An Orchid in Retrograde: Climate-Driven Range Shift Patterns of Ophrys helenae in Greece.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is regarded as one of the most important threats to plants. Already species around the globe are showing considerable latitudinal and altitudinal shifts. Helen's bee orchid (Ophrys helenae), a Balkan endemic with a distribution center in northwestern Greece, is reported to be expanding east and southwards. Since this southeastern movement goes against the usual expectations, we investigated via Species Distribution Modelling, whether this pattern is consistent with projections based on the species' response to climate change. We predicted the species' future distribution based on three different climate models in two climate scenarios. We also explored the species' potential distribution during the Last Interglacial and the Last Glacial Maximum. O. helenae is projected to sh

SUBMITTER: Charitonidou M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8000551 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature