Ecological and evolutionary impacts of changing climatic variability.
While average temperature is likely to increase in most locations on Earth, many places will simultaneously experience higher variability in temperature, precipitation, and other climate variables. Although ecologists and evolutionary biologists widely recognize the potential impacts of changes in average climatic conditions, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential impacts of changes in climatic variability and extremes. We review the evidence on the impacts of increased climatic variability and extremes on physiological, ecological and evolutionary processes at multiple levels of biological organization, from individuals to populations and communities. Our review indicates that climatic variability can have profound influences on biological processes at multiple scales of organization. Responses to increased climatic variability and extremes are likely to be complex and cannot always be generalized, although our conceptual and methodological toolboxes allow us to make informed predictions about the likely consequences of such climatic changes. We conclude that climatic variability represents an important component of climate that deserves further attention.
Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET, CC 507, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina.|Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Jorge Contreras 1300, M5502JMA, Mendoza, Argentina.
Diego P
DP
Vázquez
Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, 1700000, Chile.|Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, 4070386, Chile.
Ernesto
E
Gianoli
Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708-0325, U.S.A.
William F
WF
Morris
Departamento de Ecología, Center of Applied Ecology & Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 6513677, Chile.
Francisco
F
Bozinovic
D005075:Biological Evolution; D057231:Climate Change; D004463:Ecology; D013696:Temperature
climate change; community structure; demography; fitness; geographic range limits; phenological mismatches; phenotypic plasticity; physiological traits; population dynamics; species interactions