Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection
Global climate change has been widely recognized as important factors that threaten biodiversity. Rhododendron species are not only famous woody ornamental plants worldwide but are also indispensable components in alpine and subalpine vegetation in southwest China. However, the geographical distribu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Forest Ecosystems |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2197562023000556 |
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| author | Kun-Ji Li Xiao-Fei Liu Jin-Hong Zhang Xiong-Li Zhou Liu Yang Shi-Kang Shen |
| author_facet | Kun-Ji Li Xiao-Fei Liu Jin-Hong Zhang Xiong-Li Zhou Liu Yang Shi-Kang Shen |
| author_sort | Kun-Ji Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global climate change has been widely recognized as important factors that threaten biodiversity. Rhododendron species are not only famous woody ornamental plants worldwide but are also indispensable components in alpine and subalpine vegetation in southwest China. However, the geographical distribution ranges response of this broad taxonomic group to future climate change remains not be fully understood. Herein, we studied the impact of climate change on the distribution of Rhododendron species in China by predicting the changes in their suitable habitats, centroid, and species richness under three climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) in the 2090s. The species richness changes of Rhododendrons along altitude were also evaluated. In addition, we calculated the phylogenetic signals of distribution response to climate change. We found that the distribution responses of Rhododendron to climate change have weak phylogenetic signals. In the 2090s, the suitable habitats of about 87% of Rhododendron species will be reduced, 77% of Rhododendron species are manifested as northward migration. The high species richness of Rhododendrons tends to migrate to transboundary areas with high altitudes in China. Some Rhododendron species with no concern previously should be taken seriously for their high risk of habitat loss under climate change. Thus, the urgent protection of Rhododendron species under climate change need to be paid more attention than previous acknowledged. We recommend carrying out the reintroduction of endangered species in future suitable habitat, strengthening the protection of transboundary areas with high species richness, and focusing on species with few concerns previously. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:12:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63b39990f7ec48ef9bf5f339827786e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2197-5620 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:12:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forest Ecosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-63b39990f7ec48ef9bf5f339827786e72023-12-22T05:32:35ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Forest Ecosystems2197-56202023-01-0110100124Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protectionKun-Ji Li0Xiao-Fei Liu1Jin-Hong Zhang2Xiong-Li Zhou3Liu Yang4Shi-Kang Shen5Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, ChinaInstitute of International River and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, ChinaYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China; Corresponding author. School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, No. 2 Green Lake North Road, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China.Global climate change has been widely recognized as important factors that threaten biodiversity. Rhododendron species are not only famous woody ornamental plants worldwide but are also indispensable components in alpine and subalpine vegetation in southwest China. However, the geographical distribution ranges response of this broad taxonomic group to future climate change remains not be fully understood. Herein, we studied the impact of climate change on the distribution of Rhododendron species in China by predicting the changes in their suitable habitats, centroid, and species richness under three climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) in the 2090s. The species richness changes of Rhododendrons along altitude were also evaluated. In addition, we calculated the phylogenetic signals of distribution response to climate change. We found that the distribution responses of Rhododendron to climate change have weak phylogenetic signals. In the 2090s, the suitable habitats of about 87% of Rhododendron species will be reduced, 77% of Rhododendron species are manifested as northward migration. The high species richness of Rhododendrons tends to migrate to transboundary areas with high altitudes in China. Some Rhododendron species with no concern previously should be taken seriously for their high risk of habitat loss under climate change. Thus, the urgent protection of Rhododendron species under climate change need to be paid more attention than previous acknowledged. We recommend carrying out the reintroduction of endangered species in future suitable habitat, strengthening the protection of transboundary areas with high species richness, and focusing on species with few concerns previously.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2197562023000556RescueWoody plantAlpine ecosystemMountaintopDiversity |
| spellingShingle | Kun-Ji Li Xiao-Fei Liu Jin-Hong Zhang Xiong-Li Zhou Liu Yang Shi-Kang Shen Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection Forest Ecosystems Rescue Woody plant Alpine ecosystem Mountaintop Diversity |
| title | Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection |
| title_full | Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection |
| title_fullStr | Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection |
| title_short | Complexity responses of Rhododendron species to climate change in China reveal their urgent need for protection |
| title_sort | complexity responses of rhododendron species to climate change in china reveal their urgent need for protection |
| topic | Rescue Woody plant Alpine ecosystem Mountaintop Diversity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2197562023000556 |
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