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Levy O, Shahar S. Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Biology: From Data Collection to Predictions. Integr Comp Biol 2024; 64:953-974. [PMID: 39081076 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icae127] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the era of big data, ecological research is experiencing a transformative shift, yet big-data advancements in thermal ecology and the study of animal responses to climate conditions remain limited. This review discusses how big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance our understanding of microclimates and animal behaviors under changing climatic conditions. We explore AI's potential to refine microclimate models and analyze data from advanced sensors and camera technologies, which capture detailed, high-resolution information. This integration can allow researchers to dissect complex ecological and physiological processes with unprecedented precision. We describe how AI can enhance microclimate modeling through improved bias correction and downscaling techniques, providing more accurate estimates of the conditions that animals face under various climate scenarios. Additionally, we explore AI's capabilities in tracking animal responses to these conditions, particularly through innovative classification models that utilize sensors such as accelerometers and acoustic loggers. For example, the widespread usage of camera traps can benefit from AI-driven image classification models to accurately identify thermoregulatory responses, such as shade usage and panting. AI is therefore instrumental in monitoring how animals interact with their environments, offering vital insights into their adaptive behaviors. Finally, we discuss how these advanced data-driven approaches can inform and enhance conservation strategies. In particular, detailed mapping of microhabitats essential for species survival under adverse conditions can guide the design of climate-resilient conservation and restoration programs that prioritize habitat features crucial for biodiversity resilience. In conclusion, the convergence of AI, big data, and ecological science heralds a new era of precision conservation, essential for addressing the global environmental challenges of the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofir Levy
- Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Shimon Shahar
- Tel Aviv University, The AI and Data Science Center, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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Abstract
Ambient temperature (Ta) is a critical abiotic factor for insects that cannot maintain a constant body temperature (Tb). Interestingly, Ta varies during the day, between seasons and habitats; insects must constantly cope with these variations to avoid reaching the deleterious effects of thermal stress. To minimize these risks, insects have evolved a set of physiological and behavioral thermoregulatory processes as well as molecular responses that allow them to survive and perform under various thermal conditions. These strategies range from actively seeking an adequate environment, to cooling down through the evaporation of body fluids and synthesizing heat shock proteins to prevent damage at the cellular level after heat exposure. In contrast, endothermy may allow an insect to fight parasitic infections, fly within a large range of Ta and facilitate nest defense. Since May (1979), Casey (1988) and Heinrich (1993) reviewed the literature on insect thermoregulation, hundreds of scientific articles have been published on the subject and new insights in several insect groups have emerged. In particular, technical advancements have provided a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying thermoregulatory processes. This present Review aims to provide an overview of these findings with a focus on various insect groups, including blood-feeding arthropods, as well as to explore the impact of thermoregulation and heat exposure on insect immunity and pathogen development. Finally, it provides insights into current knowledge gaps in the field and discusses insect thermoregulation in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Lahondère
- Department of Biochemistry, The Fralin Life Science Institute, The Global Change Center, Department of Entomology, Center of Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Tregenza T, Rodríguez-Muñoz R, Boonekamp JJ, Hopwood PE, Sørensen JG, Bechsgaard J, Settepani V, Hegde V, Waldie C, May E, Peters C, Pennington Z, Leone P, Munk EM, Greenrod STE, Gosling J, Coles H, Gruffydd R, Capria L, Potter L, Bilde T. Evidence for genetic isolation and local adaptation in the field cricket Gryllus campestris. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1624-1636. [PMID: 34378263 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how species can thrive in a range of environments is a central challenge for evolutionary ecology. There is strong evidence for local adaptation along large-scale ecological clines in insects. However, potential adaptation among neighbouring populations differing in their environment has been studied much less. We used RAD sequencing to quantify genetic divergence and clustering of ten populations of the field cricket Gryllus campestris in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, and an outgroup on the inland plain. Our populations were chosen to represent replicate high and low altitude habitats. We identified genetic clusters that include both high and low altitude populations indicating that the two habitat types do not hold ancestrally distinct lineages. Using common-garden rearing experiments to remove environmental effects, we found evidence for differences between high and low altitude populations in physiological and life-history traits. As predicted by the local adaptation hypothesis, crickets with parents from cooler (high altitude) populations recovered from periods of extreme cooling more rapidly than those with parents from warmer (low altitude) populations. Growth rates also differed between offspring from high and low altitude populations. However, contrary to our prediction that crickets from high altitudes would grow faster, the most striking difference was that at high temperatures, growth was fastest in individuals from low altitudes. Our findings reveal that populations a few tens of kilometres apart have independently evolved adaptations to their environment. This suggests that local adaptation in a range of traits may be commonplace even in mobile invertebrates at scales of a small fraction of species' distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Tregenza
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Jelle J Boonekamp
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul E Hopwood
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jesper Givskov Sørensen
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jesper Bechsgaard
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Virginia Settepani
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Vinayaka Hegde
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Callum Waldie
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Emma May
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Caleb Peters
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Zinnia Pennington
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Paola Leone
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Emil M Munk
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Samuel T E Greenrod
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Joe Gosling
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Harry Coles
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Rhodri Gruffydd
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Loris Capria
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Laura Potter
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Trine Bilde
- Genetics, Ecology & Evolution Section, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Gerber L, Kresse JC, Šimek P, Berková P, Overgaard J. Cold acclimation preserves hindgut reabsorption capacity at low temperature in a chill-susceptible insect, Locusta migratoria. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 252:110850. [PMID: 33221397 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cold acclimation increases cold tolerance of chill-susceptible insects and the acclimation response often involves improved organismal ion balance and osmoregulatory function at low temperature. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying plasticity of ion regulatory capacity are largely unresolved. Here we used Ussing chambers to explore the effects of cold exposure on hindgut KCl reabsorption in cold- (11 °C) and warm-acclimated (30 °C) Locusta migratoria. Cooling (from 30 to 10 °C) reduced active reabsorption across recta from warm-acclimated locusts, while recta from cold-acclimated locusts maintained reabsorption at 10 °C. The differences in transport capacity were not linked to major rearrangements of membrane phospholipid profiles. Yet, the stimulatory effect of two signal transduction pathways were altered by temperature and/or acclimation. cAMP-stimulation increased reabsorption in both acclimation groups, with a strong stimulatory effect at 30 °C and a moderate stimulatory effect at 10 °C. cGMP-stimulation also increased reabsorption in both acclimation groups at 30 °C, but their response to cGMP differed at 10 °C. Recta from warm-acclimated locusts, characterised by reduced reabsorption at 10 °C, recovered reabsorption capacity following cGMP-stimulation at 10 °C. In contrast, recta from cold-acclimated locusts, characterised by sustained reabsorption at 10 °C, were unaffected by cGMP-stimulation. Furthermore, cold-exposed recta from warm-acclimated locusts were insensitive to bafilomycin-α1, a V-type H+-ATPase inhibitor, whereas this blocker reduced reabsorption across cold-exposed recta from cold-acclimated animals. In conclusion, bafilomycin-sensitive and cGMP-dependent transport mechanism(s) are likely blocked during cold exposure in warm-acclimated animals while preserved in cold-acclimated animals. These may in part explain the large differences in rectal ion transport capacity between acclimation groups at low temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Gerber
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Jean-Claude Kresse
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Petr Šimek
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Berková
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Johannes Overgaard
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Sun B, Huebner C, Treidel LA, Clark RM, Roberts KT, Kenagy GJ, Williams CM. Nocturnal dispersal flight of crickets: Behavioural and physiological responses to cool environmental temperatures. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bao‐Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing People's Republic of China
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | | | - Lisa A. Treidel
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Rebecca M. Clark
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
- Biology Department Siena College Loudonville NY USA
| | - Kevin T. Roberts
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - G. J. Kenagy
- Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
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