scholarly journals Elevational distribution ranges of vascular plant species in the Baekdudaegan mountain range, South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sookyung Shin ◽  
Jung-Hyun Kim ◽  
Ji-Hee Dang ◽  
In-Soon Seo ◽  
Byoung Yoon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Subalpine Zone ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Elevational Distribution

AbstractThe climate is changing rapidly, and this may pose a major threat to global biodiversity. One of the most distinctive consequences of climate change is the poleward and/or upward shift of species distribution ranges associated with increasing temperatures, resulting in a change of species composition and community structure in the forest ecosystems. The Baekdudaegan mountain range connects most forests from the lowland to the subalpine zone in South Korea and is therefore recognized as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This study was conducted to understand the distribution range of vascular plants along elevational gradients through field surveys in the six national parks of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. We identified the upper and lower distribution limits of a total of 873 taxa of vascular plants with 117 families, 418 genera, 793 species, 14 subspecies, 62 varieties, two forms, and two hybrids. A total of 12 conifers were recorded along the elevational gradient. The distribution ranges of Abies koreana, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, and Thuja koraiensis were limited to over 1000 m above sea level. We also identified 21 broad-leaved trees in the subalpine zone. A total of 45 Korean endemic plant species were observed, and of these, 15 taxa (including Aconitum chiisanense and Hanabusaya asiatica) showed a narrow distribution range in the subalpine zone. Our study provides valuable information on the current elevational distribution ranges of vascular plants in the six national parks of South Korea, which could serve as a baseline for vertical shifts under future climate change.

scholarly journals Trends in Population Size of Rare Plant Species in the Alpine Habitats of the Ukrainian Carpathians under Climate Change

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy Kobiv
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Frost Damage ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Alpine Plant ◽  
Cold Adapted ◽  
Subalpine Zone ◽  
Alpine Species ◽  
Alpine Habitats

Population trends in rare alpine plant species in the high-mountain zone of the Ukrainian Carpathians are described with regard to the types of habitats where they occur. Populations of cold-adapted species confined to snowbeds, alpine screes, poorly vegetated rocks, and the highest ridges, as well as mires and springs, are very vulnerable to climate change, while their habitats tend to shrink. The direct impact of warming affects mainly the most cryophilic species. Another driver of changes is climate-induced succession that results in denser vegetation cover and encroachment of more thermophilic plants, which replace low-competitive rare alpine species. Their replacement is largely caused by the loss of open microsites suitable for seed recruitment. However, the climate-driven decrease of snow cover often leads to frost damage to vegetation that provides gaps appropriate for the establishment of many rare species. One of the groups of species that benefit from warming includes rather thermophilic tall herbs that are more common in the subalpine zone but have been actively spreading at higher altitudes lately.

scholarly journals The Fate of Endangered Rock Sedge (Carex rupestris) in the Western Carpathians—The Future Perspective of an Arctic-Alpine Species under Climate Change

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Svitková ◽  
Marek Svitok ◽  
Anton Petrík ◽  
Dana Bernátová ◽  
Dušan Senko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Western Carpathians ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Perspective ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Alpine Species ◽  
The Future ◽  
Small Models

Carex rupestris is an endangered and rare arctic-alpine element of the Western Carpathian flora. Given the geographically isolated and spatially restricted peripheral ranges of arctic-alpine species, there is a good chance that many species of conservation concern irreversibly disappear from the regional flora under the ongoing climate change. In this study, we gathered all existing data on the presence of C. rupestris and focused on its current and future distribution in the Western Carpathians. We found that although the distribution of the species is fragmented and scarce, C. rupestris occurs in several mountain ranges, in four distinct plant community types, which differ considerably in altitude, geological bedrock, and other habitat characteristics. In contrast to the relatively broad range of occupied habitats, C. rupestris shows a narrow temperature niche (mean annual temperature range 0.4–4.0 °C). Ensembles of small models based on climatic characteristics and local topography show that regardless of the climate change scenario (rcp2.6, rcp8.5), many current occurrence sites, mainly in the peripheral zones of the range, will face the excessive loss of suitable environmental conditions. It is expected that the Tatra Mountains will be the only mountain range retaining potentially suitable habitats and providing possible refugia for this cold-adapted species in the future. Such severe shrinkage of distribution ranges and associated geographic isolation raises serious concerns for the fate of the arctic-alpine species in the Western Carpathians.

scholarly journals POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON PLANT DIVERSITY OF HILLY AREAS OF AZAD KASHMIR AND THEIR MITIGATION: A REVIEW

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
K. F. Akbar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Observation System ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
Mountain Ecosystems ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Azad Kashmir ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Azad Kashmir has variety of mountain ecosystems which are rich in floral and faunal diversity. These ecosystems are fragile and are under stress due to various natural and anthropogenic pressures. Mountain ecosystems of Azad Kashmir are more vulnerable to global warming and are expected to show its impacts rapidly. Climate change may cause major changes in distribution ranges of different vegetation types. As a result of climate change, the area of three vegetation groups (alpine, grassland/arid woodlands and deserts) is expected to decrease and the areas of five types (cold conifer/mixed woodland, cold conifer/mixed forests, temperate conifer/mixed forests, warm conifer/mixed forests, and steppe/arid shrub lands) are expected to increase. Climate change is going to affect conservation of plant species and ecosystems by causing direct loss of plant species and intensify the effects of existing threats such as habitat degradation, deforestation and over-harvesting of plants by local communities, pollution and invasive species. These stresses, acting individually and collectively on species, communities and ecosystems, are depleting and will continue to deplete biodiversity. The negative impacts of climate change are multi-dimensional and wide-ranging. Their mitigation requires an integrated and coordinated policy response for conservation of plant resources. These measures include a regular monitoring and observation system, restoration of degraded habitats and forests, identifying new solutions involving cross-sectoral linkages to conserve biological diversity of Azad Kashmir by supporting the intricate and complex responses of species and ecosystems to climate change.

scholarly journals Mass aggregations of Bibio pomonae (Insecta: Diptera: Bibionidae), an indication of climate change?

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Qvenild ◽  
Sigurd Rognerud
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Brown Trout ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Stomach Fullness ◽  
Alpine Zone ◽  
Subalpine Zone ◽  
Significant Measure ◽  
One Year

<p>Examination of stomach contents of the brown trout is a sensitive method to evaluate the animals occurring in a lake and its surroundings. Yearly test fishing from Lake Sandvatn at the Hardangervidda Mountain plateau in August has shown regular occurrence of <em>Bibio pomonae</em> in the brown trout stomachs every third year since 2001. The stomach fullness and selectivity for other food items is influenced by the local weather conditions, but in calm and sunny weather, mass aggregation of B. pomonae are reflected by high stomach fullness and the brown trout predate B. pomonae selectively. The stomach fullness with <em>B. pomonae</em> may give a significant measure of the mass aggregation phenomena in such periods. On the Hardangervidda Mountain plateau mass aggregation have been observed regularly every third year since 2001. Mass aggregations elsewhere on the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula seem to follow the same pattern, but with a one-year delay in the northern part. Our results substantiate that mass aggregations of <em>B. pomonae</em> seem to be an irregular phenomenon in the previous century. In 2016 mass aggregation of B. pomonae was observed in the southern part of the Norwegian mountain range with its maximum abundance in the lower alpine zone. The abundance seems to have extended its maximum from the subalpine zone into the lower alpine zone. Mass aggregations were observed 1678 m a.s.l., 318 m higher up than previously recorded. In 2016 <em>B. pomonae</em> was also recorded earlier than ever before. Climate change may be a driver of the regular mass aggregations, the apparently increase in strength, the elevation of the abundance maximum, the new extreme altitude swarming, and the early hatchings seen after 2000.</p>

scholarly journals Projecting the Impact of Climate Change on the Spatial Distribution of Six Subalpine Tree Species in South Korea Using a Multi-Model Ensemble Approach

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Sanghyuk Lee ◽  
Huicheul Jung ◽  
Jaeyong Choi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Model Ensemble ◽  
Current Time ◽  
Ensemble Approach ◽  
Rcp 8.5 ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is recognized as a major threat to global biodiversity and has already caused extensive regional extinction. In particular danger are the plant habitats in subalpine zones, which are more vulnerable to climate change. Evergreen coniferous trees in South Korean subalpine zones are currently designated as a species that need special care given their conservation value, but the reason for their decline and its seriousness remains unclear. This research estimates the potential land suitability (LS) of the subalpine zones in South Korea for six coniferous species vulnerable to climate change in the current time (1970–2000) and two future periods, the 2050s (2041–2060) and the 2070s (2061–2080). We analyze the ensemble-averaged loss of currently suitable habitats in the future, using nine species distribution models (SDMs). Korean arborvitae (Thuja koraiensis) and Khingan fir (Abies nephrolepis) are two species expected to experience significant habitat losses in 2050 (−59.5% under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 to −65.9% under RCP 8.5 and −56.3% under RCP 4.5 to −57.7% under RCP 8.5, respectively). High extinction risks are estimated for these species, due to the difficulty of finding other suitable habitats with high LS. The current habitat of Korean fir (Abies koreana), listed as a threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, is expected to decrease by −23.9% (RCP 4.5) to −28.4% (RCP 8.5) and −36.5% (RCP 4.5) to −36.7% (RCP 8.5) in the 2050s and 2070s, respectively. Still, its suitable habitats are also estimated to expand geographically toward the northern part of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. In the context of forest management and adaptation planning, the multi-model ensemble approach to mapping future shifts in the range of subalpine tree species under climate change provides robust information about the potential distribution of threatened and endanger

Predicting shifts in distribution range and niche breadth of plant species in contrasting arid environments under climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 193 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zubair Ahmad Rather ◽  
Rameez Ahmad ◽  
Abdul Rashid Dar ◽  
Tanvir Ul Hassan Dar ◽  
Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Arid Environments

scholarly journals Potential Distribution of Amphibians with Different Habitat Characteristics in Response to Climate Change in South Korea

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2185
Author(s):  
Hyun Woo Kim ◽  
Pradeep Adhikari ◽  
Min Ho Chang ◽  
Changwan Seo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Suitable Habitats

Amphibian species are highly vulnerable to climate change with significant species decline and extinction predicted worldwide. However, there are very limited studies on amphibians in South Korea. Here, we assessed the potential impacts of climate change on different habitat groups (wetland amphibians, Group 1; migrating amphibians, Group 2; and forest-dwelling amphibians, Group 3) under future climate change and land cover change in South Korea using a maximum entropy modelling approach. Our study revealed that all amphibians would suffer substantial loss of suitable habitats in the future, except Lithobates catesbeianus, Kaloula borealis, and Karsenia koreana. Similarly, species richness for Groups 2 and 3 will decline by 2030, 2050, and 2080. Currently, amphibian species are widely distributed across the country; however, in future, suitable habitats for amphibians would be concentrated along the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range and the southeastern region. Among the three groups, Group 3 amphibians are predicted to be the most vulnerable to climate change; therefore, immediate conservation action is needed to protect them. We expect this study could provide crucial baseline information required for the government to design climate change mitigation strategies for indigenous amphibians.

Potential Distribution of Nysius simulans (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) in Soybean Crops in South America Under Current and Future Climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1702-1710
Author(s):  
Alexandre Silva de Paula ◽  
Carlos Barreto
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South America ◽  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Distribution Range ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Natural Occurrence ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Distribution Ranges

Abstract Nysius simulans (Stål) is a suctorial, fluid feeding herbivore that can transmit toxins and spread pathogens via saliva and is an economically important pest for soybean in South America. Currently, N. simulans in soybean is predominantly found in Argentina, but future changes in the distribution from both dispersal and range shifts due to climate change may affect soybean cultivation in southern South America. We developed a species distribution model to examine the distribution range of N. simulans. We compared the potential distribution of N. simulans under current and future projected climatic conditions in order to identify future areas of natural occurrence with ecological niche models using Maxent. Current records of N. simulans show that while the species is present in Argentina, and some areas of Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, our models suggest that many new suitable areas will be available for N. simulans under climate change including other regions of Argentina, and southern Chile. Our results also predict potential future range shifts and distributions into Bolivia, but not Peru nor Brazil. In our model, seasonal trends in temperature were shown to have the greatest contribution to the potential distribution, whereas isothermality (i.e., temperature variability) was correlated to potential future distribution ranges. We conclude that current populations of N. simulans may be expanding its distribution range by diffusion (i.e., range expansion over generations at the margins of populations), and regions with potential future N. simulans distribution should be closely monitored.

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