Projected impacts of climate change on habitat availability for an endangered parakeet

Abstract

In tropical montane cloud forests, climate change can cause upslope shifts in the distribution ranges of species, leading to reductions in distributional range. Endemic species with small ranges are particularly vulnerable to such decreases in range size, as the population size may be reduced significantly. To ensure the survival of cloud forest species in the long term, it is crucial to quantify potential future shifts in their distribution ranges and the related changes in habitat availability in order to assure the long-term effectiveness of conservation measures. In this study, we assessed the influence of climate change on the availability of forested habitat for the endemic El Oro parakeet. We investigated the future range shift by modelling the climatic niche of the El Oro parakeets and projecting it to four different climate change scenarios. Depending on the intensity of climate change, the El Oro parakeets shift their range between 500 and 1700 m uphill by the year 2100. On average, the shift is accompanied by a reduction in range size to 15% and a reduction in forested habitat to only 10% of the original extent. Additionally, the connectivity between populations in different areas is decreasing in higher altitudes. To prevent a population decline due to habitat loss following an upslope range shift, it will be necessary to restore habitat across a large elevational span in order to allow for movement of El Oro parakeets into higher altitudes.

Predicting climate change impacts on the threatened Quercus arbutifolia in montane cloud forests in southern China and Vietnam: Conservation implications

“…Species in the MCFs face threats of habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, with the added natural vulnerability of narrow elevational ranges (Ocampo-Penuela and Pimm, 2015). Endemic species with narrow elevational ranges are particularly susceptible to such decreases of range size, since these might significantly reduce the population size (Hermes et al, 2018). The typical MCFs that are characteristic for Q. arbutifolia, with their fragmented habitat and very narrow elevational span in each population, indicate the high conservation value of this species.…”

Global reforestation and biodiversity conservation

“…Moreover, considering the current extent and rate of forest habitat conversion and the expected shifts in species range distributions due to climate change (Hermes et al. 2018), one might argue, as others have (Mappin et al. 2019) that restoration, in addition to protection, should be a priority.…”

“…Although habitat protection remains vital for avoiding further biodiversity loss, there is perhaps more opportunity for biodiversity conservation globally through reforestation than previously realized. Moreover, considering the current extent and rate of forest habitat conversion and the expected shifts in species range distributions due to climate change (Hermes et al 2018), one might argue, as others have (Mappin et al 2019) that restoration, in addition to protection, should be a priority. In the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, targets could be revised so that the role of restoration in stemming biodiversity loss, in addition to ensuring ecosystem resilience, mitigating climate change, and providing other ecosystem services, is made more apparent.…”

Notes on the birds of Isabel, Solomon Islands, including the first record since 1927 of Island Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus maforensis

“…These montane habitats are a product of atmospheric conditions, especially lower temperatures and consistent immersion in the cloud layer (e.g. Still et al 1999, Foster 2001, Hermes et al 2018, and are highly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Given the specialised fauna we documented (Univ.…”