Global dataset for realized thermal and aridity niche limits for terrestrial vertebrates

Abstract

Climate changes are altering temperature and aridity regimes, posing serious challenges for many species globally. Particularly, environmental changes that create conditions that push species beyond there realized thermal and aridity niche limits are especially likely to contribute to extinction risk. Yet, responses to climate change vary interspecifically for geographical range shifts, the timing of biological activities, trends in body size, and population growth differences. Estimates of thermal and aridity niche limits help predict and understand such variation. For such studies that address how species respond to climate change over broad geographical areas, we created a dataset of realized niche limits for 33,941 species of terrestrial vertebrates for (amphibians, birds, mammals, reptiles). Specifically, these datasets include monthly lower and upper realized thermal and aridity niche limits, along with yearly average estimates of niche limits. These datasets will be curated to expand taxonomic coverage of realized niche limits and facilitate evaluation of impacts of climate change on biodiversity.