Predicting species distribution and abundance responses to climate change: why it is essential to include biotic interactions across trophic levels

W.H. van der Putten, M. Macel, M. de Visser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

597 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Current predictions on species responses to climate change strongly rely on projecting altered environmental conditions on species distributions. However, it is increasingly acknowledged that climate change also influences species interactions. We review and synthesize literature information on biotic interactions and use it to argue that the abundance of species and the direction of selection during climate change vary depending on how their trophic interactions become disrupted. Plant abundance can be controlled by aboveground and belowground multitrophic level interactions with herbivores, pathogens, symbionts and their enemies. We discuss how these interactions may alter during climate change and the resulting species range shifts. We suggest conceptual analogies between species responses to climate warming and exotic species introduced in new ranges. There are also important differences: the herbivores, pathogens and mutualistic symbionts of range-expanding species and their enemies may co-migrate, and the continuous gene flow under climate warming can make adaptation in the expansion zone of range expanders different from that of cross-continental exotic species. We conclude that under climate change, results of altered species interactions may vary, ranging from species becoming rare to disproportionately abundant. Taking these possibilities into account will provide a new perspective on predicting species distribution under climate change.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2025-2034
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Series B, Biological Sciences
Volume365
Issue number1549
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Keywords

  • coast salt marshes
  • habitat fragmentation
  • insect herbivores
  • terrestrial ecosystems
  • spatial-distribution
  • mycorrhizal fungi
  • local adaptation
  • migration rates
  • plant diversity
  • arctic tundra

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Predicting species distribution and abundance responses to climate change: why it is essential to include biotic interactions across trophic levels'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this