Hydrologically driven ecosystem processes determine the distribution and persistence of ecosystem-specialist predators under climate change.

ABSTRACT: Climate change has the capacity to alter physical and biological ecosystem processes, jeopardizing the survival of associated species. This is a particular concern in cool, wet northern peatlands that could experience warmer, drier conditions. Here we show that climate, ecosystem processes and food chains combine to influence the population performance of species in British blanket bogs. Our peatland process model accurately predicts water-table depth, which predicts abundance of craneflies (keystone invertebrates), which in turn predicts observed abundances and population persistence of three ecosystem-specialist bird species that feed on craneflies during the breeding season. Climate change projections suggest that falling water tables could cause 56-81% declines in cranefly abundance an

SUBMITTER: Carroll MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4532857 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature