Data from: Climate change impacts on bumblebees converge across continents

For many species, geographical ranges are expanding toward the poles in response to climate change, while remaining stable along range edges nearest the equator. Using long-term observations across Europe and North America over 110 years, we tested for climate change–related range shifts in bumblebee species across the full extents of their latitudinal and thermal limits and movements along elevation gradients. We found cross-continentally consistent trends in failures to track warming through time at species’ northern range limits, range losses from southern range limits, and shifts to higher elevations among southern species. These effects are independent of changing land uses or pesticide applications and underscore the need to test for climate impacts at both leading and trailing latitudinal and thermal limits for species.

受气候变化影响，多数物种的地理分布范围正向极地扩张，而在靠近赤道的分布边界处则保持稳定。本研究基于覆盖欧洲与北美、时长超110年的长期观测数据，针对熊蜂（bumblebee）物种，在其纬度与温度耐受极限的全范围内，以及沿海拔梯度的分布移动情况，检验了气候变化驱动的分布范围变化。研究发现，跨两大洲呈现出一致的趋势：物种在其分布北界未能随时间推移追踪气候变暖、分布南界出现范围缩减，以及南部种群向更高海拔迁移。这些影响不受土地利用变化或农药施用的干扰，同时凸显了针对物种的纬度与温度耐受极限的两端（即分布前沿与后沿边界）开展气候影响评估的必要性。