How Do Temperature Extremes Influence the Distribution of Species?
Published:11 Jan.2024 Source:University of California - Davis
The cool of the forest is a welcome escape on a hot day. This is especially true for mammals in North America's hottest regions, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study found that North American mammals -- from pumas, wolves and bears to rabbits, deer and opossums -- consistently depend on forests and avoid cities, farms and other human-dominated areas in hotter climes. The study indicates that, as the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation.
In fact, mammals are, on average, 50% more likely to occupy forests than open habitats in hot regions. The opposite was true in the coldest regions. Different populations of the same species respond differently to habitat based on where they are. Climate is mediating that difference. Tourani points to the eastern cottontail as an example. The study showed the common rabbit preferred forests in hotter areas while preferring human-dominated habitat, such as agricultural areas, in colder regions.
The study provides a pathway for conservation managers to tailor efforts to conserve and establish protected areas, as well as enhance working landscapes, like farms, pastures, and developed areas. If animal protectors are trying to conserve species in working landscapes, it might behoove people to provide more shade for species. Human can maintain patches of native vegetation, scattered trees, and hedgerows that provide local refugia for wildlife, especially in places that are going to get warmer with climate change.