A northward shift of range margins in British Odonata

Many species are predicted to shift their ranges to higher latitudes and altitudes in response to climate warming. This study presents evidence for 37 species of nonmigratory British dragonflies and damselflies shifting northwards at their range margins over the past 40 years, seemingly as a result of climate change. This response by an exemplar group of insects associated with fresh water, parallels polewards range changes observed in terrestrial invertebrates and other taxa.     

气候变化下耐旱藓类连轴藓属在新疆的分布模拟

该研究基于耐旱藓类连轴藓属5种53条在新疆的地理分布信息和7个气候变量,利用最大熵模型和ArcGIS 10.2软件,分别模拟现代气候和未来气候情景下连轴藓属在新疆的适生分布区,为探讨气候变化对干旱、半干旱区苔藓植物物种分布的影响提供参考。结果表明:(1)Maxent模型预测连轴藓属在新疆适生区的准确性非常高(AUC=0.957)。(2)年降雨量、最干季度降雨量和最暖季度平均气温是影响连轴藓属分布的主要气候因子。(3)连轴藓属在新疆的适生区主要集中在阿尔泰山和天山沿线,在未来(2061~2080年)气候情景下,连轴藓属分布面积将比现代气候下减少10.39%,其绝大部分现有南部适生区将丧失。     

Are fish outside their usual ranges early indicators of climate‐driven range shifts?

Shifts in species ranges are a global phenomenon, well known to occur in response to a changing climate. New species arriving in an area may become pest species, modify ecosystem structure, or represent challenges or opportunities for fisheries and recreation. Early detection of range shifts and prompt implementation of any appropriate management strategies is therefore crucial. This study investigates whether ‘first sightings’ of marine species outside their normal ranges could provide an early warning of impending climate‐driven range shifts. We examine the relationships between first sightings and marine regions defined by patterns of local climate velocities (calculated on a 50‐year timescale), while also considering the distribution of observational effort (i.e. number of sampling days recorded with biological observations in global databases). The marine trajectory regions include climate ‘source’ regions (areas lacking connections to warmer areas), ‘corridor’ regions (areas where moving isotherms converge), and ‘sink’ regions (areas where isotherms locally disappear). Additionally, we investigate the latitudinal band in which first sightings were recorded, and species’ thermal affiliations. We found that first sightings are more likely to occur in climate sink and ‘divergent’ regions (areas where many rapid and diverging climate trajectories pass through) indicating a role of temperature in driving changes in marine species distributions. The majority of our fish first sightings appear to be tropical and subtropical species moving towards high latitudes, as would be expected in climate warming. Our results indicate that first sightings are likely related to longer‐term climatic processes, and therefore have potential use to indicate likely climate‐driven range shifts. The development of an approach to detect impending range shifts at an early stage will allow resource managers and researchers to better manage opportunities resulting from range‐shifting species before they potentially colonize.     

气候变化情景下基于最大熵模型的中国西南地区清香木潜在分布格局模拟

清香木(Pistacia weinmannifolia)是中国西南干旱河谷植被的特征种。本文利用野外调查的165个清香木分布点信息以及22个环境变量数据, 基于最大熵(Maxent)算法构建清香木分布的适宜生境预测模型, 并据此模拟清香木在我国西南地区的适宜分布区, 以及历史和未来不同气候情景下的分布格局变化。结果表明: 清香木生境预测的Maxent模型准确性非常高(AUC = 0.974), 温度季节性变化、极端低温和降水量是限制其分布的主要气候因子。清香木当前的潜在分布区集中在我国西南干旱河谷区, 其适宜生境的气候特征是降水少、温度季节性变化小且无极端低温。对清香木在末次间冰期和末次冰盛期分布的模拟结果表明, 其分布区范围均以诸大江河的河谷为中心, 随气候变化在我国西南地区主要呈现先向东扩张, 然后向西退缩的趋势, 并印证了“冰期走出横断山(glacial out-of-Hengduan Mts.)”的观点。在未来(2061-2080年) 3种典型浓度路径(representative concentration pathway, RCP)的气候情景下, 清香木在我国西南地区的分布都向东扩张, 主要分布在云贵高原与四川盆地结合地带的河谷, 以及云贵高原与广西西部交界地带的河谷中, 这也反映了这些地区河谷地段干旱化的可能, 而当前的潜在分布区趋于消失; 清香木的潜在适宜分布面积在中低浓度路径情景下均将减少约33%, 而在高浓度路径情景下有所增加。     

Do species’ traits predict recent shifts at expanding range edges?

Although some organisms have moved to higher elevations and latitudes in response to recent climate change, there is little consensus regarding the capacity of different species to track rapid climate change via range shifts. Understanding species' abilities to shift ranges has important implications for assessing extinction risk and predicting future community structure. At an expanding front, colonization rates are determined jointly by rates of reproduction and dispersal. In addition, establishment of viable populations requires that individuals find suitable resources in novel habitats. Thus, species with greater dispersal ability, reproductive rate and ecological generalization should be more likely to expand into new regions under climate change. Here, we assess current evidence for the relationship between leading-edge range shifts and species' traits. We found expected relationships for several datasets, including diet breadth in North American Passeriformes and egg-laying habitat in British Odonata. However, models generally had low explanatory power. Thus, even statistically and biologically meaningful relationships are unlikely to be of predictive utility for conservation and management. Trait-based range shift forecasts face several challenges, including quantifying relevant natural history variation across large numbers of species and coupling these data with extrinsic factors such as habitat fragmentation and availability.     

Potential consequences of climate warming for tropical plant species in high mountains of southern Ethiopia

Aim Species in the tropics respond to global warming by altitudinal distribution shifts. Consequences for biodiversity may be severe, resulting in lowland attrition, range‐shift gaps, range contractions and extinction risks. We aim to identify plant groups (growth forms, families, endemic status) with higher than average risks. Location South Ethiopian highlands. Methods Based on observational data from mainly unexplored and remote mountain regions, we applied a published model to project the consequences of an upward shift of thermal site conditions on the altitudinal distribution of 475 plant species. Annual average temperature increases of up to 5 °C were evaluated. Differences between groups of species were analysed by a permutation procedure and Generalized Linear Models. Results Because of a limited regional species pool, even mild warming is projected to create strong potential risks concerning lowland attrition, i.e. the net loss of species richness because of upward range shifts in the absence of new species arriving. Likewise, many species are expected to face range‐shift gaps, i.e. the absence of an overlap between future and current altitudinal ranges already under mild warming scenarios. Altitudinal contractions and mountain‐top extinctions will potentially become important when warming exceeds 3.5 °C. Mean area per species is projected to decline by 55% for the A2 emissions scenario (+4.2 °C until 2100) because of the physical shape of the mountains. Higher than average vulnerability is expected for endemic species as well as for herbs and ferns. Plant families that are especially threatened are identified. Main conclusions Lowland biotic attrition and range‐shift gaps as predicted by a simple model driven by shifts of isotherms will result in novel challenges for preserving mountain biodiversity in the inner tropics. Whereas contractions of occupied area are expected to threaten endemic and already endangered species in particular, we suggest that conservation priorities can be identified based on simple prognostic models even without precise regional warming scenarios.     

The demography of range boundaries versus range cores in eastern US tree species

Regional species–climate correlations are well documented, but little is known about the ecological processes responsible for generating these patterns. Using the data from over 690 000 individual trees I estimated five demographic rates—canopy growth, understorey growth, canopy lifespan, understorey lifespan and per capita reproduction—for 19 common eastern US tree species, within the core and the northern and southern boundaries, of the species range. Most species showed statistically significant boundary versus core differences in most rates at both boundary types. Differences in canopy and understorey growth were relatively small in magnitude but consistent among species, being lower at the northern (average −17%) and higher at the southern (average +12%) boundaries. Differences in lifespan were larger in magnitude but highly variable among species, except for a marked trend for reduced canopy lifespan at the northern boundary (average −49%). Differences in per capita reproduction were large and statistically significant for some species, but highly variable among species. The rate estimates were combined to calculate two performance indices: R₀ (a measure of lifetime fitness in the absence of competition) was consistently lower at the northern boundary (average −86%) whereas Z^* (a measure of competitive ability in closed forest) showed no sign of a consistent boundary–core difference at either boundary.     

Marginal range expansion in a host-limited butterfly species Gonepteryx rhamni

1. The British distribution of the butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni (L.) follows closely the range of its natural host plants, Rhamnus catharticus L. and Frangula alnus Miller, suggesting that it is one of the few British butterflies that has a host‐limited distribution. In North Wales, this species has its range margin, and it was recorded only occasionally in a 35‐km² area prior to the 1980s. Frangula alnus bushes were planted in the area in about 1986, allowing the hypothesis that G. rhamni would expand its range following increased host plant availability to be tested. 2. From 1996 to 1998, the distribution of the butterfly and its host plants, R. catharticus (native), Rhamnus alaternus L. (introduced), and F. alnus (introduced to the area but native to Britain), was mapped in the study area. It was found that the butterfly was more widespread than any of its host plants. Frangula alnus was the most widespread of the host plants, and received most eggs, suggesting that the carrying capacity of the habitat would have increased substantially following the planting of this species. Gonepteryx rhamni was able to complete its lifecycle on both introduced species in the study area. 3. A mark–release–recapture study showed that adult G. rhamni moved an average of 512 m, and 50% of movements were further than 400 m; these values are underestimates. The relatively high mobility of this species suggests that it probably perceives host plants and nectar sources as resource patches (patchy population) in this fragmented landscape, and this population now represents a satellite population of the butterfly's main distribution in Britain. 4. The results presented here confirm empirically the host‐limited distribution of G. rhamni, which expanded following the planting of extra host plants.