Climate warming drives local extinction: Evidence from observation and experimentation.

Despite increasing concern about elevated extinction risk as global temperatures rise, it is difficult to confirm causal links between climate change and extinction. By coupling 25 years of in situ climate manipulation with experimental seed introductions and both historical and current plant surveys, we identify causal, mechanistic links between climate change and the local extinction of a widespread mountain plant (). Climate warming causes precipitous declines in population size by reducing fecundity and survival across multiple life stages.

Temperature response of soil respiration largely unaltered with experimental warming.

The respiratory release of carbon dioxide (CO) from soil is a major yet poorly understood flux in the global carbon cycle. Climatic warming is hypothesized to increase rates of soil respiration, potentially fueling further increases in global temperatures. However, despite considerable scientific attention in recent decades, the overall response of soil respiration to anticipated climatic warming remains unclear.