Correlative species distribution models are based on the observed relationship between species’ occurrence and macroclimate or other environmental variables. In climates predicted less favourable populations are expected to decline, and in favourable climates they are expected to persist. However, little comparative empirical support exists for a relationship between predicted climate suitability and population performance. We found that the performance of 93 populations of 34 plant species worldwide – as measured by in situ population growth rate, its temporal variation and extinction risk – was not correlated with climate suitability. However, correlations of demographic processes underpinning population performance with climate suitability indicated both resistance and vulnerability pathways of population responses to climate: in less suitable climates, plants experienced greater retrogression (resistance pathway) and greater variability in some demographic rates (vulnerability pathway). While a range of demographic strategies occur within species’ climatic niches, demographic strategies are more constrained in climates predicted to be less suitable.

Supporting InformationFile (1) COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database version 3.0.0 downloaded on July 21, 2014; File (2) Data spreadsheet with population-level demographic metrics and climate suitability values (calculated using the R codes appended here); File (3) R scripts for demographic metric calculations, Species Distribution Models and statistical analyses; File (4) Projected maps based on the Species Distribution Models for species in this study.Csergo et al ELE.zip