Range Expansion In Response Research Articles

Interplay of biotic and abiotic factors shapes tree seedling growth and root-associated microbial communities

Root-associated microbes can alleviate plant abiotic stresses, thus potentially supporting adaptation to a changing climate or to novel environments during range expansion. While climate change is extending plant species fundamental niches northward, the distribution and colonization of mutualists (e.g., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) and pathogens may constrain plant growth and regeneration. Yet, the degree to which biotic and abiotic factors impact plant performance and associated microbial communities at the edge of their distribution remains unclear. Here, we use root microscopy, coupled with amplicon sequencing, to study bacterial, fungal, and mycorrhizal root-associated microbial communities from sugar maple seedlings distributed across two temperate-to-boreal elevational gradients in southern Québec, Canada. Our findings demonstrate that soil pH, soil Ca, and distance to sugar maple trees are key drivers of root-associated microbial communities, overshadowing the influence of elevation. Interestingly, changes in root fungal community composition mediate an indirect effect of soil pH on seedling growth, a pattern consistent at both sites. Overall, our findings highlight a complex role of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping tree-microbe interactions, which are in turn correlated with seedling growth. These findings have important ramifications for tree range expansion in response to shifting climatic niches.

Rapid evolution of novel biotic interactions in the UK Brown Argus butterfly uses genomic variation from across its geographical range.

Understanding the rate and extent to which populations can adapt to novel environments at their ecological margins is fundamental to predicting the persistence of biological communities during ongoing and rapid global change. Recent range expansion in response to climate change in the UK butterfly Aricia agestis is associated with the evolution of novel interactions with a larval food plant, and the loss of its ability to use an ancestral host species. Using ddRAD analysis of 61,210 variable SNPs from 261 females from throughout the UK range of this species, we identify genomic regions at multiple chromosomes that are associated with evolutionary responses, and their association with demographic history and ecological variation. Gene flow appears widespread throughout the range, despite the apparently fragmented nature of the habitats used by this species. Patterns of haplotype variation between selected and neutral genomic regions suggest that evolution associated with climate adaptation is polygenic, resulting from the independent spread of alleles throughout the established range of this species, rather than the colonization of pre-adapted genotypes from coastal populations. These data suggest that rapid responses to climate change do not depend on the availability of pre-adapted genotypes. Instead, the evolution of novel forms of biotic interaction in A. agestis has occurred during range expansion, through the assembly of novel genotypes from alleles from multiple localities.

Rapid weed adaptation and range expansion in response to agriculture over the past two centuries

North America has experienced a massive increase in cropland use since 1800, accompanied more recently by the intensification of agricultural practices. Through genome analysis of present-day and historical samples spanning environments over the past two centuries, we studied the effect of these changes in farming on the extent and tempo of evolution across the native range of the common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), a now pervasive agricultural weed. Modern agriculture has imposed strengths of selection rarely observed in the wild, with notable shifts in allele frequency trajectories since agricultural intensification in the 1960s. An evolutionary response to this extreme selection was facilitated by a concurrent human-mediated range shift. By reshaping genome-wide diversity across the landscape, agriculture has driven the success of this weed in the 21st century.

FIRST DOCUMENTED TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS NATAL SITE IN SOUTHWEST OREGON

Brazilian Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) had never been documented as breeding in southern Oregon. In 2017 and 2018, however, we report a natal colony of Brazilian Free-tailed Bats in southern Oregon, approximately 145 km west-northwest of the closest-known natal colony of this species, located in Lava Beds National Monument. The expansion of maternity sites may be the result of range expansion in response to warmer temperatures in the region owing to climate change and/or to adaptations to man-made structures for roosting.

Presence of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on Elephant Island provides further evidence of range expansion

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are a circumpolar sub-Antarctic species inhabiting most of the major sub-Antarctic island chains of the Southern Ocean, the Falkland Islands, and regions of Patagonia. Despite early suggestions to the contrary, there is no conclusive historical evidence of King penguin inhabitation of the Antarctic Peninsula or the South Shetland Islands until the past decade. After a near-complete survey of Elephant Island, we report widespread presence of this species, including documented incubation at one site and molting at another. While we found no evidence of King penguins successfully fledging a chick at any of the sites where individuals were found, their presence across numerous sites suggests the potential for future range expansion in response to warming conditions.

Susceptibility of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) to gene silencing through RNAi provides potential as a novel management tool

The mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae, is an eruptive endemic forest pest that is undergoing substantial range expansion in response to recent climatic changes, breaching geographic barriers, exploiting novel hosts, and affecting millions of hectares of conifer forests in western North America. Current management approaches have been unable to keep pace with MPB population outbreaks, and novel and aggressive management responses are required as MPB’s range expansion progresses. Gene silencing through RNA interference (RNAi) is an emerging pest management approach that is being developed for agricultural pests, and has also been shown to be effective against some xylophagous forest pests, including the southern pine beetle (SPB), D. frontalis. When essential genes are targeted, RNAi can cause rapid insect mortality; here we focus on evaluating its effectiveness in MPB. We identified reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and validated RNAi responses in MPB by analyzing gene expression and beetle survival. Using an adult bioassay that combined oral ingestion and dermal absorption of dsRNAs targeting three genes (hsp, iap, and shi), we measure gene expression and demonstrate silencing, as well as insect mortality, following dsRNA exposure. All three genes were silenced and all treatment beetles died within 7 d. This validates reference genes for expression analyses and demonstrates that MPB, similar to the congeneric SPB, has a highly sensitive RNAi response. Additionally, we document sex-specific differences in gene expression for one of the three target genes, hsp; any differences in gene expression and subsequent mortality based on sex must be considered as this technology progresses as a pest management tool. RNAi causes rapid insect mortality when essential genes are targeted, is highly specific to the target pest, and has no environmental contamination risks, making it an attractive approach for further development in forest pest suppression.

Growth and longevity in surfclams east of Nantucket: Range expansion in response to the post-2000 warming of the North Atlantic

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, is distinguished by a well-documented shift in range that accelerated in the 2000s as the northwest Atlantic warmed. Here the extension of the Atlantic surfclam into heretofore Acadian Province waters off the island of Nantucket is documented and compared to the distribution of surfclam shell as an indicator of recent colonization, to the timing of range expansion, and to the physiological implications of a range extension into deeper water. The primary demographic difference observed is the dichotomous distribution of sizes. Smaller surfclams averaged higher in abundance at the deeper offshore sites, whereat the number of large animals was distinctly fewer; thus, the size-frequency distributions at deeper sites were shifted towards the smaller sizes, a finding consistent with the expectation of recruitment into deeper water during a period of range expansion. In confirmation, deeper-water stations where surfclams were aged yielded surfclams no older than 13 yr, whereas shallow-water stations had a mature age frequency with some surfclams exceeding 20 yr. Further support for the more recent occupation of deeper-water sites comes from the distribution of surfclam shell, that was found in limited quantities at stations where recent colonization is inferred and in greater quantities in shallower water where longer-term occupation is surmised. For the shallower-water sites with a mature demographic, growth rates were comparable or higher than observed elsewhere in the stock and surfclam maximum sizes were larger than elsewhere in the geographic range. In contrast, surfclams colonizing deeper water post-2000 grew at a slower rate likely due to a lower average temperature near the deep-water range boundary. The penalty for colonization pushing the range boundary into deeper, cooler water lasted no more than 4–5 years, however, after which growth rates increased to rates typical of surfclams in shallower water. Thus, surfclams responded quickly to a period of rapid climate change in contrast to expectation from their known longevity.

Is habitat conversion likely to impede the ability of bird species to track changing climate?

As climate changes, species’ ranges may shift poleward. However, habitat loss in intervening areas has been hypothesized potentially to impede the movements of these species. Populations near range margins offer opportunities to study how marginal species have reacted to habitat loss. We examined the presence/absence of bird species in landscapes that were historically mainly forested (natural land covers) in Southern Ontario, Canada. We used logistic regression to determine each bird species’ probability of occupancy (pocc) as a function of natural cover in 991 landscapes, each 100-km2. We distinguished three groups of species: i) southerly species whose northern range limits fall in the study area (n=37), ii) northerly species whose southern range limits fall in the study area (n=35), and iii) mid-range species (n=106). We compared pocc for these three groups of species in six different habitat guilds. We found that species near their southern range edges are less likely to occur in landscapes where forest amount is reduced, while species near their northern range edge are more likely to occur in landscapes with reduced forest. This result is independent of habitat guild. Our results are inconsistent with the hypothesis in the climate change literature proposing that loss of natural land cover near poleward range margins would inhibit range expansion in response to climatic warming. Rather, we hypothesize that, at southern range edges, the dual stresses of climatic warming and forest conversion both reduce species’ ability to occupy a landscape. However, near northern (potentially expanding) range edges, partially disturbed landscapes are more readily invaded than undisturbed landscapes.

Temperature thresholds for black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) freeze damage, mortality and recovery in North America: Refining tipping points for range expansion in a warming climate

Abstract Near the tropical‐temperate transition zone, warming winter temperatures are expected to facilitate the poleward range expansion of freeze‐sensitive tropical organisms. In coastal wetlands of eastern and central North America, freeze‐sensitive woody plants (mangroves) are expected to expand northward into regions currently dominated by freeze‐tolerant herbaceous salt marsh plants. To advance understanding of mangrove range expansion, there is a need to refine temperature thresholds for mangrove freeze damage, mortality and recovery. We integrated data from 38 sites spread across the mangrove range edge in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of North America, including data from a regional collaborative network – the Mangrove Migration Network. In 2018, an extreme freeze event affected 60% of these sites, with minimum temperatures ranging from 0 to −7°C. We used temperature and vegetation data from before and after the freeze to quantify temperature thresholds for leaf damage, mortality and biomass recovery of the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) – the most freeze‐tolerant mangrove species in North America. For A. germinans individuals near their northern range limit, our results indicate that temperature thresholds for leaf damage are close to −4°C, but temperature thresholds for mortality are closer to −7°C. Thresholds are expected to be warmer for more southern A. germinans individuals and for the other two common mangrove species in the region (Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle). Regenerative buds allowed A. germinans to resprout and recover quickly from above‐ground freeze damage. Hence, biomass recovery levels during the first post‐freeze growing season were 90%, 78%, 62% and 45% for temperatures of −4, −5, −6 and −7°C, respectively. Due to a combination of vigorous resprouting and new recruitment from propagules, we expect full recovery at most sites within 1–3 years, assuming no further freeze events. Synthesis. To improve predictions of tropical range expansion in response to climate change, there is a need to better understand tropical species’ responses to winter temperature extremes. Collectively, our results refine temperature thresholds for A. germinans freeze damage, mortality and recovery, which can improve predictions of mangrove range expansion and coastal wetland ecological transformations in a warming climate.

Microclimate Influences Mangrove Freeze Damage: Implications for Range Expansion in Response to Changing Macroclimate

In response to warming winter air temperatures, freeze-sensitive mangrove forests are expected to expand at the expense of freeze-tolerant salt marshes. To better anticipate and prepare for mangrove range expansion, there is a need to advance understanding of the modulating role of microclimate. Here, we synthesized hypotheses regarding the effects of microclimatic variation on temperature gradients and mangrove freeze damage. Temperature data from the literature and from temperature loggers were used to quantify ecologically relevant temperature gradients. Then, literature-derived mangrove freeze damage data were used to quantify the ecological effects of these temperature gradients. Six microclimatic factors are described that produce air temperature gradients that modulate mangrove responses to winter temperature extremes: (1) distance from the ocean; (2) distance from wind buffers; (3) mangrove canopy cover; (4) height above the soil surface; (5) local slope concavity; and (6) tidal inundation. Variation in these factors produces local temperature differences that range from 2 to 14 °C, with concomitant effects on horizontal and vertical patterns of biological damage from freezing. Collectively, our results elucidate the influence of microclimate on spatial patterns of biological damage and mortality due to winter temperature extremes. As mangrove ranges expand in response to climate change, we anticipate that microclimatic variation will produce adverse environments where mangrove expansion is prohibited as well as expansion hot spots where mangroves are protected. Subsequent expansion into newly available habitat will occur from protection zones, and microclimatic gradients may even produce positive feedback cycles that ultimately accelerate the rate of range expansion in response to warming.

A Comprehensive Model for the Quantitative Estimation of Seed Dispersal by Migratory Mallards

Long-distance seed dispersal is an important ecosystem service provided by migratory animals. Plants inhabiting discrete habitats, like lakes and wetlands, experience dispersal limitation and rely heavily on zoochory for their spatial population dynamics. Granivorous waterbirds may disperse viable seeds of wetland plants over long distances during migration. The limited knowledge of waterbird migration long hampered the evaluation of the importance of waterbirds in seed dispersal, requiring key metrics such as realistic dispersal distances. Using recent GPS tracks of mallards on spring migration, we built a mechanistic seed dispersal model to estimate realistic dispersal distances. Mallards are abundant, partially migratory ducks known to consume seeds of >300 European plant species. Based on the tracking data, we informed a mallard migration simulator to obtain a probabilistic spring migration model for the mallard population wintering at Lake Constance in Southern Germany. We combined the spring migration model with seed retention curves to develop seed dispersal kernels. We also assessed the effect of pre-migratory fasting and the availability of suitable deposition habitat for aquatic and wetland plants. Our results show that mallards at Lake Constance can disperse seeds in northeastern direction over median distances of 293 and 413 km for seeds with short and long retention times, respectively, assuming departure immediately after foraging. Pre-migratory fasting strongly affected the dispersal potential, with only 1-7% of ingested seeds left for dispersal after fasting for 12 h. Availability of suitable deposition habitat was generally <5% along the migratory flyway. High probability of seed deposition in freshwater habitat during the first stopover, after the mallards completed the first migratory flight, makes successful dispersal most likely to happen at 204-322 km from Lake Constance. We conclude that the directed long-distance dispersal of plant seed realized by mallards on spring migration may contribute significantly to large scale spatial plant population dynamics, including range expansion in response to shifting temperature and rainfall patterns under global warming. Our dispersal model is the first to incorporate detailed behavior of migratory waterbirds and can be readily adjusted to include other vector species when tracking data are available.

Microspatial ecotone dynamics at a shifting range limit: plant–soil variation across salt marsh–mangrove interfaces

Ecotone dynamics and shifting range limits can be used to advance our understanding of the ecological implications of future range expansions in response to climate change. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, the salt marsh-mangrove ecotone is an area where range limits and ecotone dynamics can be studied in tandem as recent decreases in winter temperature extremes have allowed for mangrove expansion at the expense of salt marsh. In this study, we assessed aboveground and belowground plant-soil dynamics across the salt marsh-mangrove ecotone quantifying micro-spatial patterns in horizontal extent. Specifically, we studied vegetation and rooting dynamics of large and small trees, the impact of salt marshes (e.g. species and structure) on mangroves, and the influence of vegetation on soil properties along transects from underneath the mangrove canopy into the surrounding salt marsh. Vegetation and rooting dynamics differed in horizontal reach, and there was a positive relationship between mangrove tree height and rooting extent. We found that the horizontal expansion of mangrove roots into salt marsh extended up to eight meters beyond the aboveground boundary. Variation in vegetation structure and local hydrology appear to control mangrove seedling dynamics. Finally, soil carbon density and organic matter did not differ within locations across the salt marsh-mangrove interface. By studying aboveground and belowground variation across the ecotone, we can better predict the ecological effects of continued range expansion in response to climate change.

Dynamism in the upstream invasion edge of a freshwater fish exposes range boundary constraints.

Studying the dynamics of species' borders can provide insight into the mechanisms limiting or promoting range expansion in response to environmental change. In the John Day River, Oregon (USA), rising stream temperatures are facilitating the upstream expansion of invasive smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu. Here, where smallmouth bass occupy the upstream limit of its thermal tolerance, we explore population structure and seasonal movement patterns to elucidate the environmental conditions and individual traits that define front edge (where individuals reside year-round) and leading edge (where individuals colonize, but may not establish) limits to its upstream distribution. Reporting on a multi-year, spatially extensive riverscape survey, our results show dramatic ebbs and flows of seasonal occupancies due to individual movement with an overall trend of upstream expansion. We revealed distinct front and leading edge invasion extents, each constrained by different ecological conditions. The front edge is largely constrained by the ability for juveniles to survive an overwinter starvation period, whereas the leading edge is associated with adult growth potential and seasonal hydrological conditions. We also found key morphological traits associated with more mobile individuals. By providing mechanistic insight into the factors that promote or limit range expansion of an invasive riverine species, our study enhances the ability to predict future range shifts and provides critical information to managers tasked with restricting further expansion.

How connectivity shapes genetic structure during range expansion: Insights from the Virginia's Warbler

ABSTRACT Species range expansions facilitated by global climate change have been documented across many taxa. The ecological and evolutionary costs of range expansion in response to climate change are beginning to be teased apart, and have the potential to be strikingly different among taxa experiencing different types of range expansion across highly variable landscapes. We investigated how population expansion and connectivity have affected genetic diversity in the Virginia's Warbler (Oreothlypis virginiae), a recent colonist of the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. To investigate population connectivity, we sampled Virginia's Warbler across their breeding range. Genetic data from the mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene and 7 polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to characterize structure within and among populations and to investigate genetic variability associated with connectivity. The analyses suggested little genetic differentiation, minimal population structure, and similar mtDNA hap...

Molecular phylogeography of four endemicSagittariaspecies (Alismataceae) in the Sino-Japanese Floristic Region of East Asia

To reveal the role of climate oscillations of the Quaternary in forming the contemporary plant diversity in the temperate Sino-Japanese Floristic Region of mainland China, we assess the phylogeographical patterns of four Sagittaria species in the region using sequence data from plastid DNA non-coding regions (psbA-trnH, the rpl16 intron and trnC-ycf6) and the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrITS). Based on both datasets, the divergence time among the four studied species was estimated to fall in the Late Tertiary (plastid DNA: 7.1–13.7 Mya; ITS: 11.1–16.1 Mya). The ancestral distribution analyses revealed that regions with a great diversity in topography, climate and ecological conditions, e.g. the Hengduan Mountains, Central China and East China, were the areas where the endemics originated. Mismatch distribution analyses revealed that each species had experienced a range expansion in response to Quaternary climatic oscillations. Our findings contradict the hypothesis of Quaternary origins of the endemic Sagittaria spp.; we support the view that modern species in the Northern Hemisphere originated mostly during the Tertiary. Range expansion may have profoundly modified the current distribution ranges of Sagittaria species in the Sino-Japanese Floristic Region. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 00, 000–000.

Evolution on the move: specialization on widespread resources associated with rapid range expansion in response to climate change

Generalist species and phenotypes are expected to perform best under rapid environmental change. In contrast to this view that generalists will inherit the Earth, we find that increased use of a single host plant is associated with the recent climate-driven range expansion of the UK brown argus butterfly. Field assays of female host plant preference across the UK reveal a diversity of adaptations to host plants in long-established parts of the range, whereas butterflies in recently colonized areas are more specialized, consistently preferring to lay eggs on one host plant species that is geographically widespread throughout the region of expansion, despite being locally rare. By common-garden rearing of females' offspring, we also show an increase in dispersal propensity associated with the colonization of new sites. Range expansion is therefore associated with an increase in the spatial scale of adaptation as dispersive specialists selectively spread into new regions. Major restructuring of patterns of local adaptation is likely to occur across many taxa with climate change, as lineages suited to regional colonization rather than local success emerge and expand.

Nuclear and chloroplast DNA phylogeography of Ficus hirta: obligate pollination mutualism and constraints on range expansion in response to climate change

This study uses a phylogeographic approach to investigate how interspecific interactions in an obligate pollination mutualism enhance or constrain dispersal and the range distributions of species through time. Fifteen populations of Ficus hirta, a bird-dispersed fig pollinated by a species-specific fig wasp, were sampled from Thailand to the northern limits of the tropical forest in China. These populations were assayed for six nuclear microsatellite loci and two intergenic chloroplast DNA sequences. Analyses of range expansion and genetic clustering indicated a relatively slow rate of range expansion from two or more southern glacial refugia. Low nuclear differentiation, combined with high interpopulation differentiation, and phylogeographic structuring of chloroplast variation indicated that seed dispersal has had a greater constraint than obligate interactions with fig wasps on the rate of post-glacial range expansion. This study is the first to investigate the phylogeographic history of a widely distributed southeast Asian tropical plant whose distribution extends to the northern limits of tropical forest habitat in China. It is also the first study of Ficus utilizing molecular data to evaluate whether species-specific pollination is a limitation or an aid to range expansion in response to climate change.

Failure to migrate: lack of tree range expansion in response to climate change

AbstractTree species are expected to track warming climate by shifting their ranges to higher latitudes or elevations, but current evidence of latitudinal range shifts for suites of species is largely indirect. In response to global warming, offspring of trees are predicted to have ranges extend beyond adults at leading edges and the opposite relationship at trailing edges. Large‐scale forest inventory data provide an opportunity to compare present latitudes of seedlings and adult trees at their range limits. Using theUSDAForest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis data, we directly compared seedling and tree 5th and 95th percentile latitudes for 92 species in 30 longitudinal bands for 43 334 plots across the eastern United States. We further compared these latitudes with 20th century temperature and precipitation change and functional traits, including seed size and seed spread rate. Results suggest that 58.7% of the tree species examined show the pattern expected for a population undergoing range contraction, rather than expansion, at both northern and southern boundaries. Fewer species show a pattern consistent with a northward shift (20.7%) and fewer still with a southward shift (16.3%). Only 4.3% are consistent with expansion at both range limits. When compared with the 20th century climate changes that have occurred at the range boundaries themselves, there is no consistent evidence that population spread is greatest in areas where climate has changed most; nor are patterns related to seed size or dispersal characteristics. The fact that the majority of seedling extreme latitudes are less than those for adult trees may emphasize the lack of evidence for climate‐mediated migration, and should increase concerns for the risks posed by climate change.

Out of Africa: north-westwards Pleistocene expansions of the heather Erica arborea

Aim The heather Erica arborea L. is a dominant element of the circum-Mediterranean region. Its broad, disjunct distribution, ranging from Macaronesia to eastern Africa, is consistent with the fragmentation of the evergreen tropical and subtropical forests that dominated Europe and North Africa in the Tertiary. This study aims to investigate phylogeographical patterns in E. arborea and to determine whether the current disjunct distribution of the species is a relict of a once wider distribution, or a recent range expansion in response to the establishment of suitable conditions. Location Mediterranean, Macaronesia, North and eastern Africa. Methods A total of 105 samples were collected across the species’ distribution range and sequenced at four cpDNA loci (atpB–rbcL, matK, trnH–psbA and rpl16). Phylogenetic reconstructions, molecular dating techniques and Bayesian ancestral area reconstructions were used in combination with population genetic statistics (haplotype diversity, NST, FST, Fu’s FS) to describe the pattern of present genetic diversity in E. arborea and infer its biogeographical history. Results Haplotype diversity in Macaronesia and the east and central Mediterranean is much lower than that observed in eastern Africa/Arabia and the western Mediterranean. Bayesian ancestral area reconstructions and molecular dating suggest that E. arborea colonized the Mediterranean westwards from eastern Africa/Arabia at least twice during a time period ranging between the upper Miocene and the upper Pleistocene. Main conclusions The phylogeography of E. arborea involves a complex history of range expansions and contractions, which has resulted in a pattern of distribution that mimics that expected for a Tertiary vicariance event. Despite the presence of a late Tertiary refugium in the Iberian Peninsula, the current distribution of the species throughout the Mediterranean is explained by a Pleistocene expansion originating from eastern Africa. One explanation for the isolation of the Iberian refugium is the rapidity of the most recently identified colonization wave, as inferred by the absence of global phylogeographical signal in the data and significantly negative values of Fu’s FS statistic for European populations. Macaronesia was colonized during each of these two expansion waves, confirming that the laurisilva (laurel forest flora) is a complex entity including both ancient relicts and recent colonizers.

Sabal minor (Arecaceae): a New Northern Record of Palms in Eastern North America

Abstract We report a new Sabal minor county record for North Carolina that represents the furthest known northern population of the largely tropical family Arecaceae in eastern North America. We give a brief introduction to Sabal and explain why this S. minor population may represent a northward range expansion in response to climate warming in northeast North Carolina. Finally, we discuss the usefulness of both historical herbarium specimens and modern day botanical collections to research on climate change and plant population responses.