Data from: Rapid niche shifts in exotic species can be a million times faster than changes among native species and ten times faster than climate change

Aims: As global temperatures rise, the survival of many species may hinge
on whether they can shift their climatic niches quickly enough to avoid
extinction. Previous analyses among species and populations suggest that
species’ niches change far slower than rates of projected climate change.
However, it is unclear how quickly niches can change over the timeframe
most relevant to global warming (decades instead of thousands or millions
of years). Here, we use data from introduced species to assess how quickly
climatic niches can change over decadal timescales. Location: Global
Methods: We analyze climatic data from 76 reptile and amphibian species
introduced into the U.S. We test for a relationship between species
climatic-niche values in their native and introduced ranges. We also
quantify niche shifts in introduced populations relative to their native
ranges and the rate of change associated with these shifts. We then
compare these rate estimates to those estimated among species and to
projected rates of future climate change. Results: Remarkably, niche
shifts in introduced species are roughly a million times faster than niche
shifts among species in their native ranges, and roughly ten times faster
than rates of projected climate change. Main conclusions: Our results
demonstrate that dramatic and rapid niche shifts are possible, although
these may be limited in species’ native ranges by biotic interactions and
other factors.