Dispersal Ability Reduces Thermal Specialization and Prevents Climate-Driven Extinctions in a Neotropical Rainforest.

ABSTRACT: Dispersal ability is a key factor in determining a species' realized niche. However, it remains unclear whether dispersal ability directly, indirectly, or neutrally affects environmental specialization and species' tolerance ranges. Here, we investigate whether, and how, dispersal ability shapes both the realized and fundamental niches. Focusing on plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates in the topographically complex Atlantic Rainforest-one of the world's top biodiversity hotspots-we also assess how dispersal ability correlates with species' range shifts in response to climate change. Our findings indicate that high-dispersal species exhibit broader thermal tolerances compared to low-dispersal taxa, which are often restricted to higher elevations. Projected across geographic space, these d

SUBMITTER: Chaves CJN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12323297 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature