Heterogeneous thermal tolerance of dominant Andean montane tree species

Restrepo, Zorayda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3213-9985; González-Caro, Sebastián; Hartley, Iain P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9183-6617; Villegas, Juan Camilo; Meir, Patrick; Sanchez, Adriana; Ruiz Carrascal, Daniel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0987-5017; Mercado Montoya, Lina M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4069-0838. 2025 Heterogeneous thermal tolerance of dominant Andean montane tree species. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, 117. 11, pp. 10.1038/s43247-025-02083-w

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02083-w

Abstract/Summary

In tropical montane forests, the Earth’s largest biodiversity hotspots, there is increasing evidence that climate warming is resulting in montane species being displaced by their lowland counterparts. However, the drivers of these changes are poorly understood. Across a large elevation gradient in the Colombian Andes, we established three experimental plantations of 15 dominant tree species including both naturally occurring montane and lowland species and measured their survival and growth. Here we show that 55% of the studied montane species maintained growth at their survival’s hottest temperature with the remaining 45% being intolerant to such levels of warming, declining their growth, while lowland species benefited strongly from the warmest temperatures. Our findings suggest that the direct negative effects of warming and increased competition of montane species with lowland species are promoting increased homogeneity in community composition, resulting in reduced biodiversity.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/s43247-025-02083-w
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Water and Climate Science (2025-)
ISSN:	2662-4435
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	carbon cycle, climate-change ecology
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Related URLs:	Dataset Dataset
Date made live:	21 Feb 2025 11:48 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538939

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1038/s43247-025-02083-w

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Water and Climate Science (2025-)

ISSN:

2662-4435

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

carbon cycle, climate-change ecology