Climate change drives habitat specialization and local extirpation, causing niche reduction in an endemic chipmunk.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is a driver of species extirpation, particularly for local endemics. The niche reduction hypothesis provides a conceptual framework to understand how the realized niche of a declining species is reduced from its historical niche to its contemporary niche due to threats. The Organ Mountains Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus australis) is an example of an endemic montane mammal for which climate change may be a threat. We used occupancy models developed for historical sites to evaluate the extent of extirpations and their causes. We used occupancy models developed for random sites to evaluate the contemporary distribution and realized niche. Our results suggest that the Organ Mountains Colorado Chipmunk has undergone broadscale extirpation (extirpated from 64%

SUBMITTER: Jacobson HN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12704939 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature