Author
Francisco Rodríguez-Sánchez
Other affiliations: University of Cambridge, University of Seville
Bio: Francisco Rodríguez-Sánchez is an academic researcher from Spanish National Research Council. The author has contributed to research in topics: Climate change & Population. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 34 publications receiving 2196 citations. Previous affiliations of Francisco Rodríguez-Sánchez include University of Cambridge & University of Seville.
Topics: Climate change, Population, Biology, Biodiversity, Understory
Papers
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Ghent University1, University of Cambridge2, Université de Sherbrooke3, University of Regensburg4, St. John's University5, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences6, Centre national de la recherche scientifique7, University of Göttingen8, Stockholm University9, Marshall University10, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic11, University of Potsdam12, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven13, Wageningen University and Research Centre14, Purdue University15, Trinity College, Dublin16, University of Oxford17, United States Forest Service18, University of Wisconsin-Madison19, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill20, Bennington College21, Norwegian University of Science and Technology22
TL;DR: It is shown that microclimatic effects brought about by forest canopy closure can buffer biotic responses to macroclimate warming, thus explaining an apparent climatic lag.
Abstract: Recent global warming is acting across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems to favor species adapted to warmer conditions and/or reduce the abundance of cold-adapted organisms (i.e., “thermophilization” of communities). Lack of community responses to increased temperature, however, has also been reported for several taxa and regions, suggesting that “climatic lags” may be frequent. Here we show that microclimatic effects brought about by forest canopy closure can buffer biotic responses to macroclimate warming, thus explaining an apparent climatic lag. Using data from 1,409 vegetation plots in European and North American temperate forests, each surveyed at least twice over an interval of 12–67 y, we document significant thermophilization of ground-layer plant communities. These changes reflect concurrent declines in species adapted to cooler conditions and increases in species adapted to warmer conditions. However, thermophilization, particularly the increase of warm-adapted species, is attenuated in forests whose canopies have become denser, probably reflecting cooler growing-season ground temperatures via increased shading. As standing stocks of trees have increased in many temperate forests in recent decades, local microclimatic effects may commonly be moderating the impacts of macroclimate warming on forest understories. Conversely, increases in harvesting woody biomass—e.g., for bioenergy—may open forest canopies and accelerate thermophilization of temperate forest biodiversity.
490 citations
University of Oregon1, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science2, University of California, Los Angeles3, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign4, University of Cambridge5, University of Montana6, Institut national de la recherche agronomique7, University of Bordeaux8, Australian Museum9, University of California, Merced10, Ohio State University11, Laval University12, University of Southampton13, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research14, United States Forest Service15, Kyung Hee University16, Lanzhou University17, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis18, Landcare Research19, University of Adelaide20, Ohio University21, University of Notre Dame22, University of Wisconsin-Madison23
TL;DR: A critical research need is to better integrate and reconcile the three major lines of evidence used to infer the existence of past refugia - fossil records, species distribution models and phylogeographic surveys - in order to characterize the complex spatiotemporal trajectories of species and populations in and out ofRefugia.
Abstract: Climate refugia, locations where taxa survive periods of regionally adverse climate, are thought to be critical for maintaining biodiversity through the glacial–interglacial climate changes of the Quaternary. A critical research need is to better integrate and reconcile the three major lines of evidence used to infer the existence of past refugia – fossil records, species distribution models and phylogeographic surveys – in order to characterize the complex spatiotemporal trajectories of species and populations in and out of refugia. Here we review the complementary strengths, limitations and new advances for these three approaches. We provide case studies to illustrate their combined application, and point the way towards new opportunities for synthesizing these disparate lines of evidence. Case studies with European beech, Qinghai spruce and Douglas-fir illustrate how the combination of these three approaches successfully resolves complex species histories not attainable from any one approach. Promising new statistical techniques can capitalize on the strengths of each method and provide a robust quantitative reconstruction of species history. Studying past refugia can help identify contemporary refugia and clarify their conservation significance, in particular by elucidating the fine-scale processes and the particular geographic locations that buffer species against rapidly changing climate.
340 citations
TL;DR: The synthesis indicates that many life-history traits of plants vary with latitude but the translation of latitudinal clines into responses to temperature is a crucial step, and integrated approaches of observational studies along temperature gradients, experimental methods and common garden experiments increasingly emerge as the way forward to further the authors' understanding of species and community responses to climate warming.
Abstract: Macroclimatic variation along latitudinal gradients provides an excellent natural laboratory to investigate the role of temperature and the potential impacts of climate warming on terrestrial organisms. Here, we review the use of latitudinal gradients for ecological climate change research, in comparison with altitudinal gradients and experimental warming, and illustrate their use and caveats with a meta-analysis of latitudinal intraspecific variation in important life-history traits of vascular plants. We first provide an overview of latitudinal patterns in temperature and other abiotic and biotic environmental variables in terrestrial ecosystems. We then assess the latitudinal intraspecific variation present in five key life-history traits [plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), foliar nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) stoichiometry, seed mass and root:shoot (R:S) ratio] in natural populations or common garden experiments across a total of 98 plant species. Intraspecific leaf N:P ratio and seed mass significantly decreased with latitude in natural populations. Conversely, the plant height decreased and SLA increased significantly with latitude of population origin in common garden experiments. However, less than a third of the investigated latitudinal transect studies also formally disentangled the effects of temperature from other environmental drivers which potentially hampers the translation from latitudinal effects into a temperature signal. Synthesis. Latitudinal gradients provide a methodological set-up to overcome the drawbacks of other observational and experimental warming methods. Our synthesis indicates that many life-history traits of plants vary with latitude but the translation of latitudinal clines into responses to temperature is a crucial step. Therefore, especially adaptive differentiation of populations and confounding environmental factors other than temperature need to be considered. More generally, integrated approaches of observational studies along temperature gradients, experimental methods and common garden experiments increasingly emerge as the way forward to further our understanding of species and community responses to climate warming.
332 citations
TL;DR: Comparing temperatures in the forest understory versus open habitat across boreal, temperate and tropical biomes, the authors show that tree canopies act as thermal insulators that buffer the understory against temperature extremes.
Abstract: Macroclimate warming is often assumed to occur within forests despite the potential for tree cover to modify microclimates. Here, using paired measurements, we compared the temperatures under the canopy versus in the open at 98 sites across 5 continents. We show that forests function as a thermal insulator, cooling the understory when ambient temperatures are hot and warming the understory when ambient temperatures are cold. The understory versus open temperature offset is magnified as temperatures become more extreme and is of greater magnitude than the warming of land temperatures over the past century. Tree canopies may thus reduce the severity of warming impacts on forest biodiversity and functioning.
297 citations
University of Oxford1, University of Bergen2, University College London3, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research4, University of Sheffield5, University of Maryland, College Park6, Swansea University7, Brown University8, University of Cape Town9, University of Calgary10, Newcastle University11, Loughborough University12, University of Helsinki13, National Museum of Natural History14, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign15, University of Southampton16, York University17, Museum für Naturkunde18, Liverpool John Moores University19, Hull York Medical School20, University of St Andrews21, Scottish Association for Marine Science22, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology23, Queen's University Belfast24, Natural History Museum25, Bangor University26, UPRRP College of Natural Sciences27, University of Gloucestershire28, Natural England29, Romanian Academy30, American Museum of Natural History31, Federation University Australia32, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University33, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg34, University of York35, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań36, Brunel University London37, University of Oslo38, University of Nottingham39, University of Cincinnati40, Open University41, Natural Environment Research Council42, University of Akron43, University of Cambridge44, Lancaster University45, University of Stirling46, University of Regina47, University of Tartu48, University of Plymouth49, University of Wisconsin-Madison50, University of Szczecin51
TL;DR: Using a set of criteria designed to identify realistic and achievable research goals, questions were selected from a pool submitted by the international palaeoecology research community and relevant policy practitioners to highlight its potential for addressing both pure and applied issues related to ecological science and global change.
Abstract: Sediment coring on Lake Baikal, Russia. Palaeoecological information (i.e. the biological and geochemical remains preserved in lake sediments) provide insights into ecological processes and environmental change occurring over decades to millions of years. Our exercise targeted future research areas for palaeoecology by identifying 50 priority questions.
209 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify ten contrasting perspectives that shape the vulnerability debate but have not been discussed collectively and present a set of global vulnerability drivers that are known with high confidence: (1) droughts eventually occur everywhere; (2) warming produces hotter Droughts; (3) atmospheric moisture demand increases nonlinearly with temperature during drought; (4) mortality can occur faster in hotter Drought, consistent with fundamental physiology; (5) shorter Drought can become lethal under warming, increasing the frequency of lethal Drought; and (6) mortality happens rapidly
Abstract: Patterns, mechanisms, projections, and consequences of tree mortality and associated broad-scale forest die-off due to drought accompanied by warmer temperatures—“hotter drought”, an emerging characteristic of the Anthropocene—are the focus of rapidly expanding literature. Despite recent observational, experimental, and modeling studies suggesting increased vulnerability of trees to hotter drought and associated pests and pathogens, substantial debate remains among research, management and policy-making communities regarding future tree mortality risks. We summarize key mortality-relevant findings, differentiating between those implying lesser versus greater levels of vulnerability. Evidence suggesting lesser vulnerability includes forest benefits of elevated [CO2] and increased water-use efficiency; observed and modeled increases in forest growth and canopy greening; widespread increases in woody-plant biomass, density, and extent; compensatory physiological, morphological, and genetic mechanisms; dampening ecological feedbacks; and potential mitigation by forest management. In contrast, recent studies document more rapid mortality under hotter drought due to negative tree physiological responses and accelerated biotic attacks. Additional evidence suggesting greater vulnerability includes rising background mortality rates; projected increases in drought frequency, intensity, and duration; limitations of vegetation models such as inadequately represented mortality processes; warming feedbacks from die-off; and wildfire synergies. Grouping these findings we identify ten contrasting perspectives that shape the vulnerability debate but have not been discussed collectively. We also present a set of global vulnerability drivers that are known with high confidence: (1) droughts eventually occur everywhere; (2) warming produces hotter droughts; (3) atmospheric moisture demand increases nonlinearly with temperature during drought; (4) mortality can occur faster in hotter drought, consistent with fundamental physiology; (5) shorter droughts occur more frequently than longer droughts and can become lethal under warming, increasing the frequency of lethal drought nonlinearly; and (6) mortality happens rapidly relative to growth intervals needed for forest recovery. These high-confidence drivers, in concert with research supporting greater vulnerability perspectives, support an overall viewpoint of greater forest vulnerability globally. We surmise that mortality vulnerability is being discounted in part due to difficulties in predicting threshold responses to extreme climate events. Given the profound ecological and societal implications of underestimating global vulnerability to hotter drought, we highlight urgent challenges for research, management, and policy-making communities.
1,786 citations
1,184 citations
Book•
01 Dec 2003
TL;DR: Twenty-four articles by biologists, ecologists, and other scientists represent a year's progress in the field of paleobiogeography, genetics and geographic structure, and time as an ecological resource are addressed.
Abstract: Twenty-four articles by biologists, ecologists, and other scientists represent a year's progress in the field. Among the topics addressed: the effects of introduced species, paleobiogeography, genetics and geographic structure, marine fisheries management, time as an ecological resource, genetic var
914 citations
TL;DR: Critics of bioclimatic envelope models are reviewed to suggest that criticism has often been misplaced, resulting from confusion between what the models actually deliver and what users wish that they would express.
Abstract: Bioclimatic envelope models use associations between aspects of climate and species' occurrences to estimate the conditions that are suitable to maintain viable populations. Once bioclimatic envelopes are characterized, they can be applied to a variety of questions in ecology, evolution, and conservation. However, some have questioned the usefulness of these models, because they may be based on implausible assumptions or may be contradicted by empirical evidence. We review these areas of contention, and suggest that criticism has often been misplaced, resulting from confusion between what the models actually deliver and what users wish that they would express. Although improvements in data and methods will have some effect, the usefulness of these models is contingent on their appropriate use, and they will improve mainly via better awareness of their conceptual basis, strengths, and limitations.
873 citations
Stellenbosch University1, University of Western Australia2, University of Kiel3, University of Geneva4, Free University of Berlin5, University of Nova Gorica6, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts7, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts8, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic9, University of Vienna10, University of Bayreuth11, Complutense University of Madrid12, Masaryk University13, Sapienza University of Rome14, University of Zielona Góra15, University of Münster16, University of Göttingen17, Russian Academy of Sciences18, Slovak Academy of Sciences19, Radboud University Nijmegen20, Wageningen University and Research Centre21, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine22, University of Lisbon23, University of Vechta24, University of California, Davis25, University of Patras26
TL;DR: This paper features the first comprehensive and critical account of European syntaxa and synthesizes more than 100 yr of classification effort by European phytosociologists.
Abstract: Aims: Vegetation classification consistent with the
Braun-Blanquet approach is widely used in Europe for applied
vegetation science, conservation planning and land management.
During the long history of syntaxonomy, many concepts and names
of vegetation units have been proposed, but there has been no
single classification system integrating these units. Here we
(1) present a comprehensive, hierarchical, syntaxonomic system
of alliances, orders and classes of Braun-Blanquet syntaxonomy
for vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen, and algal communities
of Europe; (2) briefly characterize in ecological and
geographic terms accepted syntaxonomic concepts; (3) link
available synonyms to these accepted concepts; and (4) provide
a list of diagnostic species for all classes. LocationEuropean
mainland, Greenland, Arctic archipelagos (including Iceland,
Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya), Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores,
Caucasus, Cyprus. Methods: We evaluated approximately 10000
bibliographic sources to create a comprehensive list of
previously proposed syntaxonomic units. These units were
evaluated by experts for their floristic and ecological
distinctness, clarity of geographic distribution and compliance
with the nomenclature code. Accepted units were compiled into
three systems of classes, orders and alliances
(EuroVegChecklist, EVC) for communities dominated by vascular
plants (EVC1), bryophytes and lichens (EVC2) and algae (EVC3).
Results: EVC1 includes 109 classes, 300 orders and 1108
alliances; EVC2 includes 27 classes, 53 orders and 137
alliances, and EVC3 includes 13 classes, 24 orders and 53
alliances. In total 13448 taxa were assigned as indicator
species to classes of EVC1, 2087 to classes of EVC2 and 368 to
classes of EVC3. Accepted syntaxonomic concepts are summarized
in a series of appendices, and detailed information on each is
accessible through the software tool EuroVegBrowser.
Conclusions: This paper features the first comprehensive and
critical account of European syntaxa and synthesizes more than
100 yr of classification effort by European phytosociologists.
It aims to document and stabilize the concepts and nomenclature
of syntaxa for practical uses, such as calibration of habitat
classification used by the European Union, standardization of
terminology for environmental assessment, management and
conservation of nature areas, landscape planning and education.
The presented classification systems provide a baseline for
future development and revision of European syntaxonomy.
817 citations