Can paleorefugia of cold-adapted species in talus slopes resist global warming?

• Main Authors: Růžička, V. (Vlastimil), Zacharda, M., Šmilauer, P., Kučera, T.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: global warming; Arctic; Global warming
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0248596

In central Europe, some boreal and arctic organisms can survive in low-altitude freezing talus slopes disjunct from their normal ranges far to the north. The external air temperature and the interior temperature of the talus were measured for five years at three low-elevation talus slopes in North Bohemia (Czech Republic). The year-round interplay between both temperature regimes was affected both by below-average as well as above-average climatic variations during winters 2005–2006 and 2006–2007, respectively. The total of air-freezing degree-days per year was confirmed to be the best and sufficient predictor for all considered thermal characteristics in the lower part of the talus slopes. Persistency of cold talus thermal behavior supports Nekola’s concept of paleorefugia inhabited by cold-adapted species of boreal origin. Our results suggest that the talus microclimate can be sufficiently resistant to an increase of mean annual atmospheric temperature by 3 degree Celsius, retaining a sufficient number of freezing days during the winter season.