“Fingerprints” of Climate Change: Adapted Behaviour and Shifting Species Ranges

In recent years an increasing number of studies have been published reporting observations of adapted behaviour and shifting species ranges of plant and animal species due to recent climate warming. Are these `fingerprints’ of climate change? An international conference was organised to bring together scientists from different continents with different expertise but sharing the same issue of climate change impact studies. Ecologists, zoologists, and botanists exchanged and discussed the findings from their individual field of research. The present book is an international collection of biological signs of recent climate warming, neither based only on computer models nor on prediction for the future, but mainly on actually occurring changes in the biosphere such as adapted behaviour or shifts in the ranges of species. `Fingerprints’ of Climate Change presents ecological evidence that organisms are responding to recent global warming. The observed changes may foreshadow the types of impacts likely to become more frequent and widespread with continued warming. Adapted behaviour and shifting ranges of species – a result of recent climate warming? G.-R. Walther. Terrestrial ecosystem responses to climate changes in the Antarctic; P. Convey. Climate change and ice breeding pinnipeds; B.P. Kelly. Detection of range shifts: General methodological issues and case studies using butterflies; C. Parmesan. Climate and recent range changes in butterflies; J.K. Hill, et al. Expansion of Mediterranean Odonata in Germany and Europe – consequences of climatic changes; J. Ott. Phytophenological trends in different seasons, regions and altitudes in Switzerland; C. Defila, B. Clot. Plant phenological changes; A. Menzel, N. Estrella. High summits of the Alps in a changing climate; H. Pauli, et al. Evergreen broad-leaved species as indicators for climate change; G.-R. Walther, et al. The expansion of thermophilic plants in the Iberian Peninsula as a sign of climatic change; E.S. Vesperinas, et al. Climate change and coastal flora; D. Metzing, A. Gerlach. Sizing the Impact: Coral reef ecosystems as early casualties of climate change; O. Hoegh-Guldberg. Fingerprints of climate changes on the photosynthetic apparatus’ behaviour, monitored by the JIP-test; M. Tsimilli-Michael, R. Strasser. Did recent climatic shifts affect productivity of grass-dominated vegetation in southern Switzerland? A. Stampfli. Responses of some Austrian glacier foreland plants to experimentally changed microclimatic conditions; B. Erschbamer. Reliability and effectiveness of Ellenberg’s indices in checking flora and vegetation changes induced by climatic variations; S. Pignatti, et al. Fingerprints of climate change – concluding remarks; Ch. Krner, G.-R. Walther. Index.