New report on plant distributions in the southwestern U.S.

Another new USGS report examines the habitat of 166 plant species across the southwest and predicted future changes in habitat distribution based on three different climate scenarios. [Right, ecoregions of the study area]

One of the conclusions is that "the assessment showed that species respond independently to predicted climate change, suggesting that current plant assemblages may disassemble under predicted climate change scenarios."

Ref: Thomas, K.A., Guertin, P.P., and Gass, L., 2012, Plant distributions in the southwestern United States; a scenario assessment of the modern-day and future distribution ranges of 166 species: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1020, 83 p. and 166-page appendix, available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1020/.