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Six altitudinal transects through temperate rain forests were studied at different latitudes in the South and North Island of New Zealand with respect to species numbers of bryophytes, cover and phytomass of epiphytic bryophytes, composition of life forms and ratio liverworts : mosses. Phytodiversity of bryophytes is almost constant from the lowlands to the high montane belt but decreases in the subalpine belt. Similarly, phytomass and cover increase with elevation but decrease in the subalpine belt. The percentage of liverworts increases accordingly and can reach maxima of 80-90%. The most significant life forms are tails and wefts characteristic for hyperhygric conditions, pendents for cloud belts and cushions for subalpine belts. The altitudinal gradient is much stronger then the latitudinal gradient, that means the differences between the elevations within a transect are more important than the differences between the transects. They are attributed to the humidity. The temperate rain forests of New Zealand have similar bryological characteristics as the tropical rain forests in equatorial latitudes in 2000 – 3000 m altitude but differ in the drier subalpine belt and higher phytomass.
Aim: Recent studies in southern Africa identified past biome stability as an important predictor of biodiversity. We aimed to assess the extent to which past biome stability predicts present global biodiversity patterns, and the extent to which projected climatic changes may lead to eventual biome changes in areas with constant past biome.
Location: Global.
Taxon: Spermatophyta; terrestrial vertebrates.
Methods: Biome constancy was assessed and mapped using results from 89 dynamic global vegetation model simulations, driven by outputs of palaeoclimate experiments spanning the past 140 ka. We tested the hypothesis that terrestrial vertebrate diversity is predicted by biome constancy. We also simulated potential future vegetation, and hence potential future biome patterns, and quantified and mapped the extent of projected eventual future biome change in areas of past constant biome.
Results: Approximately 11% of global ice-free land had a constant biome since 140 ka. Apart from areas of constant Desert, many areas with constant biome support high species diversity. All terrestrial vertebrate groups show a strong positive relationship between biome constancy and vertebrate diversity in areas of greater diversity, but no relationship in less diverse areas. Climatic change projected by 2100 commits 46%–66% of global ice-free land, and 34%–52% of areas of past constant biome (excluding areas of constant Desert) to eventual biome change.
Main conclusions: Past biome stability strongly predicts vertebrate diversity in areas of higher diversity. Future climatic changes will lead to biome changes in many areas of past constant biome, with profound implications for biodiversity conservation. Some projected biome changes will result in substantial reductions in biospheric carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services.