Genetic Diversity Impacts Climate-Induced Species Range Shifts

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity by altering environmental conditions beyond species' tolerance limits.
• The role of species' genetic diversity in modulating responses to climate change, such as range shifts, remains a key unresolved question.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how genetic diversity influences species' range shifts in response to climate change velocity.
• To determine if genetic diversity buffers against range contractions or facilitates range expansions.

Main Methods:

• Integrated the largest global databases of species range shifts and genetic diversity.
• Analyzed 4673 range shift estimates for 1888 species across various taxa (insects, arachnids, birds, fish, plants).
• Examined the interaction between genetic diversity and climate change velocity on range dynamics.

Main Results:

• Species' range shifting rates are significantly influenced by the interaction between genetic diversity and climate change velocity.
• Under rapid warming, higher genetic diversity correlated with reduced trailing edge contractions, suggesting enhanced evolutionary potential or reduced vulnerability.
• Under moderate warming, higher genetic diversity was associated with faster leading edge and range centroid shifts, indicating greater colonization ability.

Conclusions:

• Genetic diversity plays a crucial role in enabling species persistence at trailing range edges and facilitating colonization at leading edges.
• The impact of genetic diversity on range shifts is contingent on the velocity of climate change.
• Findings highlight the importance of maintaining genetic diversity for species' adaptive capacity in a changing climate.