Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate

Abstract Pollinator species have declined globally during the last several decades due to a variety of factors, including habitat destruction and degradation, pesticides, disease and climate change. To examine the effects of climate change on pollinator distributions, I modelled summer occurrences o...

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Main Author: Brice B. Hanberry
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Ecological Solutions and Evidence
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70025
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author Brice B. Hanberry
author_facet Brice B. Hanberry
author_sort Brice B. Hanberry
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Pollinator species have declined globally during the last several decades due to a variety of factors, including habitat destruction and degradation, pesticides, disease and climate change. To examine the effects of climate change on pollinator distributions, I modelled summer occurrences of pollinator species from North America under current climate (i.e. years 1981–2010) and predicted potential climate space for current, past (20, 10 and 6 thousand years ago) and future (six projections during 2071–2100, with North American warming of 4.3°C–8.8°C) climates. Accuracies ranged in mean values from 0.93 for 12 fly species, 0.94 for 88 butterfly, 69 moth, and 17 wasp species, to 0.95 for 18 bee and 24 beetle species. Mean annual temperature was the most important variable for the greatest number of species. Centres of distributions moved about 500–650 km northwards during the interval from 20 ka to the current climate, which is similar to or less than shift distances, ranging from 500 km to 1350 km, predicted by end‐of‐century warming relative to the current climate. Generally, potential species losses, for these species overall centred in the United States, were indicated in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and most of the eastern half of the United States, relative to the number of species predicted under the current climate. The greatest absolute number of species was predicted to be lost in the eastern half of the United States. However, according to predictions, most pollinator species, including monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), may gain potential climate space in the future. Shifting to new locations is an additional challenge of climate change, particularly given current population declines under a range of stressors. Solution. Management, restoration and citizen participation to provide resources and reduce stressors are ecological solutions to support declining pollinators and pollinator distribution shifts in response to climate change.
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spelling doaj-art-5bf01e43c2034c37a15158b59c2d24f42025-07-03T10:36:41ZengWileyEcological Solutions and Evidence2688-83192025-04-0162n/an/a10.1002/2688-8319.70025Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climateBrice B. Hanberry0USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station Rapid City South Dakota USAAbstract Pollinator species have declined globally during the last several decades due to a variety of factors, including habitat destruction and degradation, pesticides, disease and climate change. To examine the effects of climate change on pollinator distributions, I modelled summer occurrences of pollinator species from North America under current climate (i.e. years 1981–2010) and predicted potential climate space for current, past (20, 10 and 6 thousand years ago) and future (six projections during 2071–2100, with North American warming of 4.3°C–8.8°C) climates. Accuracies ranged in mean values from 0.93 for 12 fly species, 0.94 for 88 butterfly, 69 moth, and 17 wasp species, to 0.95 for 18 bee and 24 beetle species. Mean annual temperature was the most important variable for the greatest number of species. Centres of distributions moved about 500–650 km northwards during the interval from 20 ka to the current climate, which is similar to or less than shift distances, ranging from 500 km to 1350 km, predicted by end‐of‐century warming relative to the current climate. Generally, potential species losses, for these species overall centred in the United States, were indicated in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and most of the eastern half of the United States, relative to the number of species predicted under the current climate. The greatest absolute number of species was predicted to be lost in the eastern half of the United States. However, according to predictions, most pollinator species, including monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), may gain potential climate space in the future. Shifting to new locations is an additional challenge of climate change, particularly given current population declines under a range of stressors. Solution. Management, restoration and citizen participation to provide resources and reduce stressors are ecological solutions to support declining pollinators and pollinator distribution shifts in response to climate change.https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70025butterfliesclimate changeinsectsmothspaleoclimatethinning
spellingShingle Brice B. Hanberry
Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
Ecological Solutions and Evidence
butterflies
climate change
insects
moths
paleoclimate
thinning
title Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
title_full Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
title_fullStr Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
title_full_unstemmed Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
title_short Potential expanded pollinator distributions in North America under future climate
title_sort potential expanded pollinator distributions in north america under future climate
topic butterflies
climate change
insects
moths
paleoclimate
thinning
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70025
work_keys_str_mv AT bricebhanberry potentialexpandedpollinatordistributionsinnorthamericaunderfutureclimate