Considering adaptive genetic variation in climate change vulnerability assessment reduces species range loss projections

TLDR

Local adaptations can determine the potential of populations to respond to environmental changes, yet adaptive genetic variation is commonly ignored in models forecasting species vulnerability and biogeographical shifts under future climate change. The study integrates genomic and ecological modeling to identify climate‑associated genetic adaptations in two cryptic forest bats. The authors incorporated the identified genetic adaptations into range‑change forecasts and population‑persistence assessments, evaluating evolutionary rescue potential. Accounting for climate‑adaptive potential lowered projected range loss, increased species overlap, and showed that evolutionary rescue depends on adaptive capacity and connectivity, underscoring the need to include genomic data and landscape connectivity in vulnerability assessments.

Abstract

Local adaptations can determine the potential of populations to respond to environmental changes, yet adaptive genetic variation is commonly ignored in models forecasting species vulnerability and biogeographical shifts under future climate change. Here we integrate genomic and ecological modeling approaches to identify genetic adaptations associated with climate in two cryptic forest bats. We then incorporate this information directly into forecasts of range changes under future climate change and assessment of population persistence through the spread of climate-adaptive genetic variation (evolutionary rescue potential). Considering climate-adaptive potential reduced range loss projections, suggesting that failure to account for intraspecific variability can result in overestimation of future losses. On the other hand, range overlap between species was projected to increase, indicating that interspecific competition is likely to play an important role in limiting species' future ranges. We show that although evolutionary rescue is possible, it depends on a population's adaptive capacity and connectivity. Hence, we stress the importance of incorporating genomic data and landscape connectivity in climate change vulnerability assessments and conservation management.