Summary
Published in Global Change Biology 21: 566-571. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12744
The effects of recent climate changes on earth ecosystems are likely among the most important ecological concerns in human history. Good bioindicators are essential to properly assess the magnitude of these changes. In the last decades, studies have suggested that the morph proportion of the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), one of the most widely distributed and abundant vertebrate species in forests of eastern North America, could be used as a proxy for monitoring climate changes. Based on new discoveries in the northern areas of the species’ range and on one of the largest compilation ever made for a vertebrate in North America (236 109 observations compiled from 1880 to 2013 in 1148 localities), we demonstrate however that climatic and geographic variables do not influence the colour morph proportions in P. cinereus populations. Consequently, we show that the use of colour morph proportions of this species do not perform as an indicator of climate change. Our findings indicate that bioindicator paradigms can be significantly challenged by new ecological research and more representative databases.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
MOORE, Jean-David and Martin OUELLET
Year of publication :
2015
Format :
PDF available upon request
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
amphibien, bioindicateur, changement climatique, climat, coloration, salamandre cendrée, salamandre rayée, écologie forestière, écosystèmes et environnement, Plethodon cinereus, article scientifique de recherche forestière, ecosystems and environment, forest ecology, amphibian, bioindicator, climate change, colour morph, red-backed, lead-backed, eastern red-backed salamander
