Data from: The interaction of exposure and warming tolerance determines fish species vulnerability to warming stream temperatures

Species vulnerability to climate change involves an interaction between the magnitude of change (exposure) and a species’ tolerance to change. We evaluated fish species vulnerability to predicted stream temperature increases by examining warming tolerances across the Wyoming fish assemblage. Warming tolerance combines stream temperature with a thermal tolerance metric to estimate how much warming beyond current conditions a species can withstand. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and burbot had the lowest warming tolerances and highest proportion of currently occupied sites that will become unsuitable under predicted temperature increases. These most vulnerable species were coldwater species, but had neither the lowest thermal tolerances, nor would they experience the greatest temperature increases. Our results highlight the importance of considering the interaction of exposure and warming tolerance when predicting climate change vulnerability and demonstrate an approach that can be applied broadly.

物种对气候变化的脆弱性，取决于变化幅度与物种自身的变化耐受度之间的相互作用，其中变化幅度又称暴露程度（exposure）。本研究通过分析怀俄明州鱼类群落的热耐受升温幅度（warming tolerance），评估了鱼类物种对预测中溪流温度上升的脆弱性。热耐受升温幅度将溪流温度与热耐受指标相结合，用以估算某一物种可承受的、超出当前水平的温度上升幅度。褐鳟、虹鳟与江鳕的热耐受升温幅度最低，且在其当前栖息的位点中，将因预测的温度上升而不再适宜生存的位点占比最高。此类脆弱性最高的物种均为冷水性鱼类，但它们既未具备最低的热耐受能力，也不会遭遇最大幅度的温度升高。本研究结果凸显了在预测气候变化脆弱性时，兼顾暴露程度与热耐受升温幅度之间相互作用的重要性，并展示了一种可广泛推广的研究方法。