Habitat associations of species show consistent but weak responses to climate

Andrew J. Suggitt; Constanti Stefanescu; Ferran Paramo; Tom Oliver; Barbara J. Anderson; Jane K. Hill; David B. Roy; Tom Brereton; Chris D. Thomas

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112

Habitat associations of species show consistent but weak responses to climate

Andrew J. Suggitt, Constanti Stefanescu, Ferran Paramo, Tom Oliver, Barbara J. Anderson, Jane K. Hill, David B. Roy, Tom Brereton, Chris D. Thomas

Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Different vegetation types can generate variation in microclimates at local scales, potentially buffering species from adverse climates. To determine if species could respond to such microclimates under climatic warming, we evaluated whether ectothermic species (butterflies) can exploit favourable microclimates and alter their use of different habitats in response to year-to-year variation in climate. In both relatively cold (Britain) and warm (Catalonia) regions of their geographical ranges,most species shifted into cooler, closed habitats (e.g. woodland) in hot years, and into warmer, open habitats (e.g. grassland) in cooler years. Additionally, three-quarters of species occurred in closed habitats more frequently in the warm region than in the cool region. Thus, species shift their local distributions and alter their habitat associations to exploit favourable microclimates, although the magnitude of the shift (approx. 1.3% of individuals from open to shade, per degree Celsius) is unlikely to buffer species from impacts of regional climate warming. This journal is © 2012 The Royal Society.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	590-593
Number of pages	4
Journal	Biology letters
Volume	8
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112
Publication status	Published - 23 Aug 2012

Access to Document

10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112

Cite this

@article{92b1c14fd6624ab68e07a91cfa36584e,

title = "Habitat associations of species show consistent but weak responses to climate",

abstract = "Different vegetation types can generate variation in microclimates at local scales, potentially buffering species from adverse climates. To determine if species could respond to such microclimates under climatic warming, we evaluated whether ectothermic species (butterflies) can exploit favourable microclimates and alter their use of different habitats in response to year-to-year variation in climate. In both relatively cold (Britain) and warm (Catalonia) regions of their geographical ranges,most species shifted into cooler, closed habitats (e.g. woodland) in hot years, and into warmer, open habitats (e.g. grassland) in cooler years. Additionally, three-quarters of species occurred in closed habitats more frequently in the warm region than in the cool region. Thus, species shift their local distributions and alter their habitat associations to exploit favourable microclimates, although the magnitude of the shift (approx. 1.3% of individuals from open to shade, per degree Celsius) is unlikely to buffer species from impacts of regional climate warming. This journal is {\textcopyright} 2012 The Royal Society.",

author = "Suggitt, {Andrew J.} and Constanti Stefanescu and Ferran Paramo and Tom Oliver and Anderson, {Barbara J.} and Hill, {Jane K.} and Roy, {David B.} and Tom Brereton and Thomas, {Chris D.}",

year = "2012",

month = aug,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "590--593",

journal = "Biology letters",

issn = "1744-9561",

publisher = "The Royal Society",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Habitat associations of species show consistent but weak responses to climate

AU - Suggitt, Andrew J.

AU - Stefanescu, Constanti

AU - Paramo, Ferran

AU - Oliver, Tom

AU - Anderson, Barbara J.

AU - Hill, Jane K.

AU - Roy, David B.

AU - Brereton, Tom

AU - Thomas, Chris D.

PY - 2012/8/23

Y1 - 2012/8/23

N2 - Different vegetation types can generate variation in microclimates at local scales, potentially buffering species from adverse climates. To determine if species could respond to such microclimates under climatic warming, we evaluated whether ectothermic species (butterflies) can exploit favourable microclimates and alter their use of different habitats in response to year-to-year variation in climate. In both relatively cold (Britain) and warm (Catalonia) regions of their geographical ranges,most species shifted into cooler, closed habitats (e.g. woodland) in hot years, and into warmer, open habitats (e.g. grassland) in cooler years. Additionally, three-quarters of species occurred in closed habitats more frequently in the warm region than in the cool region. Thus, species shift their local distributions and alter their habitat associations to exploit favourable microclimates, although the magnitude of the shift (approx. 1.3% of individuals from open to shade, per degree Celsius) is unlikely to buffer species from impacts of regional climate warming. This journal is © 2012 The Royal Society.

AB - Different vegetation types can generate variation in microclimates at local scales, potentially buffering species from adverse climates. To determine if species could respond to such microclimates under climatic warming, we evaluated whether ectothermic species (butterflies) can exploit favourable microclimates and alter their use of different habitats in response to year-to-year variation in climate. In both relatively cold (Britain) and warm (Catalonia) regions of their geographical ranges,most species shifted into cooler, closed habitats (e.g. woodland) in hot years, and into warmer, open habitats (e.g. grassland) in cooler years. Additionally, three-quarters of species occurred in closed habitats more frequently in the warm region than in the cool region. Thus, species shift their local distributions and alter their habitat associations to exploit favourable microclimates, although the magnitude of the shift (approx. 1.3% of individuals from open to shade, per degree Celsius) is unlikely to buffer species from impacts of regional climate warming. This journal is © 2012 The Royal Society.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864450970&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112

DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0112

M3 - Article

SN - 1744-9561

VL - 8

SP - 590

EP - 593

JO - Biology letters

JF - Biology letters

IS - 4

ER -

Habitat associations of species show consistent but weak responses to climate

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this