Living the high life: remarkable high‐elevation records of birds in an East African mountain range

Hoek, Yntze van der; Faida, Emmanuel; Musemakweli, Valens; Tuyisingize, Deogratias

doi:10.1002/ecy.2866

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Most research on elevational range shifts of bird species over time in the tropics has been conducted in the Neotropics [13,16,25,33] and Southeast Asia [15,26,34]. There has been relatively little research in the Afrotropics (but see: [35][36][37][38]). This is salient because most montane forests in Africa are isolated from one another and continuous elevational gradients have often received incomplete protection [39,40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming

et al. 2021

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Global warming is predicted to result in upslope shifts in the elevational ranges of bird species in montane habitats. Yet few studies have examined changes over time in the elevational distribution of species along fragmented gradients in response to global warming. Here, we report on a resurvey of an understory bird community in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, along a forested elevational gradient that has been fragmented over the last 200 years. In 2019, we resurveyed seven sites, ranging in elevation from 360 m to 2110 m, that were originally surveyed between 1979 and 1981. We calculated differences in mean elevation and lower and upper range limits for 29 species between the two time periods and corrected for possible differences in elevation due to chance. Over four decades, we documented a significant mean upslope shift across species of 93 m. This shift was smaller than the 125 m expected shift due to local climate warming. Of the 29 focal species, 19 shifted upslope, eight downslope, and two remained unchanged. Mean upslope shifts in species were driven largely by contracting lower range limits which moved significantly upslope on average across species by 183 m, while upper range limits shifted non-significantly upslope by 72 m, leading to a mean range contraction of 114 m across species. Community composition of understory bird species also shifted over time, with current communities resembling communities found historically at lower elevations. Past forest fragmentation in combination with the limited gap-crossing ability of many tropical understory bird species are very likely important contributory factors to the observed asymmetrical shifts in lower and upper elevational range limits. Re-establishing forested linkages among the largest and closest forest fragments in the Eastern Arc Mountains are critical to permitting species to shift upslope and to reduce further elevational range contractions over time.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, within the Eastern Arc Mountains, forests are extensively fragmented [31] (Fig 1). While there is some evidence that climate change may be altering the elevational distribution of Afrotropical birds in montane habitats [37], there has been little assessment of elevational shifts of species over defined time periods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming

et al. 2021

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“…For example, Peh [61] used field guides published 25 years apart to estimate elevational shifts for 306 common resident bird species in Southeast Asia, finding upslope shifts (>100 m) for 31% of species and downslope shifts for 12% of species. Similarly, old field guides have also been used to document birds in Rwanda occurring at elevations far higher than expected [62]. In Borneo, Harris et al [63] used a combination of sources-including checklists, field surveys, trip reports, photos, and other historical and contemporary sources-to infer elevational shifts in birds for two-thirds of species with sufficient data [63].…”

Section: Shifts In Tropical Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building a mechanistic understanding of climate-driven elevational shifts in birds

Neate‐Clegg

Tingley²

2023

PLOS Clim

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Mountains hold much of the world’s taxonomic diversity, but global climate change threatens this diversity by altering the distributions of montane species. While numerous studies have documented upslope shifts in elevational ranges, these patterns are highly variable across geographic regions and taxa. This variation in how species’ range shifts are manifesting along elevational gradients likely reflects the diversity of mechanisms that determines elevational ranges and modulates movements, and stands in contrast to latitudinal gradients, where range shifts show less variability and appear more predictable. Here, we review observed elevational range shifts in a single taxonomic group–birds–a group that has received substantial research attention and thus provides a useful context for exploring variability in range shifts while controlling for the mechanisms that drive range shifts across broader taxonomic groups. We then explore the abiotic and biotic factors that are known to define elevational ranges, as well as the constraints that may prevent birds from shifting. Across the literature, temperature is generally invoked as the prime driver of range shifts while the role of precipitation is more neglected. However, temperature is less likely to act directly on elevational ranges, instead mediating biotic factors such as habitat and food availability, predator activity, and parasite prevalence, which could in turn modulate range shifts. Dispersal ability places an intrinsic constraint on elevational range shifts, exacerbated by habitat fragmentation. While current research provides strong evidence for the importance of various drivers of elevational ranges and shifts, testing the relative importance of these factors and achieving a more holistic view of elevational gradients will require integration of expanding datasets, novel technologies, and innovative techniques.

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“…Second, as bees (Anthophila) are particularly prevalent pollinators at lower (Minachilis et al, 2020) and flies (Diptera) at higher elevations (McCabe et al, 2019), we predicted to find both in our study area that spans an elevational gradient (~2546-3413 m). Similarly, given evidence of the presence of various species of sunbirds (Nectariniidae) in the focal wetlands (van der Hoek et al, 2020), we predicted that they will also play a role in the pollination of at least some plant species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Complexity of plant–pollinator interaction networks in East African high‐elevation wetlands

2023

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For six selected Afromontane wetlands in Volcanoes National Park (VNP), Rwanda, located at varying elevations, we present preliminary insights into the pollination biology of six selected plant species. We found bees and flies to be particularly common flower visitors across plants and wetlands, followed by five species of birds, beetles, butterflies, and moths. We observed no obvious elevational trends in visitation rates, but pollinator specialisation did seem to vary across both plant species and wetlands. We provide insights into a partial pollinator network as a baseline reference for further studies or monitoring efforts of plant–pollinator interaction patterns and processes.

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Living the high life: remarkable high‐elevation records of birds in an East African mountain range

Cited by 6 publications

References 10 publications

Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming

Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming

Building a mechanistic understanding of climate-driven elevational shifts in birds

Complexity of plant–pollinator interaction networks in East African high‐elevation wetlands

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