4: Climate and species

Question 1

Define a climatic niche

Answer 1

the specific range of climatic requirements that enables a species to survive and reproduce

Question 2

What do BEM models allow us to do?

Answer 2

= Bioclimate envelope models
→ Want to understand species climate niches across Earth and how they may change
Allow us to:
Define species climatic niches
Simulate species distributions under present and future climates
Used widely by scientists

Question 3

List the 5 steps in BEM modelling

Answer 3

1. Collect records of locations
2. Map current species distribution
3. Use distribution to infer environ requirements
4. Predict a species distribution from its environ requirements
5. Use BEM to predict future distributions under changing climates

Question 4

How do we collect records of locations for BEM modelling?

Answer 4

Museum collections
Records from wildlife enthusiasts
Research datasets
Fieldwork to (possible) locations

Question 5

When inferring environmental requirements of species during BEM modelling, what are some common overlays used?

Answer 5

Topography
Soil type
Rainfall
Temperature

Question 6

In BEM modelling, how do you predict a species distribution from its environmental requirements?

Answer 6

Stat modelling to simulate (predict) where a species is likely to occur
Based on the accurate environ measures from step 3

Question 7

Give 3 reasons why understanding species climate requirements matters

Answer 7

Food production
Human diseases
Species extinctions

Question 8

Describe how food production is effected by climate change and species climatic requirements

Answer 8

• Climate change is responsible for more severe weather events (droughts, floods)
• Farmed species have climatic requirements too
• Could develop heat resistant strains or move farms further North

Question 9

Describe how human vector-borne diseases are effected by climate change (species climatic requirements)

Answer 9

• Climate change responsible for warmer and wetter conditions in more northerly areas
• Vectors (mosquitos) and diseases (dengue) may track their climate envelopes
• People thinking about eradication programmes for these species (costly)
  = Tropical diseases can now survive in Europe e.g West Nile virus, Dengue fever

Question 10

Give an example of a species extinction due to climate change

Answer 10

Spectacled flying foxes
- 35% die off (23,000) following 2 days of exposure to 42C heat (pushed out of their climatic niche)

Question 11

Can species adapt to rapid climate change?

Answer 11

All species have the ability to evolve through natural selection
Will require physiological variability in thermal tolerances of species

Question 12

Describe Physiological variability

Answer 12

→ Study predicted that species from more varied climates have broader physiological limits

• Then predicted the spatial and temporal mismatch of species under future climate change based upon their physiological tolerances
  = Degree of mismatch is higher towards the tropics
  = Tropical species may be particularly vulnerable to climate change