Climate change impacts on bumblebees converge across continents

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Kerr, Jeremy T.; Pindar, Alana; Galpern, Paul; Packer, Laurence; Potts, Simon G.; Roberts, Stuart M.; Rasmont, Pierre; Schweiger, Oliver; Colla, Sheila R.; Richardson, Leif L.; Wagner, David L.; Gall, Lawrence F.; Sikes, Derek S.; Pantoja, Alberto

Source:

Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Volume 349, Issue 6244, p.177-180 (2015)

Call Number:

A15KER01IDUS

URL:

http://www.uvm.edu/rsenr/taylorricketts/documents/Kerr.etal2015Science-2015-Kerr-177-80.pdf

Keywords:

bumblebees, climate change, SWAP

Abstract:

For many species, geographical ranges are expanding toward the poles in response to climate change, while remaining stable along range edges nearest the equator. Using long-term observations across Europe and North America over 110 years, we tested for climate change-related range shifts in bumblebee species across the full extents of their latitudinal and thermal limits and movements along elevation gradients. We found cross-continentally consistent trends in failures to track warming through time at species’ northern range limits, range losses from southern range limits, and shifts to higher elevations among southern species. These effects are independent of changing land uses or pesticide applications and underscore the need to test for climate impacts at both leading and trailing latitudinal and thermal limits for species.

Notes:

ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Invertebrates

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Kerr JT, Pindar A, Galpern P, Packer L, Potts SG, Roberts SM, Rasmont P, Schweiger O, Colla SR, Richardson LL, et al. 2015. Climate change impacts on bumblebees converge across continents. [accessed 2016 Jan 22]; Science. 349(6244):177–180. http://science.sciencemag.org/sci/349/6244/177.full.pdf