Where do they go? The effects of topography and habitat diversity on reducing climatic debt in birds

• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13500
• Publication Date: 2016-09-14T14:52:52Z
• Authors: Pierre Gaüzère; Karine Princé; Vincent Devictor
• Keywords: Extinction debt

Abstract The spatial tracking of climatic shifts is frequently reported as a biodiversity response to change. However, species’ range are often idiosyncratic and inconsistent with shift predictions. At the community scale, this discrepancy can be measured by comparing in relative composition cold‐ vs. warm‐adapted species local assemblage [the temperature index ( CTI )] isotherms. While distribution climate change velocity promising approach downscaling pressure responses, has only been investigated on continental or national scale. In study, we coupled French Breeding Bird Survey data, collected from 2133 sites monitored between 2001 2012, data order estimate magnitude direction breeding season shift, their spatiotemporal divergence – debt. We also tested whether landscape characteristics that known affect mediated debt found clear structure, together heterogeneity both shifts. Local decreased elevation, habitat diversity, naturalness increased. These results suggest complementary effects topographic patterns sheltering more diverse microclimates increasing permeability natural diversified landscape. Our findings nuanced evaluation variability biotic necessary properly describe responses rather than oversimplified descriptions uniform poleward