Comment on "Changes in climatic water balance drive downhill shifts in plant species' optimum elevations"

Nathan L. Stephenson; Adrian J. Das

doi:10.1126/science.1205740

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Comment on "Changes in climatic water balance drive downhill shifts in plant species' optimum elevations"

Nathan L. Stephenson·Adrian J. Das

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Abstract

Crimmins et al . (Reports, 21 January 2011, p. 324) attributed an apparent downward elevational shift of California plant species to a precipitation-induced decline in climatic water deficit. We show that the authors miscalculated deficit, that the apparent decline in species’ elevations is likely a consequence of geographic biases, and that unlike temperature changes, precipitation changes should not be expected to cause coordinated directional shifts in species’ elevations.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 32.534156° to 42.009247° latitude; -124.409591° to -114.134768° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Nathan L. Stephenson, Adrian J. Das. 2011. Comment on "Changes in climatic water balance drive downhill shifts in plant species' optimum elevations". https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1205740

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