Climatic change and altitudinal variations of life histories

Abstract

Climate change is modifying many ecological patterns and processes, from the distribution of species to their interactions and life histories. Here, we synthetize the available information on climate-driven modification of life histories, which also includes the elevational clines of these features. The slow-fast continuum of life histories (from slow development and reproduction to fast and short lives) provides the framework on which intra and interspecific variation is generated, with key variables being the age of the first reproduction, reproductive investment and lifespan. Species, and often also populations of species, tend to have faster life cycles at lower altitudes (where temperatures are warmer), shortening the maturation time, investing proportionally more time and resources in reproduction, and living shorter lives. Local adaptations are often the underlying mechanisms of these changes, and broad convergence in lifestyles can be observed among co-occurring species in mountain communities. We expect that climate change will modify, accelerating, the life histories of organisms, in keeping with the elevational shifts of climatic and environmental conditions.