articleScienceJun 26, 2008GREEN OA

A Significant Upward Shift in Plant Species Optimum Elevation During the 20th Century

JLJonathan LenoirJGJean‐Claude GégoutPAPablo A. MarquetPDPatrice de RuffrayHBHenry Brisse

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Santa Fe Institute · +4 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Spatial fingerprints of climate change on biotic communities are usually associated with changes in the distribution of species at their latitudinal or altitudinal extremes. By comparing the altitudinal distribution of 171 forest plant species between 1905 and 1985 and 1986 and 2005 along the entire elevation range (0 to 2600 meters above sea level) in west Europe, we show that climate warming has resulted in a significant upward shift in species optimum elevation averaging 29 meters per decade. The shift is larger for species restricted to mountain habitats and for grassy species, which are characterized by faster population turnover. Our study shows that climate change affects the spatial core of the…

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Authors

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Elevation (ballistics)
  • Range (aeronautics)
  • Climate change
  • Ecology
  • Habitat
  • Species distribution
  • Global warming
  • Plant species
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Life below water
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