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Contrasting thermophilization among forests, grasslands and alpine summits

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Why This Matters

This collection of studies highlights how climate change is driving significant shifts in plant and animal distributions across various ecosystems, with microclimate factors influencing the pace and pattern of these changes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies and predicting future biodiversity responses in a rapidly warming world.

Key Takeaways

De Frenne, P. et al. Microclimate moderates plant responses to macroclimate warming. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110, 18561–18565 (2013).

Fadrique, B. et al. Widespread but heterogeneous responses of Andean forests to climate change. Nature 564, 207–212 (2018).

Gottfried, M. et al. Continent-wide response of mountain vegetation to climate change. Nat. Clim. Change 2, 111–115 (2012).

Khaliq, I. et al. Warming underpins community turnover in temperate freshwater and terrestrial communities. Nat. Commun. 15, 1921 (2024).

Alexander, J. M. et al. Lags in the response of mountain plant communities to climate change. Global Change Biol. 24, 563–579 (2018).

Bertrand, R. et al. Changes in plant community composition lag behind climate warming in lowland forests. Nature 479, 517–520 (2011).

Svenning, J. C. & Sandel, B. Disequilibrium vegetation dynamics under future climate change. Am. J. Bot. 100, 1266–1286 (2013).

Parmesan, C. Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. System. 37, 637–669 (2006).

Pecl, G. T. et al. Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. Science 355, eaai9214 (2017).

Scheffers, B. R. et al. The broad footprint of climate change from genes to biomes to people. Science 354, aaf7671 (2016).

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