Fig 4. A century of climate change in South America according
to five metrics. a) Long-term trend in temperature change, b) Long-term
trend in precipitation change, c) Changes in probability of local
extremes, d) Standardized local anomalies, e) Climate change velocity
and f) Combination of the five metrics. Darker colours on the maps
indicate greater climate change impacts.
Combining the five climate change metrics revealed the existence of
spatially heterogeneous climate change patterns in Southern America. In
regions such as central and northeast Brazil, as well as the Caribbean,
species experienced a complex interplay of climate change dimensions
over the past century. This analysis, which considers the cumulative
influence of multiple climate change metrics, provides an integrated
picture of multifaceted challenges posed by climate change, and
underscores the need for targeted conservation efforts where several
dimensions of climate change converge.