Climatic envelopes of the genus Lacerta Linnaeus, 1758 in Turkiye: an application of ecological niche modeling

Six species belonging to the genus Lacerta live in Turkiye. In this study, both present and future potential distribution maps were created based on occurrence data and climatic variables for these six species. Two scenarios for future projections (shared socioeconomic pathways, SSPs,: 245 and 585) and two timeframes (2041-2060 and 2081-2100) were used. The present and future potential distributions of these species were compared. As a result, it was predicted that the distribution ranges in the six species will expand in the future, and this expansion has revealed new environments.

Automated summary

This study created present and future potential distribution maps for six species of Lacerta in Turkey based on occurrence data and climatic variables. The study used two scenarios (shared socioeconomic pathways, SSPs: 245 and 585) and two timeframes (2041-2060 and 2081-2100) for future projections. The comparison of present and future potential distributions showed that the distribution ranges of these species will expand and reveal new environments in the future.