Climate change and the distribution and conservation of the world's highest elevation woodlands in the South American Altiplano.

CUYCKENS, G.A.E.; CHRISTIE, D.; DOMIC, A.; MALIZIA, L.R.; RENISON, D.

GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 137 p. 79 - 87

0921-8181

Climate change is becoming an increasing threat to biodiversity. Consequently,the methods for delineation, establishment and management of protected areasmust consider the species? future distribution in response to future climateconditions. Biodiversity in high altitude semiarid regions may be particularlythreatened by future climate change. In this study we assess the mainenvironmental variables that best explain present day presence of the world?s highest elevation woodlands in theSouth American Altiplano, and model how climate change may affect the future distribution of this uniqueecosystem under climate change scenarios. These woodlands are dominatedby Polylepis tarapacana trees, aframework species which forms unique biological communities with importantconservation value. Our results indicate that five environmental variables areresponsible for 91% and 90.3% of present and future P. tarapacana distribution models respectively, and suggest that atthe end of the 21st century there will be a reduction of 56% in the potential habitatof this species due to more arid conditions. Since it is predicted that P. tarapacana?s potential distributionarea will be severely reduced in the future, we propose a new network ofnational protected areas across this species distribution area to insure thefuture conservation of this unique ecosystem. Based on an extensive literaturereview we identify research topics and recommendations for the on-ground conservationand management of the P. tarapacanawoodlands.