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

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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Adapting to Climate Change Mosaically: An Analysis of African Livestock Management by Agro-Ecological Zones

The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy ◽

10.2202/1935-1682.1955 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

S. Niggol Seo ◽

Robert Mendelsohn ◽

Ariel Dinar ◽

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

High Elevation ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Livestock Management ◽

Livestock Ownership ◽

High Elevations ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

Abstract This paper examines African livestock management across Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) to learn how they would adapt to climate change in the coming century. We analyze farm level decisions to own livestock and to choose a primary livestock species using logit models with and without country fixed effects or AEZ fixed effects. With a hot dry scenario, the results indicate that livestock ownership will increase slightly across all of Africa, but especially in West Africa and high elevation AEZs. Dairy cattle will decrease in semi-arid regions, sheep will increase in lowlands, and rearing chickens will increase at high elevations. On the other hand, if climate becomes wetter, livestock ownership will fall dramatically in lowlands and high elevation moist AEZs. Beef cattle will increase and sheep will fall in dry AEZs, dairy cattle will fall precipitously and goats will rise in moist AEZs, and chickens will increase at high elevations but fall at mid elevations. Therefore, adaptation measures should be tailored to a specific AEZ.

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

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics ◽

10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-025005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 303-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

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.

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Twelfth Century AD

10.1093/oso/9780199329199.003.0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Lonnie G. Thompson ◽

Alan L. Kolata

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Southern Oscillation ◽

Sediment Cores ◽

Critical Role ◽

Lake Titicaca ◽

Independent Evidence ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Ice Cap ◽

Paleoclimate Records ◽

Past Climate Change

Climate is a fundamental and independent variable of human existence. Given that 50 percent of the Earth’s surface and much of its population exist between 30oN and 30oS, paleoenvironmental research in the Earth’s tropical regions is vital to our understanding of the world’s current and past climate change. Most of the solar energy that drives the climate system is absorbed in these regions. Paleoclimate records reveal that tropical processes, such as variations in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), have affected the climate over much of the planet. Climatic variations, particularly in precipitation and temperature, play a critical role in the adaptations of agrarian cultures located in zones of environmental sensitivity, such as those of the coastal deserts, highlands, and altiplano of the Andean region. Paleoclimate records from the Quelccaya ice cap (5670 masl) in highland Peru that extend back ~1800 years show good correlation between precipitation and the rise and fall of pre-Hispanic civilizations in western Peru and Bolivia. Sediment cores extracted from Lake Titicaca provide independent evidence of this correspondence with particular reference to the history of the pre-Hispanic Tiwanaku state centered in the Andean altiplano. Here we explore, in particular, the impacts of climate change on the development and ultimate dissolution of this altiplano state.

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Identifying Habitat Holdouts for High Elevation Tree Species Under Climate Change

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change ◽

10.3389/ffgc.2019.00094 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Charles J. Maxwell ◽

Robert M. Scheller

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Tree Species ◽

High Elevation

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Continental vs. Global Niche-Based Modelling of Freshwater Species’ Distributions: How Big Are the Differences in the Estimated Climate Change Effects?

Water ◽

10.3390/w13060816 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 816

Author(s):

Danijela Markovic ◽

Jörg Freyhof ◽

Oskar Kärcher

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Thermal Properties ◽

Safety Margin ◽

Thermal Response ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Freshwater Species ◽

Response Curves ◽

Preferred Temperature ◽

Continental Scale ◽

Management Actions

Thermal response curves that depict the probability of occurrence along a thermal gradient are used to derive various species’ thermal properties and abilities to cope with warming. However, different thermal responses can be expected for different portions of a species range. We focus on differences in thermal response curves (TRCs) and thermal niche requirements for four freshwater fishes (Coregonus sardinella, Pungitius pungitius, Rutilus rutilus, Salvelinus alpinus) native to Europe at (1) the global and (2) European continental scale. European ranges captured only a portion of the global thermal range with major differences in the minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and average temperature (Tav) of the respective distributions. Further investigations of the model-derived preferred temperature (Tpref), warming tolerance (WT = Tmax − Tpref), safety margin (SM = Tpref − Tav) and the future climatic impact showed substantially differing results. All considered thermal properties either were under- or overestimated at the European level. Our results highlight that, although continental analyses have an impressive spatial extent, they might deliver misleading estimates of species thermal niches and future climate change impacts, if they do not cover the full species ranges. Studies and management actions should therefore favor whole global range distribution data for analyzing species responses to environmental gradients.

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Integrating dark diversity and functional traits to enhance nature conservation of epiphytic lichens: a case study from Northern Italy

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-021-02211-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Diego Pires Ferraz Trindade ◽

Meelis Pärtel ◽

Carlos Pérez Carmona ◽

Tiina Randlane ◽

Juri Nascimbene

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Nature Conservation ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Growth Form ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Epiphytic Lichens ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

High Elevations ◽

Harsh Conditions

AbstractMountains provide a timely opportunity to examine the potential effects of climate change on biodiversity. However, nature conservation in mountain areas have mostly focused on the observed part of biodiversity, not revealing the suitable but absent species—dark diversity. Dark diversity allows calculating the community completeness, indicating whether sites should be restored (low completeness) or conserved (high completeness). Functional traits can be added, showing what groups should be focused on. Here we assessed changes in taxonomic and functional observed and dark diversity of epiphytic lichens along elevational transects in Northern Italy spruce forests. Eight transects (900–1900 m) were selected, resulting in 48 plots and 240 trees, in which lichens were sampled using four quadrats per tree (10 × 50 cm). Dark diversity was estimated based on species co-occurrence (Beals index). We considered functional traits related to growth form, photobiont type and reproductive strategy. Linear and Dirichlet regressions were used to examine changes in taxonomic metrics and functional traits along gradient. Our results showed that all taxonomic metrics increased with elevation and functional traits of lichens differed between observed and dark diversity. At low elevations, due to low completeness and harsh conditions, both restoration and conservation activities are needed, focusing on crustose species. Towards high elevations, conservation is more important to prevent species pool losses, focusing on macrolichens, lichens with Trentepohlia and sexual reproduction. Finally, dark diversity and functional traits provide a novel tool to enhance nature conservation, indicating particular threatened groups, creating windows of opportunities to protect species from both local and regional extinctions.

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Does Hyperoxia Restrict Pyrenean Rock Lizards Iberolacerta bonnali to High Elevations?

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13050200 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 200

Author(s):

Eric J. Gangloff ◽

Sierra Spears ◽

Laura Kouyoumdjian ◽

Ciara Pettit ◽

Fabien Aubret

Keyword(s):

High Elevation ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

The Novel ◽

Thermal Physiology ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Thermal Performance Curve ◽

And Performance ◽

Thermal Preferences ◽

High Elevations ◽

Intense Radiation

Ectothermic animals living at high elevation often face interacting challenges, including temperature extremes, intense radiation, and hypoxia. While high-elevation specialists have developed strategies to withstand these constraints, the factors preventing downslope migration are not always well understood. As mean temperatures continue to rise and climate patterns become more extreme, such translocation may be a viable conservation strategy for some populations or species, yet the effects of novel conditions, such as relative hyperoxia, have not been well characterised. Our study examines the effect of downslope translocation on ectothermic thermal physiology and performance in Pyrenean rock lizards (Iberolacerta bonnali) from high elevation (2254 m above sea level). Specifically, we tested whether models of organismal performance developed from low-elevation species facing oxygen restriction (e.g., hierarchical mechanisms of thermal limitation hypothesis) can be applied to the opposite scenario, when high-elevation organisms face hyperoxia. Lizards were split into two treatment groups: one group was maintained at a high elevation (2877 m ASL) and the other group was transplanted to low elevation (432 m ASL). In support of hyperoxia representing a constraint, we found that lizards transplanted to the novel oxygen environment of low elevation exhibited decreased thermal preferences and that the thermal performance curve for sprint speed shifted, resulting in lower performance at high body temperatures. While the effects of hypoxia on thermal physiology are well-explored, few studies have examined the effects of hyperoxia in an ecological context. Our study suggests that high-elevation specialists may be hindered in such novel oxygen environments and thus constrained in their capacity for downslope migration.

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Projections for Mexico’s Tropical Rainforests Considering Ecological Niche and Climate Change

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12020119 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 119

Author(s):

Antonio Fidel Santos-Hernández ◽

Alejandro Ismael Monterroso-Rivas ◽

Diódoro Granados-Sánchez ◽

Antonio Villanueva-Morales ◽

Malinali Santacruz-Carrillo

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecological Niche ◽

Potential Distribution ◽

Tropical Rainforest ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Ecological Importance

The tropical rainforest is one of the lushest and most important plant communities in Mexico’s tropical regions, yet its potential distribution has not been studied in current and future climate conditions. The aim of this paper was to propose priority areas for conservation based on ecological niche and species distribution modeling of 22 species with the greatest ecological importance at the climax stage. Geographic records were correlated with bioclimatic temperature and precipitation variables using Maxent and Kuenm software for each species. The best Maxent models were chosen based on statistical significance, complexity and predictive power, and current potential distributions were obtained from these models. Future potential distributions were projected with two climate change scenarios: HADGEM2_ES and GFDL_CM3 models and RCP 8.5 W/m2 by 2075–2099. All potential distributions for each scenario were then assembled for further analysis. We found that 14 tropical rainforest species have the potential for distribution in 97.4% of the landscape currently occupied by climax vegetation (0.6% of the country). Both climate change scenarios showed a 3.5% reduction in their potential distribution and possible displacement to higher elevation regions. Areas are proposed for tropical rainforest conservation where suitable bioclimatic conditions are expected to prevail.

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Pathogenic Variability of Pyricularia grisea from the High- and Mid-Elevation Zones of Bhutan

Phytopathology ◽

10.1094/phyto.2000.90.6.621 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 90 (6) ◽

pp. 621-628 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Thinlay ◽

R. S. Zeigler ◽

M. R. Finckh

Keyword(s):

Rice Cultivar ◽

High Elevation ◽

Individual Plant ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Reaction Index ◽

Agroecological Zones ◽

Pathogenic Variability ◽

Almost All ◽

High Elevations ◽

Virulence Spectrum

Thirty isolates of P. griseacollected from rice during a blast epidemic in 1995 in the high (1,800 to 2,600 m) and middle (1,200 to 1,800 m) elevations of Bhutan and 80 isolates collected from one rice cultivar from two high- and two mid-elevation sites in 1996 were analyzed for virulence. Differential varieties were indica CO39, with five near-isogenic lines (NILs) for resistance genes in the genetic background of CO39, and japonica Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH), with five NILs for LTH. Twelve selected Bhutanese landraces also were studied. In addition, 10 blast nurseries consisting of the NIL sets, important local landraces, and representatives of international differential groups were established in the 1996 and 1997 growing seasons in the mid- and high-elevation agroecological zones. The 110 isolates were differentiated into 53 pathotypes based on the 2 NIL sets. Thirteen isolates were avirulent on all of the NILs but were compatible with some landraces. Several isolates were able to attack one of the NILs of CO39 but not CO39. These results strongly suggest that both CO39 and LTH possess previously unidentified resistance. The landraces were not uniform in their reactions to the isolates. When a reaction index taking into account all individual plant reactions was used, isolates that had been assigned to the same pathotype could be further differentiated, indicating that the NIL sets could not completely discriminate virulences in Bhutanese P. grisea populations. In the trap nurseries, disease was always present in the middle elevations, but disease was very low during July 1996 in the high elevations and only present during August and September 1997. Almost all varietal groups were more frequently attacked in the middle than in the high elevations, indicating that the virulence spectrum is wider and the conduciveness of the environment is greater in the middle elevations. Landraces from the high elevations were most susceptible, followed by international differential groups 7 and 8. The results suggest that selection has yielded landraces with more complete and complex resistance in the more disease-conducive mid-elevation environment. At the same time, the pathogen population also possesses a wider virulence spectrum in that environment.

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