Plants, birds and butterflies: short-term responses of species communities to climate warming vary by taxon and with altitude.

ABSTRACT: As a consequence of climate warming, species usually shift their distribution towards higher latitudes or altitudes. Yet, it is unclear how different taxonomic groups may respond to climate warming over larger altitudinal ranges. Here, we used data from the national biodiversity monitoring program of Switzerland, collected over an altitudinal range of 2500 m. Within the short period of eight years (2003-2010), we found significant shifts in communities of vascular plants, butterflies and birds. At low altitudes, communities of all species groups changed towards warm-dwelling species, corresponding to an average uphill shift of 8 m, 38 m and 42 m in plant, butterfly and bird communities, respectively. However, rates of community changes decreased with altitude in plants and butterflies, whi

SUBMITTER: Roth T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3885385 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature