Climate change aggravates bird mortality in pristine tropical forests

Jared D. Wolfe; David A. Luther; Vitek Jirinec; Jeremy Collings; Erik I. Johnson; Robert O. Bierregaard; Philip C Stouffer

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adq8086

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Climate change aggravates bird mortality in pristine tropical forests

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Climate change aggravates bird mortality in pristine tropical forests

Jared D. Wolfe, David A. Luther, Vitek Jirinec, Jeremy Collings, Erik I. Johnson, Robert O. Bierregaard and Philip C Stouffer

Science advances, v 11(5), eadq8086

31 Jan 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq8086

PMID: 39879312

Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

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Abstract

Earth, Environmental, Ecological, and Space Sciences

SciAdv r-articles

Ecology

Environmental Studies

Stable understory microclimates within undisturbed rainforests are often considered refugia against climate change. However, this assumption contrasts with emerging evidence of Neotropical bird population declines in intact rainforests. We assessed the vulnerability of resident rainforest birds to climatic variability, focusing on dry season severity characterized by hotter temperatures and reduced rainfall. Analyzing 4264 individual bird captures over 27 years, we found that harsher Amazonian dry seasons significantly reduced apparent survival for 24 of 29 species, with longer-lived species being more strongly affected. Our model predicted that a 1°C increase in average dry season temperature would reduce the mean apparent survival of the understory bird community by 63%. These findings directly link climate change to declining bird survival in the Amazon, challenging the notion that pristine rainforests can fully protect their biodiversity under increasingly severe climate conditions. Climate change threatens Amazon rainforest birds, with harsher dry seasons significantly affecting their survival over 27 years.

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24 citations in Web of Science

Details

Title: Climate change aggravates bird mortality in pristine tropical forests
Creators: Jared D. Wolfe (Corresponding Author) - Michigan Technological University
David A. Luther - George Mason University
Vitek Jirinec - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Jeremy Collings - University of Oregon
Erik I. Johnson - National Audubon Society
Robert O. Bierregaard - Drexel University
Philip C Stouffer - Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Publication Details: Science advances, v 11(5), eadq8086
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Grant note: ; NSF 0545491, NSF 1257340 / ; NSF 2311046 / ; 94098, 94327 / ;
Resource Type: Journal article
Language: English
Academic Unit: Ornithology
Web of Science ID: WOS:001409674800019
Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85216098321
Other Identifier: 991022197412404721