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Article
Projected Climate Change Effects on Nuthatch Distribution and Diversity Across Asia
Peer Reviewed Publications
  • Shaily Menon, Grand Valley State University
  • M. Zafar-ul Islam, National Wildlife Research Center
  • A. Townsend Peterson, University of Kansas
Publication Date
8-1-2009
Abstract

We used ecological niche modeling approaches to explore climate change implications for one family of birds, the Sittidae, in Asia. Quantitative niche models based on present-day distributions for each of 13 species were projected onto future climate change scenarios. Species’ potential distributional areas tended to be predicted to retract along their fringes, and at lower elevations along mountain ranges. As observed in other studies, montane systems were relatively more robust to the horizontal effects of climate change on species’ distributions compared to flatland systems, so range contractions were focused in Southeast Asia and peninsular India.

Keywords
  • nuthatch,
  • nuthatches,
  • distribution,
  • diversity,
  • climate change,
  • niche modeling,
  • global warming
Comments
Originally published August 2009, in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 57(2): 569-575.
Citation Information
Shaily Menon, M. Zafar-ul Islam and A. Townsend Peterson. "Projected Climate Change Effects on Nuthatch Distribution and Diversity Across Asia" (2009)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/shaily_menon/7/