Small shifts in microsite occupation could mitigate climate change consequences for mountain top endemics: a test analyzing saxicolous lichen distribution patterns.

RODRIGUEZ, J.M.; RENISON, D.; FILIPPINI, E.; ESTRABOU, C.

BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2017

0960-3115

The extent to which small shifts among local topographic microsites couldmitigate the effects of larger-scale climate change in arctic?alpine systems includingmountain top organisms is largely unknown. This study is among the first to evaluate therelative contribution of microsite and altitude as a proxy for climate change on saxicolouslichen communities. We registered 107 lichen species in 54 boulders ranging from 900 to2700 m.a.s.l. and in a large array of microsites in central Argentina. Communities ordinatedalong NMS multivariate analysis axes 1, 2 and 3 presented a cumulative R2 of 80%.The three axes were explained by altitude with axis 1 only being explained by altitude.Axis 2 was also explained by slope and aspect whereas axis 3 was explained by theinteraction of altitude with aspect indicating that aspect was important only at loweraltitudes but not at the mountain top. Lichen cover and richness were similar throughoutthe altitudinal gradient. We interpret that under a climate warming scenario, lower altitudespecies occupying pole ward facing slopes will have to migrate upwards while at themountain top?for most communities?there still is scope for microsite segregation tocompensate climate change.