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1 May 2018 Predicting the Suitable Habitat of Treeline Species in the Nepalese Himalayas Under Climate Change
Parveen K. Chhetri, Keith D. Gaddis, David M. Cairns
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Abstract

The response of treeline-forming species to global climate change is uncertain. While numerous treeline species have recently experienced range advance along their upper elevational boundary, this has been species- and region-dependent. Making an accurate prediction of how taxa will respond is essential for conservation and land management, as treeline advance is likely to result in a loss of alpine biodiversity through habitat change and fragmentation. Predicting any species response requires an understanding of the current physical and climatic determinants of its distribution. We used the Maxent species distribution modeling software to predict the likelihood of treeline advance in the Nepalese Himalayas by modeling the extent of suitable habitats for 3 dominant treeline species—Abies spectabilis, Betula utilis, and Pinus wallichiana—under present and projected climate conditions. Temperature-related climatic variables and elevation explained the greatest amount of variance in the distribution of the study species. Under projected climate conditions, we found a regional increase in suitable habitat for all 3 treeline species, predicting a potential for northward and upslope advance.

© 2018 Chhetri et al. This open access article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Please credit the authors and the full source.
Parveen K. Chhetri, Keith D. Gaddis, and David M. Cairns "Predicting the Suitable Habitat of Treeline Species in the Nepalese Himalayas Under Climate Change," Mountain Research and Development 38(2), 153-163, (1 May 2018). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00071.1
Accepted: 1 April 2018; Published: 1 May 2018
KEYWORDS
climate change
distribution range
Himalaya
Nepal
species distribution modeling
treeline
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