Abstract
Context
Climate change is an important driver of habitat contraction and the loss of biodiversity. Species distribution models (SDMs) are used to assess the impacts of climate change and to identify priority conservation areas. Conservation assessment of endemic keystone species can foster the conservation of forest ecosystems.
Objectives
The objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate the potential impacts of future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) on the extents of the habitat of eight endemic montane conifer species under dispersal scenarios (full and limited) and (2) to estimate the percentage loss in the area of occupancy (AOO) of the target species based on projected habitat suitability in order to assess their extinction risks and identify priority conservation areas.
Methods
Southwestern China is a global hotspot of conifer diversity and endemism. We used three ensemble-SDMs along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List criteria to evaluate the impacts of climate change.
Results
Abies fabri, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana, Abies recurvata var. ernestii, and Picea neoveitchii are predicted to lose more than 90% of their AOOs under both the climate and dispersal scenarios. All of these species are predicted to become extinct or critically endangered except for Picea retroflexa and Abies squamata. It should be noted that while the changes in the AOOs changes were filtered for the current unsuitable man-made areas these predictions do not account for future land use changes.
Conclusions
Stable and suitable habitats are promising tools for in-situ conservation planning. Moreover, future conservation actions should give full consideration to the pattern of climate and land use.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0502101) and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP) (Grant No. 2019QZKK0303). M. A. Dakhil thankfully acknowledges the China Scholarship Council (CSC No. 2017GXZ010412) for international PhD scholarship. Also, this research was funded by King Khalid University under Grant Number RGP. 1/60/42.
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MAD and KP conceived the idea. MAD and RFE-B performed the statistical, spatial, and modelling analyses. MAD and MWAH wrote the draft of the manuscript. MAD, KP, MWAH, and EME revised and improved the manuscript. All of the authors contributed substantially to the data collection.
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Dakhil, M.A., Halmy, M.W.A., Liao, Z. et al. Potential risks to endemic conifer montane forests under climate change: integrative approach for conservation prioritization in southwestern China. Landscape Ecol 36, 3137–3151 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01309-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01309-4