Find research datasets worth reusing

Data from: Climate change increases predation risk for a keystone species of the boreal forest

Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) form a keystone predator-prey cycle that has large impacts on the North-American boreal forest vertebrate community. Snowshoe hares and lynx are both well-suited for snowy winters, but climate change associated shifts in snow conditions could lower hare survival and alter cyclic dynamics. Using detailed monitoring of snowshoe hare cause-specific mortality, behaviour, and prevailing weather, we demonstrate that hare mortality risk is strongly influenced by variation in snow conditions. Although predation risk from lynx was largely unaffected by snow conditions, coyote (Canis latrans) predation increased in shallow snow. Maximum snow depth in our study area has decreased 33% over the last two decades and predictions based on prolonged shallow snow indicate future hare survival could resemble that seen during population declines. Our results indicate that climate change could disrupt cyclic dynamics in the boreal forest.

Supporting data for changing climate reallocates the carbon debt of frequent-fire forests

Ongoing climate change will likely alter the carbon carrying capacity of forests as they adjust to climatic extremes and changing disturbance regimes. Increasing drought frequency and severity are already causing widespread tree mortality events, which can exacerbate the carbon debt that has developed as a result of fire-exclusion. Reducing tree density and surface fuels decreases the risk of high-severity wildfire and may also limit drought-induced mortality by reducing competition. We utilized a long-term thinning and burning experiment in a mixed-conifer forest to investigate the effects of the 2012-2015 California drought on forest carbon dynamics, including the carbon emissions from a second-entry prescribed fire that followed the drought. We assessed differences in carbon stability and drought survival across treatments, with the expectation that both carbon stability and survival probability would increase with increasing treatment intensity (decreasing basal area). Additionally, we analyzed the effects of drought- mortality on second-entry burn emissions and compared emissions for the first and second-entry burns. We did not find a linear relationship between treatment intensity and carbon stability, which was in part driven by varying relationships between growing space and survival across treatments. Drought mortality also increased dead tree and surface fuel carbon in all treatments, which contributed to an increase in second-entry burn emissions for two of the three burn treatments. Our findings suggest that restoration treatments will not serve as a panacea for ongoing climate change and that the carbon debt of these forests will increase as the carbon carrying capacity adjusts to severe drought events. Managing this additional carbon debt with prescribed fire will help reduce the risk of additional mortality from wildfire, but at an increasing carbon cost for forest management.

Data from: Phylogenomic approaches reveal how climate shapes patterns of genetic diversity in an African rain forest tree species

The world's second largest expanse of tropical rain forest is in Central Africa and it harbours enormous species diversity. Population genetic studies have consistently revealed significant structure across central African rain forest plants, in particular a North-South genetic discontinuity around the equatorial line, in a continuous expanse of rain forest but where a climatic inversion is documented. Here, we took a phylogeographic approach by sequencing 351 nuclear markers in 112 individuals across the distribution of the African rain forest tree species Annickia affinis (Annonaceae). We showed for the first time that the North-South divide is the result of a single, major colonisation event across the climatic inversion from an ancestral population located in Gabon. We suggested that differences in ecological niche of populations located on either side of this inversion may have contributed to this phylogenetic discontinuity. We found evidence for inland dispersal, predominantly in northern areas, and variable demographic histories among genetic clusters, indicating that populations responded differently to past climate change. We show how newly-developed genomic tools can provide invaluable insights into our understanding of tropical rain forest evolutionary dynamics.

Genetic data improves niche model discrimination and alters the direction and magnitude of climate change forecasts

Ecological niche models (ENMs) have classically operated under the simplifying assumptions that there are no barriers to gene flow, species are genetically homogeneous (i.e., no population-specific local adaptation), and all individuals share the same niche. Yet, these assumptions are violated for most broadly distributed species. Here we incorporate genetic data from the widespread riparian tree species narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) to examine whether including intraspecific genetic variation can alter model performance and predictions of climate change impacts. We found that (1) P. angustifolia is differentiated into six genetic groups across its range from México to Canada, and (2) different populations occupy distinct climate niches representing unique ecotypes. Comparing model discriminatory power, (3) all genetically-informed ecological niche models (gENMs) outperformed the standard species-level ENM (3-14% increase in AUC; 1-23% increase in pROC). Furthermore, (4) gENMs predicted large differences among ecotypes in both the direction and magnitude of responses to climate change, and (5) revealed evidence of niche divergence, particularly for the Eastern Rocky Mountain ecotype. (6) Models also predicted progressively increasing fragmentation and decreasing overlap between ecotypes. Contact zones are often hotspots of diversity that are critical for supporting species' capacity to respond to present and future climate change, thus predicted reductions in connectivity among ecotypes is of conservation concern. We further examined the generality of our findings by comparing our model developed for a higher elevation Rocky Mountain species with a related desert riparian cottonwood, P. fremontii. Together our results suggest that incorporating intraspecific genetic information can improve model performance by addressing this important source of variance. gENMs bring an evolutionary perspective to niche modeling and provide a truly "adaptive management" approach to support conservation genetic management of species facing global change.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2020View details →

Data from: Monitoring and predictive mapping of floristic biodiversity along a climatic gradient in ENSO's terrestrial core region, NW Peru

This is the data from the publication "Monitoring and predictive mapping of floristic biodiversity along a climatic gradient in ENSO's terrestrial core region, NW Peru" (<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecog.05091/abstract">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecog.05091/abstract</a>). The code (including figures, appendices and the manuscript) can be found directly in the <a href="https://github.com/jannes-m/2020-enso-tdf">GitHub repository</a>. Data sources and description Column descriptions for all tables can be found in variable_description.ods. Following tables are stored in tables.gpkg: <ol> <li>plot_species_matrix_2011: Plot species matrix recorded in 2011</li> <li>plot_species_matrix_2012: Plot species matrix recorded in 2012.</li> <li>plot_species_matrix_2016: Plot species matrix recorded in 2016.</li> <li>plot_species_matrix_2017: Plot species matrix recorded in 2017.</li> <li>lifeform: Lifeforms of the recorded species</li> <li>plot_variables: Variables specific to the plots such as height of the first tree layer, cover of dead wood, etc.</li> <li>soil: Edaphic variables.</li> <li>topography: Topographic variables.</li> <li>streets: Streets and dirt tracks in the study area.</li> <li>towns: Polygons displaying the outline of the cities Paita, Piura and Chulucanas.</li> <li>rivers: Lines displaying the major rivers in the study area.</li> <li>study_area: Outline of the study area.</li> <li>peru: Outline of Peru.</li> <li>neighbors: Outline of Peru's neighbors (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador).</li> <li>coast: Coastal strip of and close to the study area.</li> <li>precipitation: Precipitation measured at the three climatic stations (Paita, Piura, Chulucanas).</li> <li>experiment_count: species counted per visit (irrigation-fertilization experiment).</li> <li>experiment_irrigation: Rain input by time during the irrigation-fertilization experiment.</li> <li>experiment_cover: Cover of each plant species per visit and per experimental plot (irrigation-fertilization experiment).</li> </ol>

Data from: Variable effects of a changing climate on lay dates and productivity across the range of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Many temperate bird species are breeding earlier in response to warming temperatures. We examined the effects of climate on breeding phenology and productivity in 19 populations across the range of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis), an endangered species endemic to pine (Pinus spp.) forests in the southeastern United States. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers nested earlier in warmer springs and delayed nesting in wetter springs. Earlier nesting and larger group sizes resulted in higher productivity. Spring temperatures have warmed over time across the range, but this has not led to range-wide advances in nesting date over time. Coastal and northern populations have exhibited a trend of earlier nesting over time, but the response of inland populations has been variable, including some populations in which nesting has become later over time. Geographic patterns included high and increasing productivity at higher latitudes, and declining productivity in the southwestern portion of the range, suggesting a possible shift in acceptable climate conditions for the species. Earlier nesting over time was associated with increasing productivity at higher latitudes, while elsewhere earlier nesting over time was associated with declining or stable productivity, suggesting that populations differ in their ability to adjust to a changing climate. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist heavily reliant on habitat management and has little capacity to shift its range, so its long-term viability will depend on its ability to adjust in place to changing local conditions.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2020View details →

How a Homo goes extinct. Climatic change and the demise of our ancestors - Supplemental Data Tables

Supplemental Data Tables (Table S1-S4) for results related to manuscript "How a Homo goes extinct. Climatic change and the demise of our ancestors"

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2020View details →

Climate model data from "Changes in local and global climate feedbacks in the absence of interactive clouds: Southern Ocean-climate interactions in two intermediate-complexity models"

This Dataset contains the model output described in the study "Changes in local and global climate feedbacks in the absence of interactive clouds: Southern Ocean-climate interactions in two intermediate-complexity models" by Pfister and Stocker 2020, published in Journal of Climate. The two zip files contain the model output of the two models Bern3D-LPX and LOVECLIM, in folder structures explained below. Bern3D-LPX: The 3 folders contain model simulations tuned to different ECS values (2, 3 and 6 Kelvin). Each folder contains three subfolders corresponding to three simulations: Control, 2xCO2 and 4xCO2. For each simulation, two netcdf model output files are given: a timeseries file for quick overview of various spatially averaged variables (e.g., global mean temperature), and a full output file for local analyses as done in the study. For the main simulations with an ECS of 3 Kelvin, annual mean output is provided for the first 500 years of each simulation. Thereafter, the full output is available only for selected years, which can be read out from the netcdf time dimension or, e.g., the netcdf variable "baseyear". Simulations with an ECS of 2 and 6 Kelvin are only used for Figure 8 and its discussion, therefore their full output file was written with less yearly outputs than the main simulation with ECS=3 Kelvin to reduce data load. LOVECLIM: The 2 folders contain the 2xCO2 and 4xCO2 simulations. No separate Control simulations were made, but the first 1000 years of each simulation are unperturbed and used as a control reference (details in Pfister and Stocker 2020, J.Clim.). The two netcdf files for each simulation correspond to atmospheric variables (atmmmyl_cat.nc) and ocean variables (CLIO3m_cat_CO2_2_regridded.nc). Note that the spatial resolution of the atmosphere and ocean component of LOVECLIM are different. Monthly output is provided for the given variables of the full 2000-year-simulations.   For a detailed description how these model outputs were analyzed, please refer to Pfister and Stocker 2020, J. Clim.

Data from: Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival-breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change

Climate change is profoundly affecting the phenology of many species. In migratory birds, there is evidence for advances in their arrival time at the breeding ground and their timing of breeding, yet empirical studies examining the interdependence between arrival and breeding time are lacking. Hence, evidence is scarce regarding how breeding time may be adjusted via the arrival-breeding interval to help local populations adapt to local conditions or climate change. We used long-term data from an intensively monitored population of the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) to examine the factors related to the length of 734 separate arrival-to-breeding events from 549 individual females. From 1993 to 2017 the mean arrival and egg-laying dates advanced by approximately the same amount (~5-6 days), with considerable between-individual variation in the arrival-breeding interval. The arrival-breeding interval was shorter for: (1) individuals that arrived later in the season compared to early arriving birds, (2) for experienced females compared to first-year breeders, (3) as spring progressed, and (4) in later years compared to earlier ones. The influence of these factors was much larger for birds arriving earlier in the season compared to later arriving birds, with most effects on variation in the arrival-breeding interval being absent in late arriving birds. Thus, in this population it appears that the timing of breeding is not constrained by arrival for early- to mid-arriving birds, but instead is dependent on local conditions after arrival. For late arriving birds, however, the timing of breeding appears to be influenced by arrival constraints. Hence, impacts of climate change on arrival dates and local conditions are expected to vary for different parts of the population, with potential negative impacts associated with these factors likely to differ for early- versus late-arriving birds.

Data from: The effects of climate warming on the migratory status of early summer populations of Mythimna separata(Walker) moths: a case-study of enhanced corn damage in central-northern China, 1980 - 2016

Mythimna separata (Walker) moths captured in light-traps were monitored in Luohe, central-northern China, from 1980 to 2016. Annual average temperature recorded an increase of 0.298 oC/10 years in this region in the period. Our results indicate that a rising Apr and May avarage temprature and earlier occurrences of days recording the highest day temperature (30℃) caused an advanced peak and increasing proportion of high ovarian development levels of first generation females in earlier summers. Results using Johnson's formulation of 'oogenesis-flight syndrome' indicate that increasing sexual maturity proportion has resulted in more emigrant individuals in the local first generaton moth becoming residents, and then increased individuls repidly in the local second generation moth since 2006. Consequences of this action have a boom in corn damage since 2007 in this region. Advanced peak dates of the first and second generation moth revealed the same response to increasing average monthly temperatures in the monitoring period. Increasing temperatures, the avarage May temperature exceeds or equal to 22℃, during the early 2000's may represent a physiological threshold for M. separata development. Our results suggest that climate warming may impact M. separata migratory status and cause a problem of crop production in this region.

Data from: Influence of climate change and post-delisting management on long-term population viability of the conservation-reliant Kirtland's warbler

Rapid global climate change is resulting in novel abiotic and biotic conditions and interactions. Identifying management strategies that maximize probability of long-term persistence requires an understanding of the vulnerability of species to environmental changes. We sought to quantify the vulnerability of Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii), a rare Neotropical migratory songbird that breeds almost exclusively in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and winters in the Bahamian Archipelago, to projected environmental changes on the breeding and wintering grounds. We developed a population-level simulation model that incorporates the influence of annual environmental conditions on the breeding and wintering grounds, and parameterized the model using empirical relationships. We simulated independent and additive effects of reduced breeding grounds habitat quantity and quality, and wintering grounds habitat quality, on population viability. Our results indicated the Kirtland's Warbler population is stable under current environmental and management conditions. Reduced breeding grounds habitat quantity resulted in reductions of the stable population size, but did not cause extinction under the scenarios we examined. In contrast, projected large reductions in wintering grounds precipitation caused the population to decline, with risk of extinction magnified when breeding habitat quantity or quality also decreased. Our study indicates that probability of long-term persistence for Kirtland's Warbler will depend on climate change impacts to wintering grounds habitat quality, and contributes to the growing literature documenting the importance of considering the full annual cycle for understanding population dynamics of migratory species.

Data from: Community assembly and climate mismatch in Late-Quaternary eastern North American pollen assemblages

Plant community response to climate change ranges from synchronous tracking to strong mismatch. Explaining this variation in climate change response is critical for accurate global change modeling. Here we quantify how closely assemblages track changes in climate (match/mismatch) and how broadly climate niches are spread within assemblages (narrow/broad ecological tolerance, or 'filtering') using data for the last 21 ka for 531 eastern North American fossil pollen assemblages. Although climate matching has been strong over the last 21 millennia, mismatch increased in 30% of assemblages during the rapid climate shifts between 14.5 to 10 ka BP. Assemblage matching rebounded towards the present day in 10-20% of assemblages. Climate-assemblage mismatch was greater in tree-dominated and high-latitude assemblages, consistent with persisting populations, slower dispersal rates, and glacial retreat. In contrast, climate matching was greater for assemblages comprising taxa with higher median seed mass. Over half of the assemblages were climatically filtered at any given time, with peak filtering occurring at 8.5 ka BP for nearly 80% of assemblages. Thus, vegetation assemblages have highly variable rates of climate mismatch and filtering over millennial scales. These climate responses can be partially predicted by species' traits and life histories. These findings help constrain predictions for plant community response to contemporary climate change.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from: The influence of climate variability on demographic rates of avian Afro-palearctic migrants

Climate is an important driver of changes in animal population size, but its effect on the underlying demographic rates remains insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for avian long-distance migrants which are exposed to different climatic factors at different phases of their annual cycle. To fill this knowledge gap, we used data collected by a national-wide bird ringing scheme for eight migratory species wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and investigated the impact of climate variability on their breeding productivity and adult survival. While temperature at the breeding grounds could relate to the breeding productivity either positively (higher food availability in warmer springs) or negatively (food scarcity in warmer springs due to trophic mismatch), water availability at the non-breeding should limit the adult survival and the breeding productivity. Consistent with the prediction of the trophic mismatch hypothesis, we found that warmer springs at the breeding grounds were linked with lower breeding productivity, explaining 29% of temporal variance across all species. Higher water availability at the sub-Saharan non-breeding grounds was related to higher adult survival (18% temporal variance explained) but did not carry-over to breeding productivity. Our results show that climate variability at both breeding and non-breeding grounds shapes different demographic rates of long-distance migrants.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Data from: Bee phenology is predicted by climatic variation and functional traits

Climate change is shifting the environmental cues that determine the phenology of interacting species. Plant-pollinator systems may be susceptible to temporal mismatch if bees and flowering plants differ in their phenological responses to warming temperatures. While the cues that trigger flowering are well-understood, little is known about what determines bee phenology. Using Generalized Additive Models, we analyzed time-series data representing 67 bee species collected over nine years in the Colorado Rocky Mountains to perform the first community-wide quantification of the drivers of bee phenology. Bee emergence was sensitive to climatic variation, advancing with earlier snowmelt timing, while later phenophases were best explained by functional traits including overwintering stage and nest location. Comparison of these findings to a long-term flower study showed that bee phenology is less sensitive than flower phenology to climatic variation, indicating potential for reduced synchrony of flowers and pollinators under climate change.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from : Environmental predictability drives adaptive within- and transgenerational plasticity of heat tolerance across life stages and climatic regions

Although environmental variability and predictability have been proposed as the underlying ecological context in which transgenerational plasticity (TGP) arises, the adaptive significance and interaction with within-generation plasticity (WGP) in such scenarios is still poorly understood. In order to investigate these questions, we considered the tolerance to upper thermal limits of larvae and adults of the desert endemic Drosophila mojavensis adapted to different climatic regions (Desert vs Mediterranean climate). Thermal plasticity was investigated by acclimating parents and offspring at 36°C (versus at 25°C). We then used historical temperature variation data from both regions to perform individual-based simulations by modeling expected components of adaptive plasticity in multiple life stages. Thermal response to ramping heat shocks was more pronounced in larvae, where acclimation treatments in parents and offspring increased their heat-shock performance, while heat knockdown in adults was only increased by offspring acclimation of adults. The relative contribution of WGP and TGP was greater for the population from the more thermally variable Sonoran Desert. Similarly, individual-based simulations of evolving maternal effects indicated that variation in tolerance to upper thermal limits across life stages and climates is expected from its adaptive significance in response to environmental predictability. Our approach offers a new perspective and interpretation of adaptive plasticity, demonstrating that environmental predictability can drive thermal responses across generations and life stages in a scenario with regional climate variability.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2020View details →

Expanded response data from Perrin et al. - Contrasts in Public Perception of the Role of Alien Species in Climate Driven Species Turnover

Responses given by 30 respondents from 3 different interest groups on their attitudes to climate change driven species turnover in Norwegian freshwater lakes. The groups are a) recreational fishers, b) individuals responsible for management decisions regarding freshwater lakes or rivers and c) academics involved in research regarding freshwater lakes or rivers. Use of square brackets indicates details have been altered so as to preserve anonymity of respondents. A total of 30 interviews were conducted between August of 2019 and April of 2020. Interviews lasted anywhere from 10 to 50 minutes. Of the 30 interviews, 16 were conducted in person, with the remaining 14 conducted via web meeting. Interview respondents were chosen using the snowball method, as described by Miles and Huberman <a href="https://paperpile.com/c/6PEtIR/dSUU/?noauthor=1">(1994)</a>. This requires an initial pool of contacts, who subsequently nominate other respondents that are suitable for the study.  In compliance with requirements of the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committee, all respondents were given an overview of the topic beforehand, assured that their responses would be anonymous, and informed of the intended use of their responses. All interviews were anonymously recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Any details which might have allowed the individuals to be identified based on descriptions of their roles or locations were removed. As interviews were anonymous, ethics approval from the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committee was not required.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data from: Functional diversity of decomposers modulates litter decomposition affected by plant invasion along a climate gradient

1. Litter decomposition is fundamental to carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in ecosystems, which could be altered by plant invasion. The impacts of plant invasion on litter decomposition are generally predicted by traits difference between leaf litters of invasive and non-invasive species. However, plant invasion not only changes litter composition, but might also increase the activity or change the functional diversity of decomposers to alter litter decomposition, which is barely studied, and the effect could be different under varied climate conditions. 2. We studied decomposition of litters from non-invasive and invasive native plants, as affected by litter treatments (in a mixture or alone) and decomposer organisms of different functional groups (by controlling the mesh size of litterbags), in sites with or without an invasive woody grass, Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), at seven locations across a climate gradient. 3. We show that greater decomposer functional diversity, particularly the presence of macrofauna, accelerated the cycling of litter C and nitrogen (N), increased the climatic sensitivities of decomposition rates, but decreased the N use efficiency of decomposers (represented by litter C to N loss ratio). Litter decomposed in mixtures decomposed faster (by 9.5%) and had more N loss (by 28.9%) than that of in monoculture, regardless of the functional diversity of decomposers. In contrast, the invasion of Moso bamboo slowed decomposition and decreased N use efficiency; this negative effect could be reversed when macrofauna was excluded from the decomposition process, which challenges the nutrient facilitation hypothesis. Bamboo invasion depressed the climatic sensitivity of decomposer functional groups when macrofauna was present but not when macrofauna was excluded. 4. Synthesis. We found that the functional diversity of decomposer organisms modulates and largely determines litter decomposition affected by a woody grass invasion along a climate gradient. These results suggest that, under current and future climate, including the changes in decomposer functional groups, particularly macrofauna, and their interaction with litter traits, would provide a mechanistic and more reliable prediction on ecosystem functions altered by invaders than a functional trait-based framework.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Data from: Historical climatic instability predicts the inverse latitudinal pattern in speciation rate of modern mammalian biota

Evolutionary rate explanations for latitudinal diversity gradients predict faster speciation and diversification rates in richer, older, and more stable tropical regions (climatic stability hypothesis). Numerous modern lineages have emerged in high latitudes, however, suggesting that climatic oscillations can drive population divergence, at least among extratropical species (glacial refugia hypothesis). This conflicting evidence suggests that geographical patterns of evolutionary rates are more complicated than previously thought. Here, we reconstructed the complex evolutionary dynamics of a comprehensive dataset of modern mammals, both terrestrial and marine. We performed global and regional regression analyses to investigate how climatic instability could have indirectly influenced contemporary diversity gradients through its effects on evolutionary rates. In particular, we explored global and regional patterns of the relationships between species richness and assemblage-level evolutionary rates and between evolutionary rates and climatic instability. We found an inverse relationship between evolutionary rates and species richness, especially in the terrestrial domain. Additionally, climatic instability was strongly associated with the highest evolutionary rates at high terrestrial latitudes, supporting the glacial refugia hypothesis there. At low latitudes, evolutionary rates were unrelated to climatic stability. The inverse relationship between evolutionary rates and the modern latitudinal diversity gradient casts doubt on the idea that higher evolutionary rates in the tropics underlie the current diversity patterns of modern mammals. Alternatively, the longer time spans for diversity to accumulate in the older and more stable tropics (and not high diversification rates) may explain the latitudinal diversity gradient.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Data from: Individualistic evolutionary responses of central African rain forest plants to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of genetic diversity is fundamental for species conservation in the face of climate change, particularly in hyper-diverse biomes. Species in a region may respond similarly to climate change, leading to comparable evolutionary dynamics, or individualistically, resulting in dissimilar patterns. The second largest expanse of continuous tropical rain forest (TRF) in the world is found in Central Africa. Here, present-day patterns of genetic structure are thought to be dictated by repeated expansion and contraction of TRFs into and out of refugia during Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. This refugia model implies a common response to past climate change. However, given the unrivalled diversity of TRFs, species could respond differently because of distinct environmental requirements or ecological characteristics. To test this we generated genome-wide sequence data for >750 individuals of seven co-distributed plants from Lower Guinea in Central Africa. We inferred species' evolutionary and demographic histories within a comparative phylogeographic framework. Levels of genetic structure varied among species and emerged primarily during the Pleistocene, but divergence events were rarely concordant. Demographic trends ranged from repeated contraction and expansion to continuous growth. Furthermore, patterns in genetic variation were linked to disparate environmental factors including climate, soil and habitat stability. Using a strict refugia model to explain past TRF dynamics is too simplistic. Instead, individualistic evolutionary responses to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations have shaped patterns in genetic diversity. Predicting the future dynamics of TRFs under climate change will be challenging and more emphasis is needed on species ecology to better conserve TRFs worldwide.