1
|
Camacho A, Rodrigues MT, Jayyusi R, Harun M, Geraci M, Carretero MA, Vinagre C, Tejedo M. Does heat tolerance actually predict animals' geographic thermal limits? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170165. [PMID: 38242475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The "climate extremes hypothesis" is a major assumption of geographic studies of heat tolerance and climatic vulnerability. However, this assumption remains vastly untested across taxa, and multiple factors may contribute to uncoupling heat tolerance estimates and geographic limits. Our dataset includes 1000 entries of heat tolerance data and maximum temperatures for each species' known geographic limits (hereafter, Tmax). We gathered this information across major animal taxa, including marine fish, terrestrial arthropods, amphibians, non-avian reptiles, birds, and mammals. We first tested if heat tolerance constrains the Tmax of sites where species could be observed. Secondly, we tested if the strength of such restrictions depends on how high Tmax is relative to heat tolerance. Thirdly, we correlated the different estimates of Tmax among them and across species. Restrictions are strong for amphibians, arthropods, and birds but often weak or inconsistent for reptiles and mammals. Marine fish describe a non-linear relationship that contrasts with terrestrial groups. Traditional heat tolerance measures in thermal vulnerability studies, like panting temperatures and the upper set point of preferred temperatures, do not predict Tmax or are inversely correlated to it, respectively. Heat tolerance restricts the geographic warm edges more strongly for species that reach sites with higher Tmax for their heat tolerance. These emerging patterns underline the importance of reliable species' heat tolerance indexes to identify their thermal vulnerability at their warm range edges. Besides, the tight correlations of Tmax estimates across on-land microhabitats support a view of multiple types of thermal challenges simultaneously shaping ranges' warm edges for on-land species. The heterogeneous correlation of Tmax estimates in the ocean supports the view that fish thermoregulation is generally limited, too. We propose new hypotheses to understand thermal restrictions on animal distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Camacho
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; São Paulo, SP, CEP: 05508-090, Brazil.
| | - Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
- Laboratorio de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, USP, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, n° 321, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP CEP: 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Refat Jayyusi
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, USA
| | - Mohamed Harun
- Administração Nacional das Àreas de Conservaçao, Ministério da Terra, Ambiente e desenvolvimento rural, Rua da Resistência, nr° 1746/47 8° andar, Maputo, Mozambique; Faculdade de Veterinaria UEM, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Marco Geraci
- Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, USA; CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal; MEMOTEF Department, School of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - Miguel A Carretero
- CIBIO-InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, P-4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Vinagre
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Miguel Tejedo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Av. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hubáček J, Gvoždík L. Terrestrial amphibians respond to rapidly changing temperatures with individual plasticity of exploratory behaviour. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103757. [PMID: 38043243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial ectotherms react to acute changes in environmental temperatures by adjusting their behaviour. Evaluating the adaptive potential of these behavioural adjustments requires information on their repeatability and plasticity. We examined behavioural response (exploration) to acute temperature change in two amphibian taxa, alpine (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and smooth (Lissotriton vulgaris) newts. These responses were investigated at both population and individual levels under multiple thermal contexts (dimensions), represented by the direction and range of changing temperature and rearing thermal regimes. Population-level analyses showed species-specific, non-additive effects of direction and range of temperature change on acute thermal reaction norms for exploration, but explained only a low amount (7-23%) of total variation in exploration. In contrast, within- and among-individual variation in acute thermal reaction norm parameters explained 42-50% of total variation in the examined trait. Although immediate thermal responses varied among individuals (repeatability = 0.07 to 0.53), they were largely shaped by environmental contexts during repeated trials. We conclude that these amphibians respond to acute temperature change through individual plasticity of behavioural traits. A repeated-measures approach under multiple thermal contexts will be needed to identify the selective and plastic potential of behavioural responses used by juvenile newts and perhaps other ectotherm taxa to cope with rapidly changing environmental temperatures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Hubáček
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Camacho A, Brunes TO, Rodrigues MT. Dehydration alters behavioral thermoregulation and the geography of climatic vulnerability in two Amazonian lizards. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286502. [PMID: 37910524 PMCID: PMC10619801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
High temperatures and low water availability often strike organisms concomitantly. Observing how organisms behaviorally thermohydroregulate may help us to better understand their climatic vulnerability. This is especially important for tropical forest lizards, species that are purportedly under greater climatic risk. Here, we observed the influence of hydration level on the Voluntary Thermal Maximum (VTmax) in two small Amazonian lizard species: Loxopholis ferreirai (semiaquatic and scansorial) and Loxopholis percarinatum (leaf litter parthenogenetic dweller), accounting for several potential confounding factors (handling, body mass, starting temperature and heating rate). Next, we used two modeling approaches (simple mapping of thermal margins and NicheMapR) to compare the effects of dehydration, decrease in precipitation, ability to burrow, and tree cover availability, on geographic models of climatic vulnerability. We found that VTmax decreased with dehydration, starting temperature, and heating rates in both species. The two modeling approaches showed that dehydration may alter the expected intensity, extent, and duration of perceived thermal risk across the Amazon basin for these forest lizards. Based on our results and previous studies, we identify new evidence needed to better understand thermohydroregulation and to model the geography of climatic risk using the VTmax.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Camacho
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Sevilla, España
| | - Tuliana O. Brunes
- Departmento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Aragon-Traverso JH, Piñeiro M, Olivares JPS, Sanabria EA. Temporal variation of thermal sensitivity to global warming: Acclimatization in the guitarist beetle, Megelenophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the Monte Desert. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 285:111505. [PMID: 37619666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Global warming is a major threat to biodiversity, the increase in mean temperature plus the higher rate and intensity of heat waves can severely affect organisms by exposing them to temperatures beyond their tolerance limits. Desert ectotherms are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on environmental temperatures in an extreme habitat. Thermal tolerance changes depending on environmental conditions, studying these fluctuations provides a better understanding of species susceptibility to global warming. Tenebrionids are successful desert-inhabiting ectotherm taxa because of a series of adaptations for heat tolerance and water loss. We studied the seasonal variation (acclimatization) of thermal tolerance in Megelenophorus americanus, a widely distributed species in the Monte Desert (Argentina). To do this, we measured environmental and operative temperatures: body temperature (Tb), soil temperature (Ts), air temperature (Ta), environmental temperature (Te) and maximum temperature (Tmax), and tolerance proxies volunteer thermal maximum (VTmax), Fluid release (FR) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in a population of M. americanus from San Juan province, Argentina from October to March (full activity season). We found that Ts and Ta are accurate predictors of Tb, suggesting thermoconformism. All tolerance proxies showed differences among months, suggesting a natural acclimatization process in situ. Insects were found operating beyond VTmax (thermal stress) but they were far from reaching CTmax under natural conditions. Organisms present different degrees of tolerance plasticity that should be considered when predicting potential impacts of climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Hector Aragon-Traverso
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. José Ignacio de la Roza 230 (O), San Juan 5400, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CCT, San Juan, Argentina.
| | - Mauricio Piñeiro
- CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CCT, San Juan, Argentina; Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Avenida Libertador Gral. San Martín 1109 (O), San Juan 5400, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Segundo Olivares
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. José Ignacio de la Rosa y Meglioli, 5400 San Juan, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Alfredo Sanabria
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. José Ignacio de la Roza 230 (O), San Juan 5400, Argentina; CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CCT, San Juan, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Padre Contreras 1300, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Riddell EA, Mutanen M, Ghalambor CK. Hydric effects on thermal tolerances influence climate vulnerability in a high-latitude beetle. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5184-5198. [PMID: 37376709 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Species' thermal tolerances are used to estimate climate vulnerability, but few studies consider the role of the hydric environment in shaping thermal tolerances. As environments become hotter and drier, organisms often respond by limiting water loss to lower the risk of desiccation; however, reducing water loss may produce trade-offs that lower thermal tolerances if respiration becomes inhibited. Here, we measured the sensitivity of water loss rate and critical thermal maximum (CTmax ) to precipitation in nature and laboratory experiments that exposed click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) to acute- and long-term humidity treatments. We also took advantage of their unique clicking behavior to characterize subcritical thermal tolerances. We found higher water loss rates in the dry acclimation treatment compared to the humid, and water loss rates were 3.2-fold higher for individuals that had experienced a recent precipitation event compared to individuals that had not. Acute humidity treatments did not affect CTmax , but precipitation indirectly affected CTmax through its effect on water loss rates. Contrary to our prediction, we found that CTmax was negatively associated with water loss rate, such that individuals with high water loss rate exhibited a lower CTmax . We then incorporated the observed variation of CTmax into a mechanistic niche model that coupled leaf and click beetle temperatures to predict climate vulnerability. The simulations indicated that indices of climate vulnerability can be sensitive to the effects of water loss physiology on thermal tolerances; moreover, exposure to temperatures above subcritical thermal thresholds is expected to increase by as much as 3.3-fold under future warming scenarios. The correlation between water loss rate and CTmax identifies the need to study thermal tolerances from a "whole-organism" perspective that considers relationships between physiological traits, and the population-level variation in CTmax driven by water loss rate complicates using this metric as a straightforward proxy of climate vulnerability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Riddell
- Department of Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Marko Mutanen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Cameron K Ghalambor
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bai X, Wang XJ, Ma CS, Ma G. Heat-avoidance behavior associates with thermal sensitivity rather than tolerance in aphid assemblages. J Therm Biol 2023; 114:103550. [PMID: 37344023 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
How to predict animals' heat-avoidance behaviors is critical since behavior stands the first line for animals dealing with frequent heat events under ongoing climate warming. However, the discrepancy between the scarcity of research on heat-avoidance behaviors and the commonness of eco-physiological data for thermal tolerance and for thermal sensitivity such as the temperature-dependent survival time makes it difficult to link physiological thermal traits to heat-avoidance behavior. Aphids usually suck plant sap on a fixed site on the host plants at moderate temperatures, but they will leave and seek cooler feeding sites under stressful temperatures. Here we take the cereal aphid assemblages comprising different species with various development stages as a model system. We tested the hypotheses that heat tolerance (critical thermal maximum, CTmax) or heat sensitivity (temperature-dependent declining rate of survival time, similarly hereinafter) would associate with the temperature at which aphid activate heat-avoidance behavior. Specifically, we hypothesized the aphids with less heat tolerance or greater heat sensitivity would take a lower heat risk by leaving the host plant earlier. By mimicking the linear increase in ambient temperature during the daytime, we measured the CTmax and the heat-avoidance temperature (HAT, at which aphids leave the host plant to find cooler places) to understand their heat tolerance and heat-avoidance behavior. Then, we tested the survival time of aphids at different temperatures and calculated the slope of survival time declining with temperature to assess their heat sensitivity (HS). Finally, we examined the relationships between CTmax and HAT and between HS and HAT to understand if the heat-avoidance behavior associates with heat tolerance or with heat sensitivity. The results showed that HS and HAT had a strong correlation, with more heat sensitive individuals displayed lower HAT. By contrast, CTmax and HAT had a weak correlation. Our results thus provide evidence that heat sensitivity is a more reliable indicator than thermal tolerance linking with the heat-avoidance behavior in the aphid assemblages. Most existing studies use the indexes related to thermal tolerance to predict warming impacts. Our findings highlight the urgency to incorporate thermal sensitivity when predicting animal responses to climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bai
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xue-Jing Wang
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Chun-Sen Ma
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
| | - Gang Ma
- Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jiang ZW, Ma L, Mi CR, Tao SA, Guo F, Du WG. Distinct responses and range shifts of lizard populations across an elevational gradient under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2669-2680. [PMID: 36843496 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing climate change has profoundly affected global biodiversity, but its impacts on populations across elevations remain understudied. Using mechanistic niche models incorporating species traits, we predicted ecophysiological responses (activity times, oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss) for lizard populations at high-elevation (<3600 m asl) and extra-high-elevation (≥3600 m asl) under recent (1970-2000) and future (2081-2100) climates. Compared with their high-elevation counterparts, lizards from extra-high-elevation are predicted to experience a greater increase in activity time and oxygen consumption. By integrating these ecophysiological responses into hybrid species distribution models (HSDMs), we were able to make the following predictions under two warming scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP5-8.5). By 2081-2100, we predict that lizards at both high- and extra-high-elevation will shift upslope; lizards at extra-high-elevation will gain more and lose less habitat than will their high-elevation congeners. We therefore advocate the conservation of high-elevation species in the context of climate change, especially for those populations living close to their lower elevational range limits. In addition, by comparing the results from HSDMs and traditional species distribution models, we highlight the importance of considering intraspecific variation and local adaptation in physiological traits along elevational gradients when forecasting species' future distributions under climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Wen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Ma
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Rong Mi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Ang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengyi Guo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Leibold DC, Gastelum JA, VandenBrooks JM, Telemeco RS. Oxygen environment and metabolic oxygen demand predictably interact to affect thermal behavior in a lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:739-745. [PMID: 35652426 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The climate crisis necessitates predicting how organisms respond to changing environments, but this requires understanding the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance. The Hierarchical Mechanisms of Thermal Limitation (HMTL) hypothesis proposes that respiratory capacity and marginal stability of proteins and membranes interact hierarchically to determine thermal performance and limits. An untested prediction of the HMTL hypothesis is that behavioral anapyrexia (i.e., reduced body temperature in hypoxia) is exacerbated when metabolic demand is high. We tested this prediction by manipulating western fence lizards' (Sceloporus occidentalis) metabolic demand and oxygen environment, then measuring selected body temperatures. Lizards with elevated metabolic demand selected lower body temperatures at higher oxygen concentrations than resting lizards, but this occurred only at oxygen concentrations <12% O2 , suggesting thermal limits are unaffected by naturally-occurring oxygen variation. Given our results and the ubiquity of behavioral anapyrexia, the HMTL hypothesis may generally explain how oxygen and temperature interactively affect reptile performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalton C Leibold
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | - Jacob A Gastelum
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | | | - Rory S Telemeco
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Díaz-Ricaurte JC, Guevara-Molina EC, Alves-Nunes JM, Serrano FC, Hrncir M. Linking body condition and thermal physiology in limping crickets: Does limb autotomy incur costs concerning behavioral thermal tolerance? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:393-402. [PMID: 35167191 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many ectotherms have the ability to voluntarily detach a body part, known as autotomy, usually in response to predator attacks. Autotomy can have an immediate benefit for survival, but it can also involve costs related to the individual's body condition. Even though the effects of autotomy have been studied in many ecophysiological aspects, its short-term costs on the ability to tolerate high environmental temperatures are still unexplored. Herein, we evaluated the effects of autotomy on the behavioral thermal tolerance (VTMax ) in the cricket Gryllus assimilis. We hypothesized that, due to the increased energetic costs to maintain homeostasis, autotomized crickets have a lower VTMax than intact ones. Additionally, we investigated differences in VTMax between sexes, as well as the effects of heating rates and body mass on their VTMax . Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no differences between VTMax of autotomized and intact individuals. However, we observed that females have a higher VTMax than males, regardless of their condition (i.e., autotomized and intact). Moreover, we detected significant effects of body mass and heating rate on behavioral thermal tolerances. The results of our study indicate that costs associated with limb autotomy at high environmental temperatures might be intricate and not immediately impactful. Furthermore, important aspects of reproduction and ecology might be responsible for differences in VTMax between males and females. Our results contribute to understanding the ecological and physiological aspects of ectotherms and how they respond to changing climatic conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Díaz-Ricaurte
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Centro de investigaciones Amazónicas Macagual-Cesar Augusto Estrada Gonzales, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
| | - Estefany C Guevara-Molina
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João M Alves-Nunes
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Filipe C Serrano
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michael Hrncir
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Astudillo V, Córdoba M. Season-sex interaction induces changes in the ecophysiological traits of a lizard in a high altitude cold desert, Puna region. J Therm Biol 2022; 103:103152. [PMID: 35027202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are those characteristics of organisms that influence the ability of a species to develop in a habitat and persist in the face of environmental changes. The traits are often affected by a multiplicity of species-dependent and external factors. Our objective was to investigate thermal biology of Liolaemus ruibali in a high altitude cold desert at the arid Puna region, Argentina. We address the following question: do sex and seasonal variations in environmental temperature induce changes in the ecophysiological traits? We measured and compared the operative temperatures between fall and spring; and between sexes and seasons, we compared the ecophysiological traits of lizards, microenvironmental temperatures and thermoregulatory behavior. Air and operative temperatures were different between seasons. We found an effect of season-sex interaction on field body temperatures, preferred temperatures, panting threshold and thermal quality. The voluntary and critical temperatures presented seasonal variation in relation to changes in environmental temperatures, suggesting thermal acclimatization. We note behavioral changes between seasons, with the substrate being the main resource for gaining heat in spring. We conclude that Liolaemus ruibali is an efficient thermoregulator; it is a eurythermic lizard and presents phenotypic plasticity in different ecophysiological and behavioral traits induced by sex and seasonality. In addition, we predict that this population could buffer the effects of projected global warming scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McTernan MR, Sears MW. Repeatability of Voluntary Thermal Maximum and Covariance with Water Loss Reveal Potential for Adaptation to Changing Climates. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:113-121. [PMID: 34986078 DOI: 10.1086/717938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough climate warming poses a grave threat to amphibians, little is known about the capacity of this group to evolve in response to warming. The capacity of key traits to evolve depends on the presence of genetic variation on which selection can act. Here, we use repeatability estimates to estimate the potential upper bounds of heritable genetic variation in voluntary and critical thermal maxima of gray-cheeked salamanders (Plethodon metcalfi). Increases in thermal tolerance may also require concordant increases in resistance to water loss because hotter temperatures incur greater evaporative risk. Therefore, we also tested for a correlation between voluntary thermal maxima and resistance to water loss and conducted an acclimation study to test for covariation between these traits in response to warming. Voluntary thermal maxima exhibited low to moderate levels of repeatability (R=0.32, P=0.045), while critical thermal maxima exhibited no statistically significant repeatability (R=0.10, P=0.57). Voluntary thermal maxima also correlated positively with resistance to water loss (R=0.31, P=0.025) but only when controlling for body mass. Voluntary thermal maxima and resistance to water loss also exhibited different acclimatory responses across control (12°C-18°C) and warm (18°C-24°C) temperature regimes, indicating a potential decoupling of traits in different thermal environments. By addressing the repeatability of thermal tolerance and the potential for covariation with resistance to water loss, we begin to address some of the key requirements of amphibians to evolve in warming climates.
Collapse
|
12
|
Miyaki CY, Cruz FW, Hickerson M, Michelangeli FA, Pinto-da-Rocha R, Thomas W, Carnaval AC. A multidisciplinary framework for biodiversity prediction in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract: We briefly describe selected results from our thematic project focused on the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest (“AF BIOTA”), which was jointly funded by FAPESP’s BIOTA Program, the U.S. National Science Foundation Dimensions of Biodiversity Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As one of the five most important hotspots of biodiversity in the world, the Atlantic Forest (AF) holds less than 16% of its vegetation cover, yet, amongst the hotspots, it still harbors one of the highest numbers of species, including endemics. By gathering specialists across multiple disciplines (biology, geology, engineering), we aimed to understand how this megabiodiversity was built through time, informing biodiversity science and conservation. Among the results, we trained 18 Master’s and 26 Ph.D. students, published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers that improved our knowledge about the forest’s biologic and climatic diversity and dynamics through time, developed new analytical methods, produced outreach videos and articles, and provided data to help define biodiversity conservation policies.
Collapse
|
13
|
Braschler B, Chown SL, Duffy GA. Sub-critical limits are viable alternatives to critical thermal limits. J Therm Biol 2021; 101:103106. [PMID: 34879920 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Thermal traits are frequently used to explain variation in species distributions, abundance, and sensitivity to climate change. Due to their utility and ease of measurement, critical thermal limits in particular have proliferated across the ecophysiological literature. Critical limit assays can, however, have deleterious or even lethal effects on individuals and there is growing recognition that intermediate metrics of performance can provide a further, nuanced understanding of how species interact with their environments. Meanwhile, the scarcity of data describing sub-critical or voluntary limits, which have been proposed as alternatives to critical limits and can be collected under less extreme conditions, reduces their value in comparative analyses and broad-scale syntheses. To overcome these limitations and determine if sub-critical limits are viable proxies for upper and lower critical thermal limits we measured and compared the critical and sub-critical thermal limits of 2023 ants representing 51 species. Sub-critical limits in isolation were a satisfactory linear predictor for both individual and species critical limits and when species identity was also considered there were substantial gains in variance explained. These gains indicate that a species-specific conversion factor can further improve estimates of critical traits using sub-critical proxies. Sub-critical limits can, therefore, be integrated into broader syntheses of critical limits and confidently used to calculate common ecological metrics, such as warming tolerance, so long as uncertainty in estimates is explicitly acknowledged. Although lower thermal traits exhibited more variation than their upper counterparts, the stronger phylogenetic signal of lower thermal traits indicates that appropriate conversions for lower thermal traits can be inferred from congenerics or other closely related taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Braschler
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland; DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Steven L Chown
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Grant A Duffy
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Leaf-cutting ants' critical and voluntary thermal limits show complex responses to size, heating rates, hydration level, and humidity. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 192:235-245. [PMID: 34837117 PMCID: PMC8894219 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01413-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Thermal variation has complex effects on organisms and they respond to these effects through combined behavioral and physiological mechanisms. However, it is less clear how these traits combine in response to changes in body condition (e.g., size, hydration) and environmental factors that surround the heating process (e.g., relative humidity, start temperatures, heating rates). We tested whether these body conditions and environmental factors influence sequentially measured Voluntary Thermal Maxima (VTmax) and Critical Thermal Maxima, (CTmax) in leaf-cutting ants (Atta sexdens rubropilosa, Forel, 1908). VTmax and CTmax reacted differently to changes in body size and relative humidity, but exhibited similar responses to hydration level, start temperature, and heating rate. Strikingly, the VTmax of average-sized workers was closer to their CTmax than the VTmax of their smaller and bigger sisters, suggesting foragers maintain normal behavior at higher temperatures than sister ants that usually perform tasks within the colony. Previous experiments based on hot plate designs might overestimate ants’ CTmax. VTmax and CTmax may respond concomitantly or not to temperature rises, depending on body condition and environmental factors.
Collapse
|
15
|
Duffy GA, Kuyucu AC, Hoskins JL, Hay EM, Chown SL. Adequate sample sizes for improved accuracy of thermal trait estimates. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grant A. Duffy
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. Australia
| | - Arda C. Kuyucu
- Department of Biology Hacettepe University Ankara Turkey
| | | | - Eleanor M. Hay
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. Australia
| | - Steven L. Chown
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Miranda-Calle AB, Pacheco LF, Aparicio J, Méndez-De la Cruz FR. Thermoregulation of Liolaemus aparicioi (Iguania: Liolaemidae) along a 1000 m elevational gradient in La Paz Valley, La Paz, Bolivia. J Therm Biol 2021; 99:102940. [PMID: 34420606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Lizard species have diverse behavioral and physiological responses to thermo-environmental conditions, which allow them to inhabit a broad range of latitudes and elevations. Because the availability of suitable thermal resources is limited and more variable at high-elevation environments than at lower elevations, we expect high-elevation lizards to be constrained in their thermoregulation relative to lizards at lower elevations by the fewer available thermal resources to reach optimal temperatures (colder environment). We studied the thermal biology of an endemic and Critically Endangered lizard, Liolaemus aparicioi, to assess its thermal responses along a 1000 m elevational gradient in La Paz Valley from May to August of 2015 (dry season). We took field body and microhabitat temperatures at capture sites (substrate and air above ground), and body size (snout-vent length and mass) of individuals at Taypichullo (3000 m asl), Gran Jardín de la Revolución Municipal Park (3500 m asl), and Taucachi (4000 m asl) localities. Operative temperatures were taken from calibrated models deployed in different available microhabitats. Preferred temperatures and thermal tolerance limits were determined in laboratory settings for lizards from each locality. Field body, microhabitat, and operative temperatures decreased with increasing elevation and differed between sexes. Lizards at the high elevation locality had the lowest thermoregulatory efficiency as compared with the mid and lower elevation localities. In laboratory measurements, while the preferred temperatures varied between sexes, pooled preferred temperatures and thermal tolerances were similar in all localities. Although thermal resources at high elevation can limit thermoregulatory possibilities in L. aparicioi, behavioral microhabitat use, time allocated to thermoregulation, and physiological adjustments seem to be possible strategies to counteract thermal costs along elevational gradients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Bruno Miranda-Calle
- Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 10077, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Área de Herpetología, Colección Boliviana de Fauna, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 08706, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Red de Investigadores en Herpetología, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - Luis F Pacheco
- Instituto de Ecología, Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 10077, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - James Aparicio
- Área de Herpetología, Colección Boliviana de Fauna, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 08706, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Red de Investigadores en Herpetología, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - Fausto R Méndez-De la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Vulnerability to climate change of a microendemic lizard species from the central Andes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11653. [PMID: 34079000 PMCID: PMC8172825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91058-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the rapid loss of biodiversity as consequence of climate change, greater knowledge of ecophysiological and natural history traits are crucial to determine which environmental factors induce stress and drive the decline of threatened species. Liolaemus montanezi (Liolaemidae), a xeric-adapted lizard occurring only in a small geographic range in west-central Argentina, constitutes an excellent model for studies on the threats of climate change on such microendemic species. We describe field data on activity patterns, use of microhabitat, behavioral thermoregulation, and physiology to produce species distribution models (SDMs) based on climate and ecophysiological data. Liolaemus montanezi inhabits a thermally harsh environment which remarkably impacts their activity and thermoregulation. The species shows a daily bimodal pattern of activity and mostly occupies shaded microenvironments. Although the individuals thermoregulate at body temperatures below their thermal preference they avoid high-temperature microenvironments probably to avoid overheating. The population currently persists because of the important role of the habitat physiognomy and not because of niche tracking, seemingly prevented by major rivers that form boundaries of their geographic range. We found evidence of habitat opportunities in the current range and adjacent areas that will likely remain suitable to the year 2070, reinforcing the relevance of the river floodplain for the species’ avoidance of extinction.
Collapse
|
18
|
Díaz-Ricaurte JC, Serrano FC. Short-term captivity does not affect immediate voluntary thermal maximum of a neotropical pitviper: Implications for behavioral thermoregulation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 335:199-206. [PMID: 33258560 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Ectotherms depend on temperature to maintain their physiological functions and through behavioral changes, they can avoid overheating in their habitats. The voluntary thermal maximum (VTMax ) represents the maximum temperature tolerated by individuals before actively moving to a colder place. However, if and how VTMax might change after capture and in captivity remains understudied. We investigate if measurements taken in captivity are a good proxy for thermal tolerance of wild individuals. As thermal history has been shown to affect behavioral response and physiological parameters, herein we hypothesized that VTMax of the neotropical viper Bothrops pauloensis varies throughout the captivity period. We measured the VTMax of individuals immediately after capture and in three trials during a short-term period in captivity. Measurements were done by recording their body temperature at which they exited a heating box experimental setup. In contrast to our hypothesis, the VTMax was not significantly affected by time in captivity but there was interindividual variation. There were also no significant differences between field and captivity measurements, in spite of the small effect size. Our results indicate that the VTMax of this snake population is not affected by a short-term captivity period. Furthermore, an invariant VTMax might indicate low phenotypic plasticity, as individuals do not appear to adjust their tolerance to short-term exposure to higher temperatures and potential vulnerability to threats such as global warming. We expect that our results can contribute to understanding the effect of captivity on thermal tolerance in neotropical squamates, allowing for insights into their thermal physiology and ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Díaz-Ricaurte
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Centro de investigaciones Amazónicas Macagual-César Augusto Estrada González, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
| | - Filipe C Serrano
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chukwuka CO, Monks JM, Cree A. Heat and water loss versus shelter: a dilemma in thermoregulatory decision making for a retreat-dwelling nocturnal gecko. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb231241. [PMID: 32778565 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.231241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between upper voluntary thermal limit (VTmax) and water loss may aid in predicting responses of ectotherms to increasing temperatures within microhabitats. However, the temperature at which climate heating will force cool-climate nocturnal lizards to abandon daytime retreats remains poorly understood. Here, we developed a new laboratory protocol for determining VTmax in the retreat-dwelling, viviparous Woodworthia 'Otago/Southland' gecko, based on escape behaviour (abandonment of heated retreat). We compared the body temperature (Tb) at VTmax, and duration of heating, between two source groups with different thermal histories, and among three reproductive groups. We also examined continuous changes in Tb (via an attached biologger) and total evaporative water loss (EWL) during heating. In the field, we measured Tb and microhabitat thermal profiles to establish whether geckos reach VTmax in nature. We found that VTmax and duration of heating varied between source groups (and thus potentially with prior thermal experience), but not among reproductive groups. Moreover, geckos reached a peak temperature slightly higher than VTmax before abandoning the retreat. Total EWL increased with increasing VTmax and with the duration of heating. In the field, pregnant geckos with attached biologgers reached VTmax temperature, and temperatures of some separately monitored microhabitats exceeded VTmax in hot weather implying that some retreats must be abandoned to avoid overheating. Our results suggest that cool-climate nocturnal lizards that inhabit daytime retreats may abandon retreats more frequently if climate warming persists, implying a trade-off between retention of originally occupied shelter and ongoing water loss due to overheating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian O Chukwuka
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Department of Biology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
| | - Joanne M Monks
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Department of Conservation, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand
| | - Alison Cree
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Guevara-Molina EC, Gomes FR, Camacho A. Effects of dehydration on thermoregulatory behavior and thermal tolerance limits of Rana catesbeiana ( ). J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102721. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
|
21
|
Díaz-Ricaurte JC, Serrano FC, Guevara-Molina EC, Araujo C, Martins M. Does behavioral thermal tolerance predict distribution pattern and habitat use in two sympatric Neotropical frogs? PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239485. [PMID: 32960914 PMCID: PMC7508379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental temperatures are a major constraint on ectotherm abundance, influencing their distribution and natural history. Comparing thermal tolerances with environmental temperatures is a simple way to estimate thermal constraints on species distributions. We investigate the potential effects of behavioral thermal tolerance (i. e. Voluntary Thermal Maximum, VTMax) on anuran local (habitat) and regional distribution patterns and associated behavioral responses. We tested for differences in Voluntary Thermal Maximum (VTMax) of two sympatric frog species of the genus Physalaemus in the Cerrado. We mapped the difference between VTMax and maximum daily temperature (VTMax-ETMax) and compared the abundance in open and non-open habitats for both species. Physalaemus nattereri had a significantly higher VTMax than P. cuvieri. For P. nattereri, the model including only period of day was chosen as the best to explain variation in the VTMax while for P. cuvieri, the null model was the best model. At the regional scale, VTMax-ETMax values were significantly different between species, with P. nattereri mostly found in localities with maximum temperatures below its VTMax and P. cuvieri showing the reverse pattern. Regarding habitat use, P. cuvieri was in general more abundant in open than in non-open habitats, whereas P. nattereri was similarly abundant in these habitats. This difference seems to reflect their distribution patterns: P. cuvieri is more abundant in open and warmer habitats and occurs mostly in warmer areas in relation to its VTMax, whereas P. nattereri tends to be abundant in both open and non-open (and cooler) areas and occurs mostly in cooler areas regarding its VTMax. Our study indicates that differences in behavioral thermal tolerance may be important in shaping local and regional distribution patterns. Furthermore, small-scale habitat use might reveal a link between behavioral thermal tolerance and natural history strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Díaz-Ricaurte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Filipe C. Serrano
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
| | | | - Cybele Araujo
- Instituto Florestal, Seção de Animais Silvestres, Horto Florestal, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio Martins
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología y Biogeografía de Vertebrados, Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Amazónico (BYDA), Programa de Biología, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bourne AR, Cunningham SJ, Spottiswoode CN, Ridley AR. Hot droughts compromise interannual survival across all group sizes in a cooperatively breeding bird. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1776-1788. [PMID: 32945068 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting animal populations around the world and one relatively unexplored aspect of species vulnerability is whether and to what extent responses to environmental stressors might be mitigated by variation in group size in social species. We used a 15-year data set for a cooperatively breeding bird, the southern pied babbler Turdoides bicolor, to determine the impact of temperature, rainfall and group size on body mass change and interannual survival in both juveniles and adults. Hot and dry conditions were associated with reduced juvenile growth, mass loss in adults and compromised survival between years in both juveniles (86% reduction in interannual survival) and adults (60% reduction in interannual survival). Individuals across all group sizes experienced similar effects of climatic conditions. Larger group sizes may not buffer individual group members against the impacts of hot and dry conditions, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity in future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Bourne
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Susan J Cunningham
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Claire N Spottiswoode
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Recoder R, Prates I, Marques-Souza S, Camacho A, Nunes PMS, Dal Vechio F, Ghellere JM, McDiarmid RW, Rodrigues MT. Lizards from the Lost World: two new species and evolutionary relationships of the Pantepui highland Riolama (Gymnophthalmidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The Pantepui region of northern South America harbours an endemic fauna that differs dramatically from those of the surrounding lowland rainforests and savannas. A component of this unique fauna is Riolama, a poorly known genus of microteiid lizards with four described and two undescribed species restricted to tepui mountains. We here implement an integrative approach to formally describe the two unnamed species and investigate the phylogenetic relationships and timing of diversification in Riolama using a fossil-calibrated molecular approach. Our results suggest that diversification initiated in Riolama during the Oligocene (c. 28 Mya), thereby characterizing the genus as an ancient lineage. This supports the Plateau biogeographic hypothesis to explain the diversification of the Pantepui fauna. Our divergence time estimation analysis also provides an updated temporal framework for the diversification of the highly diverse Gymnophthalmidae clade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renato Recoder
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivan Prates
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sergio Marques-Souza
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Agustín Camacho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro M Sales Nunes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Francisco Dal Vechio
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Mario Ghellere
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roy W McDiarmid
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Qu YF, Wiens JJ. Higher temperatures lower rates of physiological and niche evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200823. [PMID: 32673554 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding rates and patterns of change in physiological and climatic-niche variables is of urgent importance as many species are increasingly threatened by rising global temperatures. Here, we broadly test several fundamental hypotheses about physiological and niche evolution for the first time (with appropriate phylogenetic methods), using published data from 2059 vertebrate species. Our main results show that: (i) physiological tolerances to heat evolve more slowly than those to cold, (ii) the hottest climatic-niche temperatures change more slowly than the coldest climatic-niche temperatures, and (iii) physiological tolerances to heat and cold evolve more slowly than the corresponding climatic-niche variables. Physiological tolerances are significantly and positively related to the corresponding climatic-niche variables, but species often occur in climates outside the range of these tolerances. However, mismatches between climate and physiology do not necessarily mean that the climatic-niche data are misleading. Instead, some standard physiological variables used in vertebrates (i.e. critical thermal maxima and minima) may reflect when species are active (daily, seasonally) and their local-scale microhabitats (sun versus shade), rather than their large-scale climatic distributions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Taylor EN, Diele‐Viegas LM, Gangloff EJ, Hall JM, Halpern B, Massey MD, Rödder D, Rollinson N, Spears S, Sun B, Telemeco RS. The thermal ecology and physiology of reptiles and amphibians: A user's guide. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 335:13-44. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily N. Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California
| | | | | | - Joshua M. Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama
| | | | - Melanie D. Massey
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
| | - Dennis Rödder
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Njal Rollinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto St. Toronto Ontario Canada
- School of the Environment University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Sierra Spears
- Department of Zoology Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware Ohio
| | - Bao‐jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Rory S. Telemeco
- Department of Biology California State University Fresno California
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Aparicio Ramirez A, Perez K, Telemeco RS. Thermoregulation and thermal performance of crested geckos (
Correlophus ciliatus
) suggest an extended optimality hypothesis for the evolution of thermoregulatory set‐points. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 335:86-95. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karina Perez
- Department of Biology California State University Fresno Fresno California
| | - Rory S. Telemeco
- Department of Biology California State University Fresno Fresno California
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ivey KN, Cornwall M, Crowell H, Ghazian N, Nix E, Owen M, Zuliani M, Lortie CJ, Westphal M, Taylor E. Thermal ecology of the federally endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard ( Gambelia sila). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa014. [PMID: 33649711 PMCID: PMC7047230 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing how climate change will impact populations can aid in making decisions about approaches for conservation of endangered species. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is a federally endangered species that, despite protection, remains in extremely arid, hot areas and may be at risk of extirpation due to climate change. We collected data on the field-active body temperatures, preferred body temperatures and upper thermal tolerance of G. sila. We then described available thermal habitat using biophysical models, which allowed us to (i) describe patterns in lizard body temperatures, microhabitat temperatures and lizard microhabitat use; (ii) quantify the lizards' thermoregulatory accuracy; (iii) calculate the number of hours they are currently thermally restricted in microhabitat use; (iv) project how the number of restricted hours will change in the future as ambient temperatures rise; and (v) assess the importance of giant kangaroo rat burrows and shade-providing shrubs in the current and projected future thermal ecology of G. sila. Lizards maintained fairly consistent daytime body temperatures over the course of the active season, and use of burrows and shrubs increased as the season progressed and ambient temperatures rose. During the hottest part of the year, lizards shuttled among kangaroo rat burrows, shrubs, and open habitat to maintain body temperatures below their upper thermal tolerance, but, occasionally, higher than their preferred body temperature range. Lizards are restricted from staying in the open habitat for 75% of daylight hours and are forced to seek refuge under shrubs or burrows to avoid surpassing their upper thermal threshold. After applying climatic projections of 1 and 2°C increases to 2018 ambient temperatures, G. sila will lose additional hours of activity time that could compound stressors faced by this population, potentially leading to extirpation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen N Ivey
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-0401, USA
| | - Margaret Cornwall
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-0401, USA
| | - Hayley Crowell
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-0401, USA
| | - Nargol Ghazian
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Emmeleia Nix
- Central Coast Field Office, US Bureau of Land Management, 940 2nd Ave. Marina, CA 93933, USA
| | - Malory Owen
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Mario Zuliani
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Christopher J Lortie
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J1P3, Canada
| | - Michael Westphal
- Central Coast Field Office, US Bureau of Land Management, 940 2nd Ave. Marina, CA 93933, USA
| | - Emily Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-0401, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Loughran CL, Wolf BO. The functional significance of panting as a mechanism of thermoregulation and its relationship to the critical thermal maxima in lizards. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb.224139. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.224139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Because most desert-dwelling lizards rely primarily on behavioral thermoregulation for the maintenance of active body temperatures, the effectiveness of panting as a thermoregulatory mechanism for evaporative cooling has not been widely explored. We measured changes in body temperature (Tb) with increasing air temperature (Ta) for seventeen species of lizards that range across New Mexico and Arizona and quantified the temperatures associated with the onset of panting, the capacity of individuals to depress Tb below Ta while panting and estimated the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) for each individual. We examined these variables as a function of phylogeny, body mass, and local acclimatization temperature. We found that many species can depress Tb 2-3°C below Ta while panting, and the capacity to do so appears to be a function of each species’ ecology and thermal environment, rather than phylogeny. Panting thresholds and CTmax’s are phylogenetically conserved within groups. Understanding the functional significance of panting and its potential importance as a thermoregulatory mechanism will improve our understanding of the potential for species’ persistence in an increasingly warmer world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caleb L. Loughran
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| | - Blair O. Wolf
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Angilletta MJ, Sears MW, Levy O, Youngblood JP, VandenBrooks JM. Fundamental Flaws with the Fundamental Niche. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:1038-1048. [PMID: 31141123 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For more than 70 years, Hutchinson's concept of the fundamental niche has guided ecological research. Hutchinson envisioned the niche as a multidimensional hypervolume relating the fitness of an organism to relevant environmental factors. Here, we challenge the utility of the concept to modern ecologists, based on its inability to account for environmental variation and phenotypic plasticity. We have ample evidence that the frequency, duration, and sequence of abiotic stress influence the survivorship and performance of organisms. Recent work shows that organisms also respond to the spatial configuration of abiotic conditions. Spatiotemporal variation of the environment interacts with the genotype to generate a unique phenotype at each life stage. These dynamics cannot be captured adequately by a multidimensional hypervolume. Therefore, we recommend that ecologists abandon the niche as a tool for predicting the persistence of species and embrace mechanistic models of population growth that incorporate spatiotemporal dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael W Sears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Ofir Levy
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pregnancy reduces critical thermal maximum, but not voluntary thermal maximum, in a viviparous skink. J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:611-621. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
31
|
Chukwuka CO, Virens J, Cree A. Accuracy of an inexpensive, compact infrared thermometer for measuring skin surface temperature of small lizards. J Therm Biol 2019; 84:285-291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
32
|
Wiens JJ, Camacho A, Goldberg A, Jezkova T, Kaplan ME, Lambert SM, Miller EC, Streicher JW, Walls RL. Climate change, extinction, and Sky Island biogeography in a montane lizard. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2610-2624. [PMID: 30843297 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Around the world, many species are confined to "Sky Islands," with different populations in isolated patches of montane habitat. How does this pattern arise? One scenario is that montane species were widespread in lowlands when climates were cooler, and were isolated by local extinction caused by warming conditions. This scenario implies that many montane species may be highly susceptible to anthropogenic warming. Here, we test this scenario in a montane lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii) from the Madrean Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona. We combined data from field surveys, climate, population genomics, and physiology. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that this species' current distribution is explained by local extinction caused by past climate change. However, our results for this species differ from simple expectations in several ways: (a) their absence at lower elevations is related to warm winter temperatures, not hot summer temperatures; (b) they appear to exclude a low-elevation congener from higher elevations, not the converse; (c) they are apparently absent from many climatically suitable but low mountain ranges, seemingly "pushed off the top" by climates even warmer than those today; (d) despite the potential for dispersal among ranges during recent glacial periods (~18,000 years ago), populations in different ranges diverged ~4.5-0.5 million years ago and remained largely distinct; and (e) body temperatures are inversely related to climatic temperatures among sites. These results may have implications for many other Sky Island systems. More broadly, we suggest that Sky Island species may be relevant for predicting responses to future warming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Agustín Camacho
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aaron Goldberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Tereza Jezkova
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
| | - Matthew E Kaplan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Functional Genomics Core, Arizona Research Laboratories, Research, Discovery & Innovation, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Shea M Lambert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Elizabeth C Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Jeffrey W Streicher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Ramona L Walls
- CyVerse, Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Senior AF, Atkins ZS, Clemann N, Gardner MG, Schroder M, While GM, Wong BBM, Chapple DG. Variation in thermal biology of three closely related lizard species along an elevation gradient. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna F Senior
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Zak S Atkins
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Nick Clemann
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael G Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Mellesa Schroder
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Southern Ranges Branch, Jindabyne, NSW, Australia
| | - Geoffrey M While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Stillman JH. Heat Waves, the New Normal: Summertime Temperature Extremes Will Impact Animals, Ecosystems, and Human Communities. Physiology (Bethesda) 2019; 34:86-100. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00040.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A consequence of climate change is the increased frequency and severity of extreme heat waves. This is occurring now as most of the warmest summers and most intense heat waves ever recorded have been during the past decade. In this review, I describe the ways in which animals and human populations are likely to respond to increased extreme heat, suggest how to study those responses, and reflect on the importance of those studies for countering the devastating impacts of climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon H. Stillman
- Estuary and Ocean Science Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Westphal MF, Noble T, Butterfield HS, Lortie CJ. A test of desert shrub facilitation via radiotelemetric monitoring of a diurnal lizard. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12153-12162. [PMID: 30598807 PMCID: PMC6303751 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Preservation of desert ecosystems is a worldwide conservation priority. Shrubs can play a key role in the structure of desert communities and can function as foundation species. Understanding desert shrub ecology is therefore an important task in desert conservation. A useful model for the function of shrubs in deserts is ecological facilitation, which explores benefits that shrubs confer on their community. Facilitation has been well developed in the context of shrub-plant interactions but less well studied for plant-animal interactions. We used radiotelemetry to test the hypothesis that a dominant desert shrub facilitates one species of diurnal lizard. We hypothesized that the blunt-nosed leopard lizard Gambelia sila would spend some part of its daily activity cycle associated with California jointfir Ephedra californica, and that lizard association with shrubs would increase during the afternoon peak temperature period. We relocated lizards three times daily for 24 days and scored whether lizards were within 0.5 m of a shrub, which we used as an indicator of shrub association. For each relocation, we also scored lizard association with a set of predefined microhabitat features. We also scored lizard behavior according to a set of predefined behavioral traits. We constructed home ranges following the minimum convex polygon method and generated estimates of shrub density and relative shrub area within each home range polygon. We obtained 1,190 datapoints from a sample of 27 lizards. We found that lizards were associated with open sites significantly more often than with shrubs but were associated with shrubs more than predicted by percent shrub area within their home ranges. Lizards were associated significantly more often under shrubs during the afternoon peak temperature period, and lizards were observed cooling under shrubs significantly more often. The frequency of association of individual lizards with shrubs was not correlated with the density of shrubs within their home range. Synthesis and Applications. Shrubs can be considered as a component of high-quality habitat for ectothermic desert vertebrates for the purposes of restoration and management. Furthermore, radiotelemetry provides a novel methodological approach for assessing shrub-animal facilitative interactions within desert communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Taylor Noble
- Department of BiologyYork UniversityTorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|