L7: Climate change & Conservation

Niche concept

Physical location a species occupies in its environment is dependent on the abiotic factors in the habitat

• Mitigated by potential biotic interaction wit other species

We currently define niche by where we find a species

• based on historical range, not necessarily where it could potentially survive in the environment

Current conservation framework depends heavily on the niche concept

Wildlife conservation action on climate chance

Majority of conservation frameworks

• Conservation of species within their historic ranges

In situ conservation

• Land acquisition

• Marine protected areas

Captive breeding:

• individuals for reintroduction always released to sites where the spcies occupied in the recent past

Climate change

The niche of all species on the planet is going to change significantly over the next 80 years

• Global changes in atmospheric CO2

• increases in extreme weather events

• Complete change in average seasonal conditions

CO2 fertilization

Increase in atmospheric CO2

• Plants utilize CO2 for photosynthesis → increased growth in many cases

Junk Food Effect

More photosynthesis → more sugar production

• Plants produce less of other compounds

Since 1950, nutrient levels have already fallen in our food

Junk food effect and goldenrods

Goldenrod

• Very impotrant wild flowering plant species for bees in north america

• Flowers late in the season

Protein content in goldenrod pollen has declined by 33% since 1842

Mitigating extreme wearher events

Manipulating the environment

• Proide manmade watering holes during drought

• Replace nesting sites lost with artificial trees

• Controlled burning

Controlled burning

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Assisted migration

Through anthropocentric action facilitating the migration of a species to a novel range

• Main mechanism for mitigating dramatic shift of niches

Sky islands

Species on mountains often adapted to high latitudes

• Species adapted to northern latitude may have no where left to migrate to

  • Cannot leave the mountain environment in order to shift range with climate change → likely extinction

Criticism of assisted migration

• Native species could get replaced by the movement of invasive species

• Can target species even surive assisted migration

Main factors to consider for assisted migration

Top-down factors:

• Predators

• Pollinators

• Herbivores/parasites

Bottom-up factors:

• Soil community

• Microbiome

• Plant community

Natural migration

Communities do naturally migrat over time as climat echanges

• if plants migrat, they will likely support the migration of communities

  • Greater chance of success than if animals were transplanted without supporting plant communities

Reid’s paradox of rapid plant migration