Botanique

• Published in: Le Naturaliste canadien
• Main Authors: Hélène Gilbert, Audrey Lachance, Yanick Gendreau, Marylène Ricard, Nicolas Casajus, Dominique Berteaux
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: La Société Provancher d'histoire naturelle du Canada 2017
• Subjects: Sciences Humaines et Sociales; Social Sciences and Humanities; aire de répartition; changements climatiques; conservation; plantes rares; vulnérabilité; climate change; distribution range; rare plant species; vulnerability; envir; psy; Arctic; Canada; Climate change
• Online Access: http://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/natcan/2018-v142-n1-natcan03265/1042011ar.pdf; https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/natcan/2018-v142-n1-natcan03265/1042011ar.pdf; https://doi.org/10.7202/1042011ar; https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1042011ar; https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/natcan/2018-v142-n1-natcan03265/1042011ar/; https://core.ac.uk/display/141706545; http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1042011ar; https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/2773705383

Species at risk are among the most sensitive to climate change. The present study investigated the potential impacts of climate change on the 409 vascular plant species at risk found in Québec (Canada). A vulnerability index was used to evaluate their susceptibility to climate change, and ecological niche models were used to quantify potential changes in the distribution of 131 of them. Results suggest that climatic conditions in Québec could become suitable for many of the plant species at risk, and that the province could serve as a climate refuge for those for which conditions become unsuitable in the United States of America. However, the study revealed that the ecological niche of plant species may move faster than their capacity for dispersal. Thus it may be impossible for many plants to naturally expand their distribution range within the province. In total, 57.7% of the studied species were found to be susceptible to climate change, with the most vulnerable being those with a southern peripheral distribution, and those associated with arctic-alpine habitats or with the St. Lawrence gulf and estuary. Recommendations are made to incorporate climate change mitigation strategies into the management of plant species at risk and their habitats. Les espèces en situation précaire comptent parmi les plus sensibles aux changements climatiques. Nous avons documenté les effets potentiels de ceux-ci sur les 409 plantes vasculaires en situation précaire au Québec. Nous avons quantifié les modifications potentielles des aires de répartition de 131 d’entre elles avec des modèles de niche bioclimatique et évalué la vulnérabilité des 409 plantes avec un indice de vulnérabilité aux changements climatiques. Nos résultats suggèrent que les conditions climatiques pourraient devenir favorables à plusieurs plantes en situation précaire au Québec. La province pourrait devenir un refuge climatique pour celles pour lesquelles les conditions climatiques deviendraient défavorables aux États-Unis. Toutefois, notre étude révèle que ...