How do extreme temperatures affect the geographic distribution of different animal species?

he Climate warming It is already changing the distribution of species around the world. However, the sensitivity of biogeographic distributions to climate change varies significantly between Typeswhich calls into question the consistency with which the temperature is determined Geographic ranges.

If a species occupies all accessible habitats where temperatures are proportional to its tolerances, i.e. that species fills its potential thermal niche, its distribution limits would be expected to be sensitive to temperature change. However, in reality, quite oftene cannot fill their potential thermal niche when ranges are limited by other factors, such as dispersal, species interactions, resource availability, and non-thermal abiotic factors such as moisture or oxygen.

Understanding where and when temperature directly limits species distribution ranges can help elucidate the mechanisms responsible for historical range shifts and improve predictions of species sensitivity to contemporary global warming.

In this scenario The new research aims to improve understanding of how a warmer climate will affect the future distribution of these species They face new and perhaps unpredictable living conditions due to rising global temperatures.

To investigate this, a large team of scientists from Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Denmark, Australia, South Africa and several Canadian universities conducted tests to evaluate the role of temperature as a determinant of a species’ potential range. They compared the current habitats of 460 species of cold-blooded animals with the areas and temperatures in which they could reside based on their temperature tolerance.

The study revealed that, unlike species that live in the oceans, Terrestrial animals such as reptiles, amphibians and insects show home ranges that are less directly affected by temperature.

The researchers noted that species living at higher latitudes are less likely to inhabit areas near the equator with temperatures within their tolerance range. Rather than temperature tolerance, the study suggests that negative interactions with other species, such as competition or parasitism, may be crucial in preventing these animals from occupying certain potential habitats.

The lead author of the study said: “It was not surprising to find that temperature does not always limit the range of species, but what was striking was that, despite the complexity, we found general patterns in the role that temperature plays among species.” The study was just published in Nature ecology and evolution and doctoral student in the Department of Biology, Nikki A. Moore. “This research helps us understand general patterns of how sensitive the distributions of different species of cold-blooded animals are to changes in temperature, which will help us predict how the global distribution of species will change due to climate change.”

The observed pattern identified by Moore and colleagues helps reconcile two conflicting hypotheses about the distribution of life on Earth.

While these findings provide valuable insights into how animals in diverse ecosystems and at all latitudes will respond to climate change, the next phase of this research involves validating these predictions with real-world observations of changes in species ranges. paper.

They highlight that accurately predicting and testing how species distributions will react to changes in temperature depends on robust observations of their current habitats. Researchers encourage public engagement to improve our understanding of species distributions through citizen science initiatives, such as the use of apps like iNaturalist.