Join us on Wednesday, October 30, at 4:00 pm UTC for the Funk Biogeography Seminar given by Dr. Amanda Bates.
Talk Title: “Evidence for Direct Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity in North America“
Understanding the link between biodiversity and climate change is essential for developing effective, long-term climate solutions that promote healthy ecosystems. The U.S. Congress tasked the USGS with assessing the current knowledge of these connections in North America. In my talk, I will present findings from Chapter 3: Direct Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity. Chapter 3 was written by a large co-author team aiming to review and synthesize the direct evidence for the significant impacts of climate change on populations, species, and ecosystems. We find that climate-induced changes on biodiversity are complex and vary significantly across species and regions. While genetic diversity shifts have been observed, particularly in cold-adapted species exposed to warming, evidence is limited due to monitoring challenges. Some populations thrive under changing conditions, while others face declines or relocate. Some species show surprising resilience in adverse conditions, while others do not. Geographic range shifts are well-documented, but the rates and directions of movement often contradict expectations based on temperature increases alone. Despite projections from the literature, there is limited evidence of climate change directly causing extinctions in North America, although species with restricted ranges remain at higher risk. We further find that ecosystem transformations driven by extreme climate events are becoming more frequent, leading to mass mortality and long-term changes in ecosystems. These transformations impact species interactions and functional diversity across ecological systems. Overall, the lack of long-term biodiversity data limits the ability to fully detect and attribute climate change impacts. However, where such data exist, it proves invaluable for understanding the mechanisms of biodiversity change and shaping conservation efforts in response to climate change.
