The main aim of this paper is to address consequences of climate warming on loss of habitat and genetic diversity in the enigmatic tropical alpine giant rosette plants using the Ethiopian endemicLobelia rhynchopetalumas a model. We modeled the habitat suitability ofL. rhynchopetalumand assessed how its range is affected under two climate models and four emission scenarios. We used three statistical algorithms calibrated to represent two different complexity levels of the response. We analyzed genetic diversity using amplified fragment length polymorphisms and assessed the impact of the projected range loss. Under all model and scenario combinations and consistent across algorithms and complexity levels, this afro‐alpine flagship species faces massive range reduction. Only 3.4% of its habitat seems to remain suitable on average by 2,080, resulting in loss of 82% (CI75%–87%) of its genetic diversity. The remaining suitable habitat is projected to be fragmented among and reduced to four mountain peaks, further deteriorating the probability of long‐term sustainability of viable populations. Because of the similar morphological and physiological traits developed through convergent evolution by tropical alpine giant rosette plants in response to diurnal freeze‐thaw cycles, they most likely respond to climate change in a similar way as our study species. We conclude that specialized high‐alpine giant rosette plants, such asL. rhynchopetalum, are likely to face very high risk of extinction following climate warming.

Human population expansion and associated degradation of the habitat of many wildlife species cause loss of biodiversity and species extinctions. The small Simen Mountains National Park in Ethiopia is one of the last strongholds for the preservation of a number of afro-alpine mammals, plants and birds, and it is home to the rare endemic Walia ibex, Capra walie. The narrow distribution range of this species as well as potential competition for resources with livestock, especially with domestic goat, Capra hircus, may compromise its future survival. Based on a curated afro-alpine taxonomic reference library constructed for plant taxon identification, we investigated the diet of the Walia ibex and addressed the dietary overlap with domestic goat using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples. Faeces of both species were collected from different localities in the National Park. We show that both species are browsers, with forbs, shrubs and trees comprising the largest proportion of their diet, supplemented by grasses. There was a considerable overlap in dietary preferences. Several of the preferred diet items of the Walia ibex (Alchemilla sp., Hypericum revolutum, Erica arborea and Rumex sp.) were also among the most preferred diet items of the domestic goat. These results indicate that there is potential for competition between the two species, especially during the dry season, when resources are limited. Our findings, in combination with the expected increase in domestic herbivores, suggest that management plans should consider the potential threat posed by domestic goats to ensure future survival of the endangered Walia ibex.

The monumental work of Olov Hedberg provided deep insights into the spectacular and fragmented tropical alpine flora of the African sky islands. Here we review recent molecular and niche modelling studies and re-examine Hedberg’s hypotheses and conclusions. Colonisation started when mountain uplift established the harsh diurnal climate with nightly frosts, accelerated throughout the last 5 Myr (Plio-Pleistocene), and resulted in a flora rich in local endemics. Recruitment was dominated by long-distance dispersals (LDDs) from seasonally cold, remote areas, mainly in Eurasia. Colonisation was only rarely followed by substantial diversification. Instead, most of the larger genera and even species colonised the afroalpine habitat multiple times independently. Conspicuous parallel evolution occurred among mountains, e.g., of gigantism inLobeliaandDendrosenecioand dwarf shrubs inAlchemilla. Although the alpine habitat was ~ 8 times larger and the treeline was ~ 1000 m lower than today during the Last Glacial Maximum, genetic data suggest that the flora was shaped by strong intermountain isolation interrupted by rare LDDs rather than ecological connectivity. The new evidence points to a much younger and more dynamic island scenario than envisioned by Hedberg: the afroalpine flora is unsaturated and fragile, it was repeatedly disrupted by the Pleistocene climate oscillations, and it harbours taxonomic and genetic diversity that is unique but severely depauperated by frequent bottlenecks and cycles of colonisation, extinction, and recolonisation. The level of intrapopulation genetic variation is alarmingly low, and many afroalpine species may be vulnerable to extinction because of climate warming and increasing human impact.

Thorough knowledge of the ecology of a species or population is an essential prerequisite for understanding the impact of ecology on the evolution of their respective social systems. Because of their diversity of social organizations, baboons (Papio spp.) are a useful model for comparative studies. Comparative ecological information was missing for Guinea baboons (Papio papio), however. Here we provide data on the ecology of Guinea baboons in a comparative analysis on two geographical scales. First, we compare climate variables and land cover among areas of occurrence of all six baboon species. Second, we describe home range size, habitat use, ranging behaviour, and diet from a local population of Guinea baboons ranging near the Centre de Recherche de Primatologie (CRP) Simenti in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. Home ranges and daily travel distances at Simenti varied seasonally, yet the seasonal patterns in their daily travel distance did not follow a simple dry vs. rainy season pattern. Chemical food composition falls within the range of other baboon species. Compared to other baboon species, areas occupied by Guinea baboons experience the highest variation in precipitation and the highest seasonality in precipitation. Although the Guinea baboons' multi-level social organization is superficially similar to that of hamadryas baboons (P. hamadryas), the ecologies of the two species differ markedly. Most Guinea baboon populations, including the one at Simenti, live in more productive habitats than hamadryas baboons. This difference in the ecology of the two species contradicts a simple evolutionary relation between ecology and social system and suggests that other factors have played an additional role here.