Major shifts at the range edge of marine forests: the combined effects of climate changes and limited dispersal.

ABSTRACT: Global climate change is likely to constrain low latitude range edges across many taxa and habitats. Such is the case for NE Atlantic marine macroalgal forests, important ecosystems whose main structuring species is the annual kelp Saccorhiza polyschides. We coupled ecological niche modelling with simulations of potential dispersal and delayed development stages to infer the major forces shaping range edges and to predict their dynamics. Models indicated that the southern limit is set by high winter temperatures above the physiological tolerance of overwintering microscopic stages and reduced upwelling during recruitment. The best range predictions were achieved assuming low spatial dispersal (5 km) and delayed stages up to two years (temporal dispersal). Reconstructing distributions throu

SUBMITTER: Assis J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5343584 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature