The elevational distributions of tropical beetles and frogs in a montane cloud forest and the possible implications of a warming climate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Derek W. Rosenberger
Project Type
Faculty Scholarship
Scholarship Domain(s)
Scholarship of Discovery
Presentation Type
Presentation
Abstract
Animal distributions may be fairly homogeneous in lowland forests in the tropics but change significantly with elevation. This is due to more limited optimal temperature requirements in tropical animals. Thus, it is important to sample across elevational distributions when assessing tropical biological diversity. Further, those animals found at high elevations are likely to be impacted most severely by a warming climate as their ranges shift to the tops of mountains. Here we report on studies of beetles and a near threatened frog in the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica. We find that these species, some of which may be new to science, may be impacted by warming climate due to apparent limited elevational distributions. However, more work is underway and necessary to determine how limited their optimal elevational bands truly are.
Permission Type
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The elevational distributions of tropical beetles and frogs in a montane cloud forest and the possible implications of a warming climate
Reed 330
Animal distributions may be fairly homogeneous in lowland forests in the tropics but change significantly with elevation. This is due to more limited optimal temperature requirements in tropical animals. Thus, it is important to sample across elevational distributions when assessing tropical biological diversity. Further, those animals found at high elevations are likely to be impacted most severely by a warming climate as their ranges shift to the tops of mountains. Here we report on studies of beetles and a near threatened frog in the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains of Costa Rica. We find that these species, some of which may be new to science, may be impacted by warming climate due to apparent limited elevational distributions. However, more work is underway and necessary to determine how limited their optimal elevational bands truly are.