Climate change, animal species, and habitats: Adaptation and issues (Chapter 5)

Abstract

Because the rate of anthropogenic climate change exceeds the adaptive capacity of many animal and plant species, the scientific community anticipates negative consequences for ecosystems. Changes in climate have expanded, contracted, or shifted the climate niches of many species, often resulting in shifting geographic ranges. In the Great Basin, for example, projected increases in temperature could decrease ability of sagebrush to compete with warm-desert shrubs, leading to a shift in community composition.

Parent Publication

• Climate change in grasslands, shrublands, and deserts of the interior American West: a review and needs assessment

Citation

Finch, Deborah M.; Smith, D. Max; LeDee, Olivia; Cartron, Jean-Luc E.; Rumble, Mark A. 2012. Climate change, animal species, and habitats: Adaptation and issues (Chapter 5). In: Finch, Deborah M., ed. Climate change in grasslands, shrublands, and deserts of the interior American West: a review and needs assessment. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-285. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 60-79.