. The typical lifespan of an oribatid species in temperate or boreal regions lasts between 1 and 2 years, rarely 3 years. The few investigated tropical species from laboratory experiments show generally faster development and shorter lifespans as species from temperate regions; no field studies have been carried out in the tropics yet. Long lifespan periods of 5 to 8 years are particularly characteristic of species in polar regions and in mountainous temperate regions. Some examples of species with different longevity in distinct climate regions, very long lifespans and change of life parameters under stressful laboratory conditions are presented.

scholarly journals Macroecology of parental care in arthropods: higher mortality risk leads to higher benefits of offspring protection in tropical climates

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo S. A. Santos ◽  
Pedro Penna Bueno ◽  
James Gilbert ◽  
Glauco Machado
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Offspring Protection ◽  
Tropical Climates ◽  
The Tropics

The intensity of biotic interactions varies around the world, in such a way that mortality risk imposed by natural enemies is usually higher in the tropics. A major role of offspring attendance is protection against natural enemies, so the benefits of this behaviour should be higher in tropical regions. We tested this macroecological prediction with a meta‐regression of field experiments in which the mortality of guarded and unguarded broods was compared in arthropods. Mortality of unguarded broods was higher, and parental care was more beneficial, in warmer, less seasonal environments. Moreover, in these same environments, additional lines of defence further reduced offspring mortality, implying that offspring attendance alone is not enough to deter natural enemies in tropical regions. These results help to explain the high frequency of parental care among tropical species and how biotic interactions influence the occurrence of parental care over large geographic scales. Finally, our findings reveal that additional lines of defences – an oftentimes neglected component of parental care – have an important effect on the covariation between the benefits of parental care and the climate‐mediated mortality risk imposed by natural enemies.

scholarly journals Metagenomics of Antarctic Marine Sediment Reveals Potential for Diverse Chemolithoautotrophy

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadiy I. Garber ◽  
Jessica R. Zehnpfennig ◽  
Cody S. Sheik ◽  
Michael W. Henson ◽  
Gustavo A. Ramírez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Marine Sediment ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Inorganic Nutrients ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Freshwater Runoff ◽  
Antarctic Marine ◽  
Benthic Ecosystems ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

The impacts of climate change in polar regions, like Antarctica, have the potential to alter numerous ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. Increasing temperature and freshwater runoff from melting ice can have profound impacts on the cycling of organic and inorganic nutrients between the pelagic and benthic ecosystems.

scholarly journals Proximity of waterways to Finnish farmlands and associated characteristics of regional land use

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pirjo Peltonen-Sainio ◽  
Heikki Laurila ◽  
Lauri Jauhiainen ◽  
Laura Alakukku
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Current State ◽  
Irrigation Potential ◽  
Basic Understanding ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Yield Gaps ◽  
Regional Land ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

High latitude agriculture is rainfed. Climate change could, however, increase water deficiency and initiate a call for development of irrigation systems as a part of field water management systems. This study aimed to develop a basic understanding about the current state of irrigation potential according to region by monitoring proximity of fields to waterways and characterizing their general conditions. One third of Finnish fields are in direct contact with a shoreline of an inland waterway. This coupled with Finland being water-rich country may improve adaptive capacity to cope with the potentially harmful impacts of climate change in the future. However, there are marked differences between regions in access to water resources. Findings of this survey will serve as background information needed to assess future needs for introduction of irrigation and to evaluate the opportunities to close yield gaps and improve yield stability through irrigation.

scholarly journals The Thermal Biology of Takydromus kuehnei Indicates Tropical Lizards From High Elevation Have Not Been Severely Threatened by Climate Change

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiang Tao ◽  
Kunming Cheng ◽  
Xinghan Li ◽  
Xingzhi Han ◽  
Jichao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Safety Margin ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Thermal Safety ◽  
Thermal Biology ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Mountains ◽  
Maximum Temperatures ◽  
High Elevations

Climate change poses different threats to animals across latitudes. Tropical species have been proposed to be more vulnerable to climate change. However, the responses of animals from tropical mountains to thermal variation and climate change have been scarcely studied. Here, we investigated the thermal biology traits of a tropical lizard (Takydromus kuehnei) distributed at high elevations (>950 m) and evaluated the vulnerabilities of T. kuehnei by thermal biology traits, thermal safety margin, and thermoregulatory effectiveness. The average active body temperatures of T. kuehnei in the field were 26.28°C and 30.65°C in April and June, respectively. The selected body temperature was 33.23°C, and the optimal temperature for locomotion was 30.60°C. The critical thermal minimum and critical thermal maximum temperatures were 4.79°C and 43.37°C, respectively. Accordingly, the thermal safety margin (1.23°C) and thermoregulatory effectiveness (1.23°C) predicted that T. kuehnei distributed in tropical mountains were not significantly depressed by environmental temperatures. This study implies that high-elevation species in tropical regions may not be severely threatened by ongoing climate change and highlights the importance of thermal biology traits in evaluating the vulnerability of species to climate change.

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