Abstract Detail

Ecological Section

Gass, Barbara Joy [1].

Climate Change and Species Range: The response of Mimulus cardinalis and M. lewisii populations to over a decade of weather.

Changing climates are affecting environments and the organisms that depend on them globally. To counter ecological collapse and maintain biodiversity, we must determine the consequences of fluctuating weather patterns on biological systems. Using demographic evidence from two species of Monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis and Mimulus lewisii), response to different weather patterns was compared over twelve years in six populations across a gradient of elevation. Analysis revealed several correlations between age class transitions without demonstrating a unifying principal that encompassed both species or all locations. Instead, results are in accordance with the concept that buffering within populations helps to regulate population growth, allowing those populations to weather adverse conditions, rather than succumb to them. Results also support the understanding that these compensatory processes can only protect a population to a maximum tolerance limit, beyond which they will likely fail. The key factors and their interactions that maintain population distribution remains uncertain. Continuing to model the interplay of these dynamics will support a comprehensive understanding of the effects of climate change on biological systems as well as improve amelioration strategies.

1 - University of British Columbia, Botany, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

Keywords:
population dynamics
Species distribution
climate change
buffering
demography
vital rates.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PEC007
Abstract ID:1043
Candidate for Awards:Ecological Section Best Undergraduate Presentation Award