Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene
Abstract Background Climate change coupled with other anthropogenic pressures may affect the extent of suitable habitat for species and thus their distributions. This is particularly true for species occupying high-altitude habitats such as the gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of the Ethiopian highland...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3 |
| _version_ | 1827770786396504064 |
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| author | Ahmed Seid Ahmed Desalegn Chala Chala Adugna Kufa Anagaw Atickem Afework Bekele Jens-Christian Svenning Dietmar Zinner |
| author_facet | Ahmed Seid Ahmed Desalegn Chala Chala Adugna Kufa Anagaw Atickem Afework Bekele Jens-Christian Svenning Dietmar Zinner |
| author_sort | Ahmed Seid Ahmed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Climate change coupled with other anthropogenic pressures may affect the extent of suitable habitat for species and thus their distributions. This is particularly true for species occupying high-altitude habitats such as the gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of the Ethiopian highlands. To explore the impact of climate change on species distributions, Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) has been extensively used. Here we model the current and future extent of sutibale habitat for geladas. Our modelling was based on 285 presence locations of geladas, covering their complete current distribution. We used different techniques to generate pseudoabsence datasets, MaxEnt model complexities, and cut-off thresholds to map the potential distribution of gelada under current and future climates (2050 and 2070). We assembled maps from these techniques to produce a final composite map. We also evaluated the change in the topographic features of gelada over the past 200 years by comparing the topography in current and historical settings. Results All model runs had high performances, AUC = 0.87–0.96. Under the current climate, the suitable habitat predicted with high certainty was 90,891 km2, but it decreased remarkably under future climates, -36% by 2050 and − 52% by 2070. However, since the habitats of geladas already extend to mountaintop grasslands, no remarkable range shifts across elevation gradients were predicted under future climates. Conclusions Our findings indicated that climate change most likely results in a loss of suitable habitat for geladas, particularly south of the Rift Valley. Currently geladas are confined to higher altitudes and steep slopes compared to historical sightings, probably qualifying geladas as refugee species. The difference in topography is potentially associated with anthropogenic pressures that drove niche truncation to higher altitudes, undermining the climatic and topographic niche our models predicted. We recommend protecting the current habitats of geladas even when they are forecasted to become climatically unsuitable in the future, in particular for the population south of the Rift Valley. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:44:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-34338da6c13d4850a6d0b8f74a919f99 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:44:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-34338da6c13d4850a6d0b8f74a919f992023-11-05T12:05:24ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822023-11-0123111210.1186/s12862-023-02173-3Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the AnthropoceneAhmed Seid Ahmed0Desalegn Chala1Chala Adugna Kufa2Anagaw Atickem3Afework Bekele4Jens-Christian Svenning5Dietmar Zinner6Department of Biology, Hawassa UniversityNatural History Museum, University of OsloDepartment of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityDepartment of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityDepartment of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityCenter for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus UniversityCognitive Ecology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchAbstract Background Climate change coupled with other anthropogenic pressures may affect the extent of suitable habitat for species and thus their distributions. This is particularly true for species occupying high-altitude habitats such as the gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of the Ethiopian highlands. To explore the impact of climate change on species distributions, Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) has been extensively used. Here we model the current and future extent of sutibale habitat for geladas. Our modelling was based on 285 presence locations of geladas, covering their complete current distribution. We used different techniques to generate pseudoabsence datasets, MaxEnt model complexities, and cut-off thresholds to map the potential distribution of gelada under current and future climates (2050 and 2070). We assembled maps from these techniques to produce a final composite map. We also evaluated the change in the topographic features of gelada over the past 200 years by comparing the topography in current and historical settings. Results All model runs had high performances, AUC = 0.87–0.96. Under the current climate, the suitable habitat predicted with high certainty was 90,891 km2, but it decreased remarkably under future climates, -36% by 2050 and − 52% by 2070. However, since the habitats of geladas already extend to mountaintop grasslands, no remarkable range shifts across elevation gradients were predicted under future climates. Conclusions Our findings indicated that climate change most likely results in a loss of suitable habitat for geladas, particularly south of the Rift Valley. Currently geladas are confined to higher altitudes and steep slopes compared to historical sightings, probably qualifying geladas as refugee species. The difference in topography is potentially associated with anthropogenic pressures that drove niche truncation to higher altitudes, undermining the climatic and topographic niche our models predicted. We recommend protecting the current habitats of geladas even when they are forecasted to become climatically unsuitable in the future, in particular for the population south of the Rift Valley.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3Climate changeEthiopiaHabitat suitability modellingHigh altitude primatesMaxEnt |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed Seid Ahmed Desalegn Chala Chala Adugna Kufa Anagaw Atickem Afework Bekele Jens-Christian Svenning Dietmar Zinner Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene BMC Ecology and Evolution Climate change Ethiopia Habitat suitability modelling High altitude primates MaxEnt |
| title | Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene |
| title_full | Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene |
| title_fullStr | Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene |
| title_short | Potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Anthropocene |
| title_sort | potential changes in the extent of suitable habitats for geladas theropithecus gelada in the anthropocene |
| topic | Climate change Ethiopia Habitat suitability modelling High altitude primates MaxEnt |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-023-02173-3 |
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