Risk of biodiversity collapse under climate change in the Afro-Arabian region.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Soultan A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6353965 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Global warming impacts diverse organisms not only directly but also indirectly via other organisms with which they interact. Recently, the possibility that elevated temperatures resulting from global warming may substantially affect biodiversity through disrupting mutualistic/parasitic associations has been highlighted. Here we report an experimental demonstration that global warming can affect a pest insect via suppression of its obligate bacterial symbiont. The southern green stinkbug Nezara viridula depends on a specific gut bacterium for its normal growth and survival. When the insects were reared inside or outside a simulated warming incubator wherein temperature was controlled at 2.5°C higher than outside, the insects reared in the incubator exhibited severe fitness defects (i.e., retarded growth, reduced size, yellowish body color, etc.) and significant reduction of symbiont population, particularly in the midsummer season, whereas the insects reared outside did not. Rearing at 30°C or 32.5°C resulted in similar defective phenotypes of the insects, whereas no adult insects emerged at 35°C. Notably, experimental symbiont suppression by an antibiotic treatment also induced similar defective phenotypes of the insects, indicating that the host's defective phenotypes are attributable not to the heat stress itself but to the suppression of the symbiont population induced by elevated temperature. These results strongly suggest that high temperature in the midsummer season negatively affects the insects not directly but indirectly via the heat-vulnerable obligate bacterial symbiont, which highlights the practical relevance of mutualism collapse in this warming world. Climate change is among the biggest environmental issues in the contemporary world, and its impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem is not only of scientific interest but also of practical concern for the general public. On the basis of our laboratory data obtained under strictly controlled environmental conditions and our simulated warming data obtained in seminatural settings (elevated 2.5°C above the normal temperature), we demonstrate here that Nezara viridula, the notorious stinkbug pest, suffers serious fitness defects in the summer season under the simulated warming conditions, wherein high temperature acts on the insect not directly but indirectly via suppression of its obligate gut bacterium. Our finding highlights that heat-susceptible symbionts can be the "Achilles' heel" of symbiont-dependent organisms under climate change conditions.
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Project description:Climate change-reflected in significant environmental changes such as warming, sea level rise, shifts in salinity, oxygen and other ocean conditions-is expected to impact marine organisms and associated fisheries. This study provides an assessment of the potential impacts on, and the vulnerability of, marine biodiversity and fisheries catches in the Arabian Gulf under climate change. To this end, using three separate niche modelling approaches under a 'business-as-usual' climate change scenario, we projected the future habitat suitability of the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf) for 55 expert-identified priority species, including charismatic and non-fish species. Second, we conducted a vulnerability assessment of national economies to climate change impacts on fisheries. The modelling outputs suggested a high rate of local extinction (up to 35% of initial species richness) by 2090 relative to 2010. Spatially, projected local extinctions are highest in the southwestern part of the Gulf, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the projected patterns provided useful indicators of potential climate change impacts on the region's diversity, the magnitude of changes in habitat suitability are more uncertain. Fisheries-specific results suggested reduced future catch potential for several countries on the western side of the Gulf, with projections differing only slightly among models. Qatar and the UAE were particularly affected, with more than a 26% drop in future fish catch potential. Integrating changes in catch potential with socio-economic indicators suggested the fisheries of Bahrain and Iran may be most vulnerable to climate change. We discuss limitations of the indicators and the methods used, as well as the implications of our overall findings for conservation and fisheries management policies in the region.
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Project description:AimUnderstanding diversity patterns and identifying the environmental factors that shape these patterns are essential for ecology and conservation. The Afro-Arabian region comprises one of the most important biogeographic areas connecting continents. Yet, little emphasis has been put on understanding its endemic fauna in relation to its biogeographic realms. Our objective is to fill the gaps in knowledge on diversity patterns and biogeography that are essential for prioritizing the overdue conservation efforts.LocationThe study area covers mostly the hot desert climate region in North Africa and Arabia, and includes the Mediterranean, Sahel, and Ethiopian highlands (hereafter "Afro-Arabian region").MethodsWe used distribution maps developed by IUCN and BirdLife for species endemic to the Afro-Arabian region belonging to the four tetrapod classes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, to identify the endemic richness hotspots. We then used multivariate analyses to delineate biogeographic regions and evaluate their relationship with the environmental factors.ResultsOur study reveals a complex map of the richness hotspots for the endemic tetrapod classes. The main hotspots of endemism were concentrated at the margins of the study area, along the Mediterranean coast, Ethiopian highlands, and along the Red Sea Mountains. We propose classifying the Afro-Arabian region into three discrete biogeographic realms for endemic amphibians, four for reptiles and birds, and five discrete biogeographic realms for endemic mammals. The identified realms are defined by their environmental conditions and the historical geological processes.Main conclusionsRichness hotspots of endemic tetrapod classes were heterogeneously distributed in the Afro-Arabian region. Our results support the hypothesis that species diversity patterns and endemism have been shaped by the environmental conditions and the paleogeographic processes. Each of the identified bioregions is associated with a characteristic set of tetrapod species. Our results are a benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of the protected areas and for implementing conservation plans for biodiversity.
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