Bioclimatic transect networks: Powerful observatories of ecological change

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 7; no. 13; pp. 4607 - 4619
• Main Authors: Caddy‐Retalic, Stefan, Andersen, Alan N., Aspinwall, Michael J., Breed, Martin F., Byrne, Margaret, Christmas, Matthew J., Dong, Ning, Evans, Bradley J., Fordham, Damien A., Guerin, Greg R., Hoffmann, Ary A., Hughes, Alice C., Leeuwen, Stephen J., McInerney, Francesca A., Prober, Suzanne M., Rossetto, Maurizio, Rymer, Paul D., Steane, Dorothy A., Wardle, Glenda M., Lowe, Andrew J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.07.2017; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Bioclimatology; Biodiversity; Biological evolution; change detection; Climate; Climate change; Climate change research; community turnover; Ecological adaptation; Ecological effects; ecological forecasting; Ecological models; Ecosystems; Environmental changes; environmental gradients; Integration; Observatories; Original Research; Phenotypic variations; Population studies; Replication; Resilience; spatial analogues; transect replication; change detection; community turnover; spatial analogues; ecological forecasting; environmental gradients; transect replication
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2995

Transects that traverse substantial climate gradients are important tools for climate change research and allow questions on the extent to which phenotypic variation associates with climate, the link between climate and species distributions, and variation in sensitivity to climate change among biomes to be addressed. However, the potential limitations of individual transect studies have recently been highlighted. Here, we argue that replicating and networking transects, along with the introduction of experimental treatments, addresses these concerns. Transect networks provide cost‐effective and robust insights into ecological and evolutionary adaptation and improve forecasting of ecosystem change. We draw on the experience and research facilitated by the Australian Transect Network to demonstrate our case, with examples, to clarify how population‐ and community‐level studies can be integrated with observations from multiple transects, manipulative experiments, genomics, and ecological modeling to gain novel insights into how species and systems respond to climate change. This integration can provide a spatiotemporal understanding of past and future climate‐induced changes, which will inform effective management actions for promoting biodiversity resilience. Transects that traverse substantial climate gradients are important tools for climate change research, but information from individual transects can be limited. We discuss the potential limitations and emerging opportunities of transect‐based research and how population‐ and community‐level studies can be integrated with observations from multiple transects, manipulative experiments, genomics, and ecological modeling to gain novel insights into how species and systems respond to climate change.