Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date (Issue Year)
2024
Journal Name
PLOS Climate
Abstract
Largegapsremainin ourunderstandingof thevulnerabilityof specificanimaltaxaandregionsto climatechange,especiallyregardingextremeclimateimpactevents.Here,weassessAfricanapes,flagshipandhighlyimportantumbrellaspeciesforsympatricbiodiver-sity.Weestimatedpast(1981–2010)andfutureexposureto climatechangeimpactsacross363sitesin AfricaforRCP2.6andRCP6.0fornearterm(2021–2050)andlongterm(2071–2099).WeusedfullyharmonizedclimatedataanddataonextremeclimateimpacteventsfromtheInter-SectoralImpactModelIntercomparisonProject(ISIMIP).Historicdatashowthat171siteshadpositivetemperatureanomaliesforat leastnineof thepasttenyearswiththestrongestanomalies(upto 0.56 ̊C)estimatedforeasternchimpanzees.Climateprojec-tionssuggestthattemperatureswillincreaseacrossallsites,whileprecipitationchangesaremoreheterogeneous.Weestimateda futureincreasein heavyprecipitationeventsfor288sites,andanincreasein thenumberof consecutivedrydaysbyupto 20daysperyear(maxi-mumincreaseestimatedforeasterngorillas).Allsiteswillbefrequentlyexposedto wildfiresandcropfailuresin thefuture,andthelattercouldimpactapesindirectlythroughincreaseddeforestation.84%of sitesareprojectedto beexposedto heatwavesand78%of itestoriverfloods.Tropicalcyclonesanddroughtswereonlyprojectedforindividualsitesin westernandcentralAfrica.Wefurthercompiledavailableevidenceonhowclimatechangeimpactscouldaffectapes,forexample,throughheatstressanddehydration,a reductionin tersourcesandfruittrees,andreducedphysiologicalperformance,bodycondition,fertility,andsurvival.Tosupportnecessaryresearchonthesensitivityandadaptabilityof Africanapestoclimatechangeimpacts,andtheplanningandimplementationof conservationmeasures,weprovidedetailedresultsforeachapesiteontheopen-accessplatformA.P.E.S.Wiki
Keywords
Exposure, African, apesites, climatechange, impacts
Rsif Scholar Name
Issaka Abdou Razakou KIRIBOU
Thematic Area
Climate Change
Africa Host University (AHU)
Haramaya University, Ethiopia
Funding Statement
Wearegratefultothefollowingorganizationswhichorga-nizedthetraining:theSenckenbergMuseumofNaturalHistoryGo ̈rlitz(Germany),theGer-anCentreforIntegrativeBiodiversityResearch(iDiv)Halle-ena-eipzig(Germany),theCentreSuissedeRecherchesScientifiques—CSRS(Coˆted’Ivoire),theDianFosseyGorillaFundinKinigi—DFGF(Rwanda),theIUCNSSCPrimateSpecialistGroup—SectiononGreatApes(PSG-SGA),Re:wild(USA)andtheAfricanPrimatologicalSociety(APS).Weparticu-larlythankProf.InzaKoneandDr.WinnieEckardtfortheirspecialinvestmentinthesuccessofthisworkshopwhichenabledthecollaborativeworkforthisresearch.WethankAmandaKorstjensandPriyamvadaBagariaforhelpfulcommentsonearlierdraftsofthismanuscript.
Recommended Citation
KIRIBOU, I. A., Tehoda, P., Chukwu, O., Bempah, G., Ku ̈hl, H. S., Ferreira, J., Sop, T., Carvalho, J., Mengel, M., Kulik, L., Mucyo, J. S., Hoek, Y., & Heinicke, S. (2024). Exposure of African ape sites to climate change impacts. PLOS Climate, 3 (2), e0000345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000345