“Von Humboldt's Nightmare: Effects of Climate Change on the Plant Biodiversity of Mount Chimborazo (Tropical Andes)” Relies on Contemporary Data, Not Historical: A Reply to Renner

Abstract

Renner recently offered a historical overview of Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland's expeditions in the Tropical Andes and raises concerns regarding Siqueira‐Silva and colleagues, previously published in this journal. We clarify that these concerns arise from a misinterpretation of our data sources and analytical framework. Our study did not incorporate von Humboldt and Bonpland's collections, vegetation belts, or the Tableau Physique des Andes (TPA) into analyses or inferences. The initial species list was based on 21st century expeditions to Mt. Chimborazo and taxonomically standardised. All occurrence data were obtained from georeferenced GBIF records, and final analyses were conducted using 109 well‐performing species distribution models. Elevational belts were defined using the variable itself on Mt. Chimborazo, independent of historical classifications. While acknowledging importance of historical perspectives, our results rely on contemporary data and are consistent with the global literature on climate change impacts on mountain biodiversity.

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