Authors
Peter C Le Roux, MELODIE A McGEOCH
Publication date
2008/12
Journal
Global Change Biology
Volume
14
Issue
12
Pages
2950-2962
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Description
Species ranges are expected to expand along their cooler boundaries in response to rising temperatures associated with current global climate change. However, this ‘fingerprint’ of climate change is yet to be assessed for an entire flora. Here, we examine patterns of altitudinal range change in the complete native vascular flora of sub‐Antarctic Marion Island. We demonstrate a rapid mean upslope expansion in the flora since 1966, in response to 1.2 °C warming on the island. The 3.4±0.8 m yr−1 (mean±SE) upslope expansion rate documented is amongst the highest estimates from partial floras. However, less than half of the species in the flora were responsible for the expansion trend, demonstrating that the global fingerprint of warming may be driven by a highly responsive subset of the species pool. Individual range expansion rates varied greatly, with species‐specific niche requirements explaining some of …
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