Limited filling of the potential range in European tree species

Svenning, Jens‐Christian; Skov, Flemming

doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00614.x

Cited by 637 publications

(783 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…One of the native species, P. aurea, is predicted to be suitable for all sites. These Wndings are consistent with other studies that have found that many, even well-dispersed plant species, such as north-temperate forest trees, do not occupy distributions that are fully in equilibrium with abiotic environmental conditions (Svenning and Skov 2004;Prince and Carter 1985). They also complement previous research showing that poorly dispersed CFR Proteaceae occupy less of their predicted potential ranges than well-dispersed species (Schurr et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Experimental biogeography: the role of environmental gradients in high geographic diversity in Cape Proteaceae

et al. 2009

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One of the fundamental dimensions of biodiversity is the rate of species turnover across geographic distance. The Cape Floristic Region of South Africa has exceptionally high geographic species turnover, much of which is associated with groups of closely related species with mostly or completely non-overlapping distributions. A basic unresolved question about biodiversity in this global hotspot is the relative importance of ecological gradients in generating and maintaining high geographic turnover in the region. We used reciprocal transplant experiments to test the extent to which abiotic environmental factors may limit the distributions of a group of closely related species in the genus Protea (Proteaceae), and thus elevate species turnover in this diverse, iconic family. We tested whether these species have a "home site advantage" in demographic rates (germination, growth, mortality), and also parameterized stage-structured demographic models for the species. Two of the three native species were predicted to have a demographic advantage at their home sites. The models also predicted, however, that species could maintain positive population growth rates at sites beyond their current distribution limits. Thus the experiment suggests that abiotic limitation under current environmental conditions does not fully explain the observed distribution limits or resulting biogeographic pattern. One potentially important mechanism is dispersal limitation, which is consistent with estimates based on genetic data and mechanistic dispersal models, though other mechanisms including competition may also play a role.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Experimental biogeography: the role of environmental gradients in high geographic diversity in Cape Proteaceae

et al. 2009

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“…Consequently, where woody species die over large areas of their latitudinal range, rapid replacement by more drought tolerant species is unlikely without human intervention owing to the dispersal lag of the incoming species [8,24,[80][81][82][83][84]. In such a scenario, recent studies demonstrate that, rather than observing ecotone shifts, ecotone expansions and rapid alterations to plant communities are likely to occur [4,5,8,41,46], including the formation of novel species assemblages driven by expansion of non-native species [8,85] or the absence of competitors [3].…”

Section: Genetic and Evolutionary Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The altitude-for-latitude disparity in the range retractions of woody species

Jump

Mátyás

Peñuelas

2009

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

436

369

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Increasing temperatures are driving rapid upward range shifts of species in mountains. An altitudinal range retreat of 10 m is predicted to translate into a $10-km latitudinal retreat based on the rate at which temperatures decline with increasing altitude and latitude, yet reports of latitudinal range retractions are sparse. Here, we examine potential climatic, biological, anthropogenic and methodological explanations for this disparity. We argue that the lack of reported latitudinal range retractions stems more from a lack of research effort, compounded by methodological difficulties, rather than from their absence. Given the predicted negative impacts of increasing temperatures on wide areas of the latitudinal distributions of species, the investigation of range retractions should become a priority in biogeographical research.Climate change and shifting plant distribution The geographical distribution of plants is strongly influenced by climate [1]. Minimum temperatures are particularly important in limiting the poleward (see Glossary) expansion of plant species, whereas limited water availability interacts with high temperatures to exert a direct climatic limitation on their expansion in the opposite, or equatorial, direction in many regions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Changes in climate are, therefore, predicted to alter the geographic distribution of plant species at global to local scales.Contemporary plant range shifts are most frequently reported from mountain regions, with elevational shifts of the mountain treeline being the most commonly documented response to increasing temperatures [8][9][10][11][12]. The distributions of species in mountain regions are typically restricted to relatively narrow and well-delineated altitudinal bands, in comparison with often broad and poorly defined latitudinal distributions in the lowlands. This strong altitudinal zonation of mountain vegetation, and its climatic sensitivity [13], makes mountains ideal 'natural laboratories' and favoured locations for the study of climate change impacts worldwide [13][14][15].The altitudinal compression of montane vegetation zones is due to a rapid decrease in temperature with increasing elevation ($5-6.5 8C per 1000 m) [3,14], which contrasts with a similar temperature decline occurring over $1000 km of latitude (6.9 8C at 458 N or S) [3]. An implication of this altitude-for-latitude temperature model is that general biogeographical patterns resulting from the climatic limitations imposed on plants in mountains should also be observed in neighbouring lowland regions with similar temperature and moisture regimes. Distributional shifts already observed in mountain plants [8,[16][17][18] should, therefore, be mirrored by lowland range changes occurring over distances that are several orders of magnitude larger (Figure 1).Here, we discuss the implications of the altitude-forlatitude model for shifts in plant distributions and examine why lowland range shifts, particularly range retractions, are rarely reported. We discuss potential climati...

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“…Climate change may increase the extinction risk of already endangered species already threatened by small populations, low genetic diversity, habitat specialization or a limited geographic range (Moritz et al, 2008;Fordham et al, 2013). Most endangered species are specialists confined to restricted habitats, less physiologically tolerant to environmental change and less able to migrate/disperse to track climate change (Svenning and Skov, 2004;Maclean and Wilson, 2011). A major challenge in conservation planning for these species, in particular, is to incorporate climate change impacts into species conservation strategies (Araújo and Rahbek, 2006;Willis and Bhagwat, 2009;Strange et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change threatens giant panda protection in the 21st century

Wong

et al. 2015

Biological Conservation

111

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a b s t r a c tIt is increasingly recognized that biotic interactions could play a significant role in species distribution modelling. To assess the conservation effectiveness of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) reserves in a changing climate, we combined both biotic variables (food availability) and abiotic (climatic and geographic) to project the potential changes of distribution and quality of giant panda habitats using the most recent IPCC-CMIP5 climate scenarios. Our results suggested that climate change would adversely affect giant pandas through habitat degradation, in that: (1) 52.9-71.3% of the current habitats could be lost; (2) the giant panda habitats could become more fragmented and isolated; and (3) both the quantity and quality of habitats in the current giant panda reserves could substantially contract, and approximately 20% of the reserves could lose all habitat representations in this century. Additionally, we found that climate change would make it increasingly necessary to translocate small populations of pandas from the southwestern to the northwestern part of the current distribution range to ensure population viability. Our results suggest the need for immediate change in current conservation policies and formulating adaptation plans for giant panda conservation in a changing climate.

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Limited filling of the potential range in European tree species

Cited by 637 publications

References 35 publications

Experimental biogeography: the role of environmental gradients in high geographic diversity in Cape Proteaceae

Experimental biogeography: the role of environmental gradients in high geographic diversity in Cape Proteaceae

The altitude-for-latitude disparity in the range retractions of woody species

Climate change threatens giant panda protection in the 21st century

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