conservation.arizona.edu - climate change

Modeling a hot, dry future: Substantial range reductions in suitable environment projected under climate change for a semiarid riparian predator guild

aburnett93 — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:50:00 +0000

Authors

Brian R. Blais

John L. Koprowski

Additional Information

Plos One

Date of publication:

2024

Topics

climate change

Research Categories

Disturbance Ecology Spatial Ecology Threatened and Endangered Species

Assessing thermal ecology of herpetofauna across a heterogeneous microhabitat mosaic in a changing aridland riparian system

aburnett93 — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:45:50 +0000

Authors

Brian Blais

Daniel Velasco

Marie Frackiewicz

Avery Low

John Koprowski

Additional Information

Environmental Research Ecology

Date of publication:

2023

Topics

climate change

physiology

infrared thermography

Research Categories

Disturbance Ecology

Effects of disturbances and environmental changes on an aridland riparian generalist

aburnett93 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:31:19 +0000

Authors

Brian Blais

Samantha Johnson

John Koprowski

Additional Information

PeerJ

Date of publication:

2023

Topics

climate change

Research Categories

Behavioral Ecology Disturbance Ecology Spatial Ecology

Influence of time and flood on diurnal mammal diversity and story level use in Igapó forest in the Peruvian Amazon.

thackerk1 — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 22:10:48 +0000

Authors

Rosa R. Palmer

John L. Koprowski

Rainforests support the highest biodiversity on Earth but are one of the most threatened ecosystems due to forest destruction and predicted effects of climate change. Mammals are an important component of rainforest ecosystems, and mammal diversity cannot be explained by forest type alone, but also by considering vertical stratification of the forest. We conducted surveys during a wet year and a dry year to estimate diversity of diurnal mammals that inhabit seasonally flooded forest in the Peruvian Amazon. We considered the vertical stratification of the forest to assess whether diversity varied by story level, and estimated alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. Mammal diversity did not differ between wet and dry years, although species richness was marginally higher in the wet year and evenness slightly low in both years. Mammal diversity differed by story level between years, but was the highest in the canopy in each year. Alpha diversity was higher in the dry year compared to the wet, and beta and gamma diversity were higher in the wet compared to the dry year. During the wet and dry year, the frequency of sightings of species was influenced by time of day and varied by story level. Protection of continuous, mature forests with large canopies has important conservation implications as these areas most likely protect the greatest diversity of mammals, while also providing shelter and food for other taxa.

Additional Information

Myster R. (eds) Igapó (Black-water flooded forests) of the Amazon Basin. Springer, Cham.

Date of publication:

2018

Topics

rainforest

threatened ecosystem

deforestation

climate change

conservation

management

Research Categories

Natural History

Koprowski, J. L., M. I. Alanen, and A. M. Lynch. 2005. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide: Response of endemic Mt. Graham red squirels to catastrophic forest damage. Biological Conservation 126: 491-498.

thackerk1 — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 23:16:00 +0000

Authors

John L. Koprowski

Marit I. Alanen

Ann M. Lynch

A consequence of isolation is increased susceptibility to catastrophe. Insect damage to fragmented and isolated forests has the potential to serve as a catastrophic force; such damage has increased worldwide due to climate change and fire suppression policies. We examined the response of endangered endemic Mt. Graham red squirrels to catastrophic insect damage due to moths, beetles, and introduced aphids. Insects changed the forest environment significantly for the endemic squirrel by reducing basal area and stem densities of live stems, while increasing number and basal area of standing dead stems. Availability of two major foods, fungi and tree seeds, declined in insect-damaged forests relative to trends in undamaged forests. Numbers of Mt. Graham red squirrels declined precipitously in insect-damaged forests suggesting a catastrophe. Conservation options are limited in such situations. Forest-insect induced catastrophes are likely to become more common in the near future as forest health declines due to past management tactics and climate change. Prudent conservation measures include the anticipation of insect outbreaks and effective forest treatments to decrease likelihood of such catastrophes to species of precarious conservation status, while avoiding abrupt changes to critical habitat.

Additional Information

Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide: Response of endemic Mt. Graham red squirrels to catastrophic forest damage

Date of publication:

2005

Topics

bark beetle

aphid

forest health

climate change

Arizona

Mount Graham Red Squirrel

insect-damage

Koprowski, J. L., S. L. Doumas, M. J. Merrick, B. Oleson, E. E. Posthumus, T. G. Jessen, and R. N. Gwinn. 2013. It's lonely at the top: Biodiversity at risk to loss from climate change. In Gottfried, Gerald J.; Ffolliott, Peter F.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew

thackerk1 — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 21:36:58 +0000

Authors

John L. Koprowski

Sandra L. Doumas

Melissa J. Merrick

Brittany Oleson

Erin E. Posthumus

Timothy G. Jessen

R. Nathan Gwinn

Climate change is a serious immediate and long-term threat to wildlife species. State and federal agencies are working with universities and non-government organizations to predict, plan for, and mitigate such uncertainties in the future. Endemic species may be particularly at-risk as climate-induced changes impact their limited geographic ranges. The Madrean Archipelago is characterized by high levels of endemism, natural fragmentation, and increasingly poor connectivity among the mesic montane islands within an arid matrix of low elevation deserts and grasslands. The region already has experienced an increase in temperature and this trend is predicted to accelerate over the remainder of the century. We assessed patterns of elevational distribution of reptiles and mammals within the Madrean Archipelago. We examined incremental temperature increases and determined how much reptilian and mammalian biodiversity is at-risk to be lost from montane islands due to elevational and geographic restriction. We estimate that 15 to 20% of all reptile and mammal diversity is at risk of loss by 2100 based solely on predicted patterns of upslope migration of biotic communities driven primarily by climate change. With this significant proportion of native species, we suggest that this emphasizes the need to continue traditional management actions focused on habitat improvement, restoration and connectivity for the majority of species in combination with innovative and active management strategies directed at the subset that is most at risk of extirpation.

Additional Information

It’s Lonely at the Top: Biodiversity at Risk to Loss from Climate Change

Date of publication:

2013

Topics

climate change

endemic species

geographical range

biodiversity

Madrean Archipelago

restoration

habitat

connectivity