1
|
Lara-Reséndiz RA, Sánchez JM, Paez RS, Muñiz-Leão S, Colli GR, Miles DB, Sinervo B, Pelegrin N. Hot, dry, and salty: The present and future of an Extremophile model lizard from Argentina. J Therm Biol 2024; 123:103917. [PMID: 38991264 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103917] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Global warming poses a threat to lizard populations by raising ambient temperatures above historical norms and reducing thermoregulation opportunities. Whereas the reptile fauna of desert systems is relatively well studied, the lizard fauna of saline environments has not received much attention and-to our knowledge-thermal ecology and the effects of global warming on lizards from saline environments have not been yet addressed. This pioneer study investigates the thermal ecology, locomotor performance and potential effects of climate warming on Liolaemus ditadai, a lizard endemic to one of the largest salt flats on Earth. We sampled L. ditadai using traps and active searches along its known distribution, as well as in other areas within Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta, where the species had not been previously recorded. Using ensemble models (GAM, MARS, RandomForest), we modeled climatically suitable habitats for L. ditadai in the present and under a pessimistic future scenario (SSP585, 2070). L. ditadai emerges as an efficient thermoregulator, tolerating temperatures near its upper thermal limits. Our ecophysiological model suggests that available activity hours predict its distribution, and the projected temperature increase due to global climate change should minimally impact its persistence or may even have a positive effect on suitable thermal habitat. However, this theoretical increase in habitat could be linked to the distribution of halophilous scrub in the future. Our surveys reveal widespread distribution along the borders of Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta, suggesting a potential presence along the entire border of both salt plains wherever halophytic vegetation exists. Optimistic model results, extended distribution, and no evidence of flood-related adverse effects offer insights into assessing the conservation status of L. ditadai, making it and the Salinas Grandes system suitable models for studying lizard ecophysiology in largely unknown saline environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael A Lara-Reséndiz
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 85000, Cd. Obregón, Sonora, Mexico; Laboratorio Nacional Conahcyt de Biología del Cambio Climático, Mexico
| | - José M Sánchez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Romina S Paez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Suelem Muñiz-Leão
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, X5000AVP, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Donald B Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Nicolás Pelegrin
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Moreno-Arias RA, Méndez-Galeano MA, Beltrán I, Vargas-Ramírez M. Revealing anole diversity in the highlands of the Northern Andes: New and resurrected species of the Anolis heterodermus species group. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e94265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The Anolis heterodermus group comprises eight big-headed and short-legged lizard species from the highlands of the northernmost South American Andes. Recent studies revealed unknown lineages within this group that had previously been categorized as a species complex. By widely sampling and applying an integrative taxonomic framework, we (1) assessed the species diversity of the group using a molecular dataset (two mitochondrial and one nuclear markers) along with an inclusive morphological study (scalation, scale configuration and ornamentation, morphometrics, and dewlap and body colour patterns); and (2) we inferred the evolutionary relationships within this species group. Our analyses confirmed the formerly reported differentiation between populations of those high-altitude lizards, and we identified several unknown evolutionary lineages. Our results provided evidence for the existence of nine distinct, independently evolving evolutionary lineages in the heterodermus group. As a result, we described two morphologically and genetically highly distinct lineages as species new to science (A. quimbayasp. nov. and A. tequendamasp. nov.). We redescribed A. heterodermus and erected as a valid species Anolis richteri, a previously described synonym of A. heterodermus. A taxonomic key for the identification of species of the Phenacosaurus clade was presented. The identification of two additional poorly-known lineages suggested that the diversity of this group of lizards is still unknown; therefore, it is necessary to establish measurements for the group´s conservation, as well as to perform fieldwork and revision of herpetological collections to identify possible hidden diversity within the group.
Collapse
|
4
|
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
|
5
|
Higgins EA, Boyd DS, Brown TW, Owen SC, Algar AC. Disentangling controls on animal abundance: Prey availability, thermal habitat, and microhabitat structure. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11414-11424. [PMID: 34429929 PMCID: PMC8366856 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of what controls animal abundance has always been fundamental to ecology, but given rapid environmental change, understanding the drivers and mechanisms governing abundance is more important than ever. Here, we determine how multidimensional environments and niches interact to determine population abundance along a tropical habitat gradient. Focusing on the endemic lizard Anolis bicaorum on the island of Utila (Honduras), we evaluate direct and indirect effects of three interacting niche axes on abundance: thermal habitat quality, structural habitat quality, and prey availability. We measured A. bicaorum abundance across a series of thirteen plots and used N-mixture models and path analysis to disentangle direct and indirect effects of these factors. Results showed that thermal habitat quality and prey biomass both had positive direct effects on anole abundance. However, thermal habitat quality also influenced prey biomass, leading to a strong indirect effect on abundance. Thermal habitat quality was primarily a function of canopy density, measured as leaf area index (LAI). Despite having little direct effect on abundance, LAI had a strong overall effect mediated by thermal quality and prey biomass. Our results demonstrate the role of multidimensional environments and niche interactions in determining animal abundance and highlight the need to consider interactions between thermal niches and trophic interactions to understand variation in abundance, rather than focusing solely on changes in the physical environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tom W. Brown
- School of GeographyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- Kanahau Utila Research and Conservation FacilityIsla de Utila, Islas de BahiaHonduras
| | - Sarah C. Owen
- School of GeographyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Adam C. Algar
- Department of BiologyLakehead UniversityThunder BayONCanada
| |
Collapse
|