Climate-niche species richness change with and without dispersal

Climate-niche species-richness change between the late-century future RCP 8.5 climate scenario (2070-2100) and the recent scenario (1981-2010). These figures represent 130 snake and lizard species. A species' climate-niche is the area with suitable climate for survival. As the climate warms, climate-niches are predicted to expand and shift northward or towards higher elevations. Whether the species shifts along with its climate-niche depends on its ability to disperse freely. Barriers to dispersal include physical limitations of the species, natural obstacles such as rivers and canyons, or human-created obstacles like cities. Areas on the map shaded in dark brown are predicted to lose reptile species richness in the future, while areas in teal are predicted to gain species.