The world's warm deserts are predicted to experience disproportionately large temperature increases due to climate change, yet the impacts on global desert biodiversity remain poorly understood. This study combines climate change projections with biophysical models and species distributions to predict physiological impacts of climate change on desert birds globally. Results show heterogeneous impacts between and within warm deserts, with spatial patterns not mirroring air temperature changes. Climate change refugia persist to varying extents, but only a small proportion (<20%) fall within existing protected areas, highlighting the need for increased protection of these refugial areas.

Liang Ma, Shannon R. Conradie, Christopher L. Crawford, Alexandra S. Gardner, Michael R. Kearney, Ilya M. D. Maclean, Andrew E. McKechnie, Chun-Rong Mi, Rebecca A. Senior, David S. Wilcove