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Predicting extinctions as a result of climate change
Author(s): Mark W. Schwartz; Louis R. Iverson; Anantha M. Prasad; Stephen N. Matthews; Raymond J. O'Connor; Raymond J. O'Connor
Date: 2006
Source: Ecology. 87(7): 1611-1615.
Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication
PDF: Download Publication (92.07 KB)Description
Widespread extinction is a predicted ecological consequence of global warming. Extinction risk under climate change scenarios is a function of distribution breadth. Focusing on trees and birds of the eastern United States, we used joint climate and environment models to examine fit and climate change vulnerability as a function of distribution breadth. We found that extinction vulnerability increases with decreasing distribution size. We also found that model fit decreases with decreasing distribution size, resulting in high prediction uncertainty among narrowly distributed species. High prediction uncertainty creates a conservation dilemma in that excluding these species under-predicts extinction risk and favors mistaken inaction on global warming. By contrast, including narrow endemics results in overpredicting extinction risk and promotes mistaken inaction on behalf of individual species prematurely considered doomed to extinction.Publication Notes
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Citation
Schwartz, Mark W.; Iverson, Louis R.; Prasad, Anantha M.; Matthews, Stephen N.; O''Connor, Raymond J. 2006. Predicting extinctions as a result of climate change. Ecology. 87(7): 1611-1615.Keywords
climate and environmental models, climate change, distribution breadth, eastern United States, endemic, extinction, prediction uncertainty, regression tree, vulnerabilityRelated Search
- Global warming and extinctions of endemic species from biodiversity hotspots.
- Delaying conservation actions matters for species vulnerable to climate change
- Threat of climate change on a songbird population through its impacts on breeding
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https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/24235