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Hensley VR, Tan EH, Gagne E, Levesque DL. Assessing responses to heat in a range-shifting, nocturnal, flying squirrel. J Mammal 2024; 105:899-909. [PMID: 39081264 PMCID: PMC11285193 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyae041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last few decades North American flying squirrels (Glaucomys spp.) have experienced dramatic northward range shifts. Previous studies have focused on the potential effects of warming winter temperatures, yet the hypothesis that rising summer temperature had a role in these range shifts remained unexplored. We therefore sought to determine the effect of high environmental temperatures on the thermoregulation and energetics of flying squirrels in an area of the Northeast of North America with a recent species turnover. Unable to find a logistically feasible population of the northern species (Glaucomys sabrinus), we focused on Southern Flying Squirrels (G. volans). Using flow-through respirometry, we measured the relationship between metabolic rate, evaporative water loss, and body temperature at high ambient temperatures. We also measured core body temperature in free-ranging flying squirrels using temperature-sensitive data loggers. We detected no significant increase in metabolic rate up to ambient temperatures as high as 40 °C. However, evaporative water loss increased at temperatures above 36.2 °C. Free-ranging body temperature of flying squirrels followed a circadian pattern with a ~2 °C difference between active and resting phase modal body temperatures. Rest-phase body temperatures were influenced by environmental temperatures with higher resting temperatures observed on days with higher daily maximum ambient temperatures but not to an extent that energy or water costs were significantly increased during rest. We found that, due to a relatively high level of thermal tolerance, high ambient temperatures are unlikely to cause an energetic strain on Southern Flying Squirrels. However, these findings do not preclude negative impacts of high ambient temperatures on the northern species, and these may still play a role in the changing distributions of Glaucomys in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa R Hensley
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States
| | - Ek Han Tan
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States
| | - Emily Gagne
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States
- Departments of Biology and Anthropology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Danielle L Levesque
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States
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2
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Mitchell D, Maloney SK, Snelling EP, Carvalho Fonsêca VDF, Fuller A. Measurement of microclimates in a warming world: problems and solutions. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246481. [PMID: 38958209 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246481] [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: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
As the world warms, it will be tempting to relate the biological responses of terrestrial animals to air temperature. But air temperature typically plays a lesser role in the heat exchange of those animals than does radiant heat. Under radiant load, animals can gain heat even when body surface temperature exceeds air temperature. However, animals can buffer the impacts of radiant heat exposure: burrows and other refuges may block solar radiant heat fully, but trees and agricultural shelters provide only partial relief. For animals that can do so effectively, evaporative cooling will be used to dissipate body heat. Evaporative cooling is dependent directly on the water vapour pressure difference between the body surface and immediate surroundings, but only indirectly on relative humidity. High relative humidity at high air temperature implies a high water vapour pressure, but evaporation into air with 100% relative humidity is not impossible. Evaporation is enhanced by wind, but the wind speed reported by meteorological services is not that experienced by animals; instead, the wind, air temperature, humidity and radiation experienced is that of the animal's microclimate. In this Commentary, we discuss how microclimate should be quantified to ensure accurate assessment of an animal's thermal environment. We propose that the microclimate metric of dry heat load to which the biological responses of animals should be related is black-globe temperature measured on or near the animal, and not air temperature. Finally, when analysing those responses, the metric of humidity should be water vapour pressure, not relative humidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Mitchell
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Shane K Maloney
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Edward P Snelling
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, and Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa
| | - Vinícius de França Carvalho Fonsêca
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Animal Biometeorology Laboratory, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, SP - CEP 01049-010, Brazil
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
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3
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Findlay-Robinson R, Hill DL. Hibernation nest site selection but not overwinter activity is associated with microclimatic conditions in a hibernating mammal. J Therm Biol 2024; 123:103909. [PMID: 39084175 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103909] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Fine-scale variation in microclimates between habitats may impact energy consumption for the organisms that inhabit them. This may be particularly important for sedentary species or those unable to change habitats for long periods, such as hibernators. Low ambient temperatures were traditionally thought key to microclimatic selection for hibernation locations, but recent research suggests that other factors may contribute or exceed ambient temperature in importance. We aimed to characterise microclimates at hibernacula of wild hibernating hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius, and test how these microclimates differ to those at locations without hibernacula using a microclimatic modelling approach. Dormice hibernated in areas with warmer soil temperatures and lower variability in humidity and relative shortwave radiation. These results add to the growing body of evidence that low ambient temperatures may not be the primary driver of hibernation microclimate selection, although temperature is still likely to play an important role. We also found that ambient temperatures measured at the microclimatic level were substantially buffered compared to point samples taken at the nearest weather station (∼1.6 km away), highlighting the importance of considering microclimates in wildlife conservation in the face of future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Findlay-Robinson
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Cumbria, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9BB, UK.
| | - Davina L Hill
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa.
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4
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Imani N, Vale B. Developing a Method to Connect Thermal Physiology in Animals and Plants to the Design of Energy Efficient Buildings. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:67. [PMID: 35735583 PMCID: PMC9220311 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7020067] [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: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms to building design solutions can improve energy performance. In the context of bio-inspired thermoregulation several worthwhile attempts have been made to develop a framework for finding relevant thermal adaptation mechanisms in nature as inspiration for architectural design. However, almost all of these have followed a solution-based approach despite the problem-solving nature of architectural design. Given this, this research set out to take a problem-based approach to biomimetic design. The aim was to investigate the most effective way of accessing biological thermoregulatory solutions to assist architects in finding relevant biological inspirations for the thermal design of buildings. This required the development of an optimal structure for categorizing thermoregulatory mechanisms that could then be used as part of a framework for finding appropriate mechanisms for a particular architectural design problem. This development began with a three-step literature review to find, study, generalize and categorize a comprehensive list of thermal adaptation mechanisms used by animals and plants. This article describes how this literature review was carried out leading to the identification of nine main themes which were analysed for their practicality in informing the structure of the proposed framework. The selected themes were built around the common aspects of biology and architecture, and hence facilitated the categorization of biological thermoregulation mechanisms. This article thus explains the steps taken to develop a structure for generalizing and categorizing thermal adaptation strategies in nature. This article does not report on the list of thermal adaptation mechanisms identified in step 2 of the literature review. Instead, it presents the literature review workflow with a focus on step 3. Given that, discussion of the thermal adaptation mechanisms falls outside the scope of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Imani
- Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand;
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5
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Tamian A, Viblanc VA, Dobson FS, Neuhaus P, Hammer TL, Nesterova AP, Raveh S, Skibiel AL, Broussard D, Manno TG, Rajamani N, Saraux C. Integrating microclimatic variation in phenological responses to climate change: A 28‐year study in a hibernating mammal. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anouch Tamian
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
| | - Vincent A. Viblanc
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
| | - F. Stephen Dobson
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
| | - Peter Neuhaus
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Canada
| | - Tracey L. Hammer
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Canada
| | | | - Shirley Raveh
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Amy L. Skibiel
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - David Broussard
- Department of Biology Lycoming College Williamsport Pennsylvania USA
| | - Theodore G. Manno
- Science Department Catalina Foothills High School Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Nandini Rajamani
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati Andhra Pradesh India
| | - Claire Saraux
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
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6
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Nadeau CP, Giacomazzo A, Urban MC. Cool microrefugia accumulate and conserve biodiversity under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3222-3235. [PMID: 35226784 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16143] [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: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in climate change biology is to explain why the impacts of climate change vary around the globe. Microclimates could explain some of this variation, but climate change biologists often overlook microclimates because they are difficult to map. Here, we map microclimates in a freshwater rock pool ecosystem and evaluate how accounting for microclimates alters predictions of climate change impacts on aquatic invertebrates. We demonstrate that average maximum temperature during the growing season can differ by 9.9-11.6°C among microclimates less than a meter apart and this microclimate variation might increase by 21% in the future if deeper pools warm less than shallower pools. Accounting for this microclimate variation significantly alters predictions of climate change impacts on aquatic invertebrates. Predictions that exclude microclimates predict low future occupancy (0.08-0.32) and persistence probabilities (2%-73%) for cold-adapted taxa, and therefore predict decreases in gamma richness and a substantial shift toward warm-adapted taxa in local communities (i.e., thermophilization). However, predictions incorporating microclimates suggest cool locations will remain suitable for cold-adapted taxa in the future, no change in gamma richness, and 825% less thermophilization. Our models also suggest that cool locations will become suitable for warm-adapted taxa and will therefore accumulate biodiversity in the future, which makes cool locations essential for biodiversity conservation. Simulated protection of the 10 coolest microclimates (9% of locations on the landscape) results in a 100% chance of conserving all focal taxa in the future. In contrast, protecting the 10 currently most biodiverse locations, a commonly employed conservation strategy, results in a 3% chance of conserving all focal taxa in the future. Our study suggests that we must account for microclimates if we hope to understand the future impacts of climate change and design effective conservation strategies to limit biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Nadeau
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anjelica Giacomazzo
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mark C Urban
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Center for Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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7
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Buchinger TJ, Hondorp DW, Krueger CC. Local diversity in phenological responses of migratory lake sturgeon to warm winters. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Buchinger
- Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center Ann Arbor MI USA
| | | | - Charles C. Krueger
- Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
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8
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Paudel Timilsena B, Niassy S, Kimathi E, Abdel-Rahman EM, Seidl-Adams I, Wamalwa M, Tonnang HEZ, Ekesi S, Hughes DP, Rajotte EG, Subramanian S. Potential distribution of fall armyworm in Africa and beyond, considering climate change and irrigation patterns. Sci Rep 2022; 12:539. [PMID: 35017586 PMCID: PMC8752590 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04369-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW), first invaded Africa in 2016 and has since become established in many areas across the continent where it poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security. We re-parameterized the existing CLIMEX model to assess the FAW global invasion threat, emphasizing the risk of transient and permanent population establishment in Africa under current and projected future climates, considering irrigation patterns. FAW can establish itself in almost all countries in eastern and central Africa and a large part of western Africa under the current climate. Climatic barriers, such as heat and dry stresses, may limit the spread of FAW to North and South Africa. Future projections suggest that FAW invasive range will retract from both northern and southern regions towards the equator. However, a large area in eastern and central Africa is projected to have an optimal climate for FAW persistence. These areas will serve as FAW 'hotspots' from where it may migrate to the north and south during favorable seasons and then pose an economic threat. Our projections can be used to identify countries at risk for permanent and transient FAW-population establishment and inform timely integrated pest management interventions under present and future climate in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipana Paudel Timilsena
- Chemical Ecology Lab, Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, Orchard Road, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Saliou Niassy
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Emily Kimathi
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Irmgard Seidl-Adams
- Chemical Ecology Lab, Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, Orchard Road, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mark Wamalwa
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Henri E Z Tonnang
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sunday Ekesi
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David P Hughes
- Chemical Ecology Lab, Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, Orchard Road, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Edwin G Rajotte
- Chemical Ecology Lab, Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, Orchard Road, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sevgan Subramanian
- International Center for Insect Physiology and Chemical Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
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9
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Genome-wide analysis reveals associations between climate and regional patterns of adaptive divergence and dispersal in American pikas. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:443-454. [PMID: 34537819 PMCID: PMC8551249 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of adaptation in species' responses to climate change is important for evaluating the evolutionary potential of populations and informing conservation efforts. Population genomics provides a useful approach for identifying putative signatures of selection and the underlying environmental factors or biological processes that may be involved. Here, we employed a population genomic approach within a space-for-time study design to investigate the genetic basis of local adaptation and reconstruct patterns of movement across rapidly changing environments in a thermally sensitive mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Using genotypic data at 49,074 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we analyzed patterns of genome-wide diversity, structure, and migration along three independent elevational transects located at the northern extent (Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada) and core (North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA) of the Cascades lineage. We identified 899 robust outlier SNPs within- and among-transects. Of those annotated to genes with known function, many were linked with cellular processes related to climate stress including ATP-binding, ATP citrate synthase activity, ATPase activity, hormone activity, metal ion-binding, and protein-binding. Moreover, we detected evidence for contrasting patterns of directional migration along transects across geographic regions that suggest an increased propensity for American pikas to disperse among lower elevation populations at higher latitudes where environments are generally cooler. Ultimately, our data indicate that fine-scale demographic patterns and adaptive processes may vary among populations of American pikas, providing an important context for evaluating biotic responses to climate change in this species and other alpine-adapted mammals.
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10
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Drechsler M, Gerling C, Keuler K, Leins J, Sturm A, Wätzold F. A quantitative approach for the design of robust and cost-effective conservation policies under uncertain climate change: The case of grasshopper conservation in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 296:113201. [PMID: 34252853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate is a major determinant of the world's distribution of biodiversity and species ranges are expected to shift as the climate changes. For conservation policies to be cost-effective in the long run these changes need to be taken into account. To some extent, policies can be adapted over time, but transaction costs, lock-in effects and path dependence limit the extent to which such adaptation is possible. Thus it is desirable that conservation policies be designed so that they are cost-effective in the long run even without future adaptations. Given that the future climate change is highly uncertain, the policies need to be robust to climatic uncertainty. In this paper we present an approach for the robustness analysis with regard to the cost-effectiveness of conservation policies in the face of uncertain climate change. The approach is applied to the conservation of a grasshopper species in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. For the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of considered policies we develop a climate-ecological-economic model. We show that in the near future all considered policies have a similar level of robustness, while in the more distant future the policies differ substantially in their robustness and a trade-off emerges between the expected performance and robustness of a policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Drechsler
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Charlotte Gerling
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Chair of Environmental Economics, Erich-Weinert-Str. 1, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Klaus Keuler
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Chair of Environmental Meteorology, Erich-Weinert-Str. 1, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Johannes Leins
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Astrid Sturm
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Chair of Environmental Economics, Erich-Weinert-Str. 1, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Frank Wätzold
- Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Chair of Environmental Economics, Erich-Weinert-Str. 1, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
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11
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Occurrence of favorable local habitat conditions in an atypical landscape: Evidence of Japanese pika microrefugia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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12
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Bartolini F, Giomi F. Microclimate drives intraspecific thermal specialization: conservation perspectives in freshwater habitats. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab006. [PMID: 33880183 PMCID: PMC8043256 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endemic and relict species are often confined to ecological refugia or over fragmented distributions, representing priority conservation subjects. Within these sites, the individual population may realize distinct niches to a varying degree of specialization. An emblematic example is provided by freshwater species segregated in thermal-mineral springs, where individuals may face highly diverse microclimates in limited geographic areas. Downscaling the characterization of physiological traits to microclimatic niches becomes pivotal to adopt effective conservation measures in these heterogeneous habitats. Melanopsis etrusca (Brot, 1862) is an endangered relict snail endemic to a small number of thermal-mineral streams in central Italy. Here we describe the thermal tolerance of two populations of M. etrusca inhabiting streams with distinctly different thermal regimes, investigating the extent of physiological and behavioural specialization to such diverse microclimatic niches. The comparison of oxygen consumption rates of a population dwelling in temperate streams, characterized by seasonal temperature fluctuations (12-27°C), with a population experiencing constantly hot water (35-38°C) revealed the absence of any seasonal or geographic effect on metabolic compensation. Conversely, mobility performances were maximized in the population inhabiting the hot stream. Interestingly, here, the snails exhibited emersion behaviour outside the water, triggered by temperatures above 37°C. In the field, individuals of this population are observed inactive on stream banks, conceivably to minimize the metabolic cost that otherwise would be induced by remaining in the hot water. Only a few individuals from the temperate stream exhibited the same behaviour when exposed to elevated temperatures, suggesting the exaptation of a pre-existing trait during the evolutionary process of adaptation to hot waters. The present results provide elements for the best practice in future programmes aimed at reintroducing stocks of threatened species across heterogeneous habitats. Our study further underlines the relevance of downscaling data collection for endangered species conservation in order to recognize microclimatic specializations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Bartolini
- NEMO Nature and Environment Management Operators S.R.L., Viale Mazzini 26, 50132 Florence, Italy
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13
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Johnston AN, Christophersen RG, Beever EA, Ransom JI. Freezing in a warming climate: Marked declines of a subnivean hibernator after a snow drought. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1264-1279. [PMID: 33598129 PMCID: PMC7863385 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent snow droughts associated with unusually warm winters are predicted to increase in frequency and affect species dependent upon snowpack for winter survival. Changes in populations of some cold-adapted species have been attributed to heat stress or indirect effects on habitat from unusually warm summers, but little is known about the importance of winter weather to population dynamics and how responses to snow drought vary among sympatric species. We evaluated changes in abundance of hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) over a period that included a year of record-low snowpack to identify mechanisms associated with weather and snowpack. To consider interspecies comparisons, our analysis used the same a priori model set as a concurrent study that evaluated responses of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) to weather and snowpack in the same study area of North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. We hypothesized that marmot abundance reflected mechanisms related to heat stress, cold stress, cold exposure without an insulating snowpack, snowpack duration, atmospheric moisture, growing-season precipitation, or select combinations of these mechanisms. Changes in marmot abundances included a 74% decline from 2007 to 2016 and were best explained by an interaction of chronic dryness with exposure to acute cold without snowpack in winter. Physiological stress during hibernation from exposure to cold, dry air appeared to be the most likely mechanism of change in marmot abundance. Alternative mechanisms associated with changes to winter weather, including early emergence from hibernation or altered vegetation dynamics, had less support. A post hoc assessment of vegetative phenology and productivity did not support vegetation dynamics as a primary driver of marmot abundance across years. Although marmot and pika abundances were explained by strikingly similar models over periods of many years, details of the mechanisms involved likely differ between species because pika abundances increased in areas where marmots declined. Such differences may lead to diverging geographic distributions of these species as global change continues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N. Johnston
- U. S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMTUSA
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | | | - Erik A. Beever
- U. S. Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science CenterBozemanMTUSA
- Department of EcologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
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14
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Klingler KB, Jahner JP, Parchman TL, Ray C, Peacock MM. Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:2. [PMID: 33514306 PMCID: PMC7853312 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01739-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Distributional responses by alpine taxa to repeated, glacial-interglacial cycles throughout the last two million years have significantly influenced the spatial genetic structure of populations. These effects have been exacerbated for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine lagomorph constrained by thermal sensitivity and a limited dispersal capacity. As a species of conservation concern, long-term lack of gene flow has important consequences for landscape genetic structure and levels of diversity within populations. Here, we use reduced representation sequencing (ddRADseq) to provide a genome-wide perspective on patterns of genetic variation across pika populations representing distinct subspecies. To investigate how landscape and environmental features shape genetic variation, we collected genetic samples from distinct geographic regions as well as across finer spatial scales in two geographically proximate mountain ranges of eastern Nevada. Results Our genome-wide analyses corroborate range-wide, mitochondrial subspecific designations and reveal pronounced fine-scale population structure between the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range of eastern Nevada. Populations in Nevada were characterized by low genetic diversity (π = 0.0006–0.0009; θW = 0.0005–0.0007) relative to populations in California (π = 0.0014–0.0019; θW = 0.0011–0.0017) and the Rocky Mountains (π = 0.0025–0.0027; θW = 0.0021–0.0024), indicating substantial genetic drift in these isolated populations. Tajima’s D was positive for all sites (D = 0.240–0.811), consistent with recent contraction in population sizes range-wide. Conclusions Substantial influences of geography, elevation and climate variables on genetic differentiation were also detected and may interact with the regional effects of anthropogenic climate change to force the loss of unique genetic lineages through continued population extirpations in the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua P Jahner
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA
| | - Thomas L Parchman
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Chris Ray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309-0334, USA
| | - Mary M Peacock
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA. .,Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
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15
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Benedict LM, Wiebe M, Plichta M, Batts H, Johnson J, Monk E, Ray C. Microclimate and Summer Surface Activity in the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan Wiebe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Maxwell Plichta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Heather Batts
- Department of Biology, Advanced Inquiry Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH
| | - Jessica Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Emily Monk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Boulder, CO
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16
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Abstract
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is commonly perceived as a species that is at high risk of extinction due to climate change. The purpose of this review is two-fold: to evaluate the claim that climate change is threatening pikas with extinction, and to summarize the conservation status of the American pika. Most American pikas inhabit major cordilleras, such as the Rocky Mountain, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade ranges. Occupancy of potential pika habitat in these ranges is uniformly high and no discernible climate signal has been found that discriminates between the many occupied and relatively few unoccupied sites that have been recently surveyed. Pikas therefore are thriving across most of their range. The story differs in more marginal parts of the species range, primarily across the Great Basin, where a higher percentage of available habitat is unoccupied. A comprehensive review of Great Basin pikas revealed that occupied sites, sites of recent extirpation, and old sites, were regularly found within the same geographic and climatic space as extant sites, and suggested that pikas in the Great Basin tolerated a broader set of habitat and climatic conditions than previously understood. Studies of a small subset of extirpated sites in the Great Basin and in California found that climate variables (most notably measures of hot temperature) were associated more often with extirpated sites than occupied sites. Importantly, upward contraction of the lower elevation boundary also was found at some sites. However, models that incorporated variables other than climate (such as availability of upslope talus habitat) often were better predictors of site persistence. Many extirpations occurred on small habitat patches, which were subject to stochastic extinction, as informed by a long-term pika metapopulation study in Bodie, California. In addition, several sites may have been compromised by cattle grazing or other anthropogenic factors. In contrast, several low, hot sites (Bodie, Mono Craters, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Lava Beds National Monument, Columbia River Gorge) retain active pika populations, demonstrating the adaptive capacity and resilience of pikas in response to adverse environmental conditions. Pikas cope with warm temperatures by retreating into cool interstices of their talus habitat and augment their restricted daytime foraging with nocturnal activity. Pikas exhibit significant flexibility in their foraging tactics and are highly selective in their choice of available vegetation. The trait that places pikas at greatest risk from climate change is their poor dispersal capability. Dispersal is more restricted in hotter environments, and isolated low-elevation sites that become extirpated are unlikely to be recolonized in a warming climate. The narrative that American pikas are going extinct appears to be an overreach. Pikas are doing well across most of their range, but there are limited, low-elevation losses that are likely to be permanent in what is currently marginal pika habitat. The resilience of pikas in the face of climate change, and their ability or inability to persist in marginal, hot environments, will continue to contribute to our understanding of the impact of climate change on individual species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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17
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Baer KC, Maron JL. Ecological niche models display nonlinear relationships with abundance and demographic performance across the latitudinal distribution of Astragalus utahensis (Fabaceae). Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8251-8264. [PMID: 32788976 PMCID: PMC7417238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential for ecological niche models (ENMs) to accurately predict species' abundance and demographic performance throughout their geographic distributions remains a topic of substantial debate in ecology and biogeography. Few studies simultaneously examine the relationship between ENM predictions of environmental suitability and both a species' abundance and its demographic performance, particularly across its entire geographic distribution. Yet, studies of this type are essential for understanding the extent to which ENMs are a viable tool for identifying areas that may promote high abundance or performance of a species or how species might respond to future climate conditions. In this study, we used an ensemble ecological niche model to predict climatic suitability for the perennial forb Astragalus utahensis across its geographic distribution. We then examined relationships between projected climatic suitability and field-based measures of abundance, demographic performance, and forecasted stochastic population growth (λs). Predicted climatic suitability showed a J-shaped relationship with A. utahensis abundance, where low-abundance populations were associated with low-to-intermediate suitability scores and abundance increased sharply in areas of high predicted climatic suitability. A similar relationship existed between climatic suitability and λs from the center to the northern edge of the latitudinal distribution. Patterns such as these, where density or demographic performance only increases appreciably beyond some threshold of climatic suitability, support the contention that ENM-predicted climatic suitability does not necessarily represent a reliable predictor of abundance or performance across large geographic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn C. Baer
- Anchorage Forestry Sciences LaboratoryUSDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationAnchorageAKUSA
| | - John L. Maron
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMTUSA
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18
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Camp MJ, Shipley LA, Varner J, Waterhouse BD. Activity Patterns and Foraging Behavior of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) Differ between Craters of the Moon and Alpine Talus in Idaho. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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19
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Acheson ES, Galanis E, Bartlett K, Klinkenberg B. Climate Classification System-Based Determination of Temperate Climate Detection of Cryptococcus gattii sensu lato. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 25:1723-1726. [PMID: 31441746 PMCID: PMC6711209 DOI: 10.3201/eid2509.181884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We compared 2 climate classification systems describing georeferenced environmental Cryptococcus gattii sensu lato isolations occurring during 1989–2016. Each system suggests the fungus was isolated in temperate climates before the 1999 outbreak on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. However, the Köppen-Geiger system is more precise and should be used to define climates where pathogens are detected.
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20
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De Frenne P, Zellweger F, Rodríguez-Sánchez F, Scheffers BR, Hylander K, Luoto M, Vellend M, Verheyen K, Lenoir J. Global buffering of temperatures under forest canopies. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:744-749. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0842-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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21
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Johnston AN, Bruggeman JE, Beers AT, Beever EA, Christophersen RG, Ransom JI. Ecological consequences of anomalies in atmospheric moisture and snowpack. Ecology 2019; 100:e02638. [PMID: 30710338 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although increased frequency of extreme-weather events is one of the most secure predictions associated with contemporary climate change, effects of such events on distribution and abundance of climate-sensitive species remain poorly understood. Montane ecosystems may be especially sensitive to extreme weather because of complex abiotic and biotic interactions that propagate from climate-driven reductions in snowpack. Snowpack not only protects subnivean biotas from extreme cold, but also influences forage availability through timing of melt-off and water availability. We related relative abundances of an alpine mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), to measures of weather and snowpack dynamics over an 8-yr period that included before and after a year of record-low snowpack in Washington, USA. We sought to (1) quantify any change in pika abundance associated with the snowpack anomaly and (2) identify aspects of weather and snowpack that influenced abundance of pikas. Pikas showed a 1-yr lag response to the snowpack anomaly and exhibited marked declines in abundance at elevations below 1,400 m simultaneous with increased abundances at higher elevations. Atmospheric moisture, indexed by vapor pressure deficit (VPD), was especially important, evidenced by strong support for the top-ranked model that included the interaction of VPD with snowpack duration. Notably, our novel application of VPD from gridded climate data for analyses of animal abundances shows strong potential for improving species distribution models because VPD represents an important aspect of weather that influences the physiology and habitat of biota. Pikas were apparently affected by cold stress without snowpack at mid elevations, whereas changes to forage associated with snowpack and VPD were influential at high and low elevations. Our results reveal context dependency in pika responses to weather and illustrate how snow drought can lead to rapid change in the abundance of subnivean animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N Johnston
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Jason E Bruggeman
- Beartooth Wildlife Research, 4157 West 145th Street, Savage, Minnesota, 55378, USA.,Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 200 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Aidan T Beers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, UCB 334, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 450, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA.,Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, NR 206, Logan, Utah, 84322, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, USA.,Department of Ecology, Montana State University, P.O. Box 173460, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
| | - Roger G Christophersen
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
| | - Jason I Ransom
- National Park Service, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, Washington, 98284, USA
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22
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Solari KA, Ramakrishnan U, Hadly EA. Gene expression is implicated in the ability of pikas to occupy Himalayan elevational gradient. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207936. [PMID: 30540800 PMCID: PMC6291101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Species are shifting their ranges due to climate change, many moving to cooler and higher locations. However, with elevation increase comes oxygen decline, potentially limiting a species’ ability to track its environment depending on what mechanisms it has available to compensate for hypoxic stress. Pikas (Family Ochotonidae), cold-specialist small mammal species, are already undergoing elevational range shifts. We collected RNA samples from one population of Ochotona roylei in the western Himalaya at three sites– 3,600, 4,000, and 5,000 meters–and found no evidence of significant population genetic structure nor positive selection among sites. However, out of over 10,000 expressed transcripts, 26 were significantly upregulated at the 5,000 m site and were significantly enriched for pathways consistent with physiological compensation for limited oxygen. These results suggest that differences in gene expression may play a key role in enabling hypoxia tolerance on this local scale, indicating elevational flexibility that may facilitate successful range shifts in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Solari
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
- Program for Conservation Genomics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Hadly
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Program for Conservation Genomics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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23
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Kearney MR. MicroclimOz - A microclimate data set for Australia, with example applications. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Kearney
- School of BioSciences; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
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24
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Changing Thermal Landscapes: Merging Climate Science and Landscape Ecology through Thermal Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40823-018-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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25
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Identification of a contact zone and hybridization for two subspecies of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) within a single protected area. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199032. [PMID: 29995897 PMCID: PMC6040701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variation is the basis upon which natural selection acts to yield evolutionary change. In a rapidly changing environment, increasing genetic variation should increase evolutionary potential, particularly for small, isolated populations. However, the introduction of new alleles, either through natural or human-mediated processes, may have unpredictable consequences such as outbreeding depression. In this study, we identified a contact zone and limited gene flow between historically separated genetic lineages of American pikas (Ochotona princeps), representing the northern and southern Rocky Mountain subspecies, within Rocky Mountain National Park. The limited spatial extent of gene flow observed may be the result of geographic barriers to dispersal, selection against hybrid individuals, or both. Our fine-scale population genetic analysis suggests gene flow is limited but not completely obstructed by extreme topography such as glacial valleys, as well as streams including the Colorado River. The discovery of two subspecies within this single protected area has implications for monitoring and management, particularly in the light of recent analyses suggesting that the pikas in this park are vulnerable to fragmentation and local extinction under future projected climates. Future research should focus on the fitness consequences of introgression among distinct genetic lineages in this location and elsewhere, as well as within the context of genetic rescue as a conservation and management strategy for a climate sensitive species.
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26
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Rodhouse TJ, Jeffress MR, Sherrill KR, Mohren SR, Nordensten NJ, Magnuson ML, Schwalm D, Castillo JA, Shinderman M, Epps CW. Geographical variation in the influence of habitat and climate on site occupancy turnover in American pika (
Ochotona princeps
). DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Rodhouse
- National Park Service Upper Columbia Basin Network Oregon State University‐Cascades Bend Oregon
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Jessica A. Castillo
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
| | - Matthew Shinderman
- Human and Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainability Lab Oregon State University‐Cascades Bend Oregon
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon
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27
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Mitchell D, Snelling EP, Hetem RS, Maloney SK, Strauss WM, Fuller A. Revisiting concepts of thermal physiology: Predicting responses of mammals to climate change. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:956-973. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Mitchell
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Edward P. Snelling
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Robyn S. Hetem
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Shane K. Maloney
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Human Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Willem Maartin Strauss
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Environmental Science; University of South Africa; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Andrea Fuller
- Brain Function Research Group; School of Physiology; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
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28
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Raynor EJ, Powell LA, Schacht WH. Present and future thermal environments available to Sharp-tailed Grouse in an intact grassland. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191233. [PMID: 29415080 PMCID: PMC5802491 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Better understanding animal ecology in terms of thermal habitat use has become a focus of ecological studies, in large part due to the predicted temperature increases associated with global climate change. To further our knowledge on how ground-nesting endotherms respond to thermal landscapes, we examined the thermal ecology of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) during the nesting period. We measured site-specific iButton temperatures (TiB) and vegetation characteristics at nest sites, nearby random sites, and landscape sites to assess thermal patterns at scales relevant to nesting birds. We asked if microhabitat vegetation characteristics at nest sites matched the characteristics that directed macrohabitat nest-site selection. Grouse selected sites sheltered by dense vegetation for nesting that moderated TiB on average up to 2.7°C more than available landscape sites. Successful nests were positioned in a way that reduced exposure to thermal extremes by as much as 4°C relative to failed nests with an overall mean daytime difference (±SE) of 0.4 ±0.03°C. We found that macrohabitat nest-site selection was guided by dense vegetation cover and minimal bare ground as also seen at the microhabitat scale. Global climate projections for 2080 suggest that TiB at nest sites may approach temperatures currently avoided on the landscape, emphasizing a need for future conservation plans that acknowledge fine-scale thermal space in climate change scenarios. These data show that features of grassland landscapes can buffer organisms from unfavorable microclimatic conditions and highlight how thermal heterogeneity at the individual-level can drive decisions guiding nest site selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J. Raynor
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Larkin A. Powell
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
| | - Walter H. Schacht
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
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29
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Starrett J, Hayashi CY, Derkarabetian S, Hedin M. Cryptic elevational zonation in trapdoor spiders (Araneae, Antrodiaetidae, Aliatypus janus complex) from the California southern Sierra Nevada. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 118:403-413. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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30
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Tanner EP, Papeş M, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD, Davis CA. Incorporating abundance information and guiding variable selection for climate-based ensemble forecasting of species' distributional shifts. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184316. [PMID: 28886075 PMCID: PMC5590900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological niche models (ENMs) have increasingly been used to estimate the potential effects of climate change on species’ distributions worldwide. Recently, predictions of species abundance have also been obtained with such models, though knowledge about the climatic variables affecting species abundance is often lacking. To address this, we used a well-studied guild (temperate North American quail) and the Maxent modeling algorithm to compare model performance of three variable selection approaches: correlation/variable contribution (CVC), biological (i.e., variables known to affect species abundance), and random. We then applied the best approach to forecast potential distributions, under future climatic conditions, and analyze future potential distributions in light of available abundance data and presence-only occurrence data. To estimate species’ distributional shifts we generated ensemble forecasts using four global circulation models, four representative concentration pathways, and two time periods (2050 and 2070). Furthermore, we present distributional shifts where 75%, 90%, and 100% of our ensemble models agreed. The CVC variable selection approach outperformed our biological approach for four of the six species. Model projections indicated species-specific effects of climate change on future distributions of temperate North American quail. The Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) was the only species predicted to gain area in climatic suitability across all three scenarios of ensemble model agreement. Conversely, the scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) was the only species predicted to lose area in climatic suitability across all three scenarios of ensemble model agreement. Our models projected future loss of areas for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail in portions of their distributions which are currently areas of high abundance. Climatic variables that influence local abundance may not always scale up to influence species’ distributions. Special attention should be given to selecting variables for ENMs, and tests of model performance should be used to validate the choice of variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan P Tanner
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Monica Papeş
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - R Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Craig A Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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31
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Keppel G, Anderson S, Williams C, Kleindorfer S, O’Connell C. Microhabitats and canopy cover moderate high summer temperatures in a fragmented Mediterranean landscape. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183106. [PMID: 28806772 PMCID: PMC5555690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme heat events will become more frequent under anthropogenic climate change, especially in Mediterranean ecosystems. Microhabitats can considerably moderate (buffer) the effects of extreme weather events and hence facilitate the persistence of some components of the biodiversity. We investigate the microclimatic moderation provided by two important microhabitats (cavities formed by the leaves of the grass-tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana F.Muell., Xanthorrhoeaceae; and inside the leaf-litter) during the summer of 2015/16 on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia. We placed microsensors inside and outside these microhabitats, as well as above the ground below the forest canopy. Grass-tree and leaf-litter microhabitats significantly buffered against high temperatures and low relative humidity, compared to ground-below-canopy sensors. There was no significant difference between grass-tree and leaf-litter temperatures: in both microhabitats, daily temperature variation was reduced, day temperatures were 1–5°C cooler, night temperatures were 0.5–3°C warmer, and maximum temperatures were up to 14.4°C lower, compared to ground-below-canopy sensors. Grass-tree and leaf-litter microhabitats moderated heat increase at an average rate of 0.24°C temperature per 1°C increase of ambient temperature in the ground-below-canopy microhabitat. The average daily variation in temperature was determined by the type (grass-tree and leaf-litter versus ground-below-canopy) of microhabitat (explaining 67%), the amount of canopy cover and the area of the vegetation fragment (together explaining almost 10% of the variation). Greater canopy cover increased the amount of microclimatic moderation provided, especially in the leaf-litter. Our study highlights the importance of microhabitats in moderating macroclimatic conditions. However, this moderating effect is currently not considered in species distribution modelling under anthropogenic climate change nor in the management of vegetation. This shortcoming will have to be addressed to obtain realistic forecasts of future species distributions and to achieve effective management of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Keppel
- School of Natural and Built Environments and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sharolyn Anderson
- School of Natural and Built Environments and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Craig Williams
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Christopher O’Connell
- School of Natural and Built Environments and Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Jeffress MR, Gunst KJV, Millar CI. A Surprising Discovery of American Pika Sites in the Northwestern Great Basin. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - K. Jane Van Gunst
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, 815 E. Fourth St., Winnemucca, NV 89445
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Elmore RD, Carroll JM, Tanner EP, Hovick TJ, Grisham BA, Fuhlendorf SD, Windels SK. Implications of the thermal environment for terrestrial wildlife management. WILDLIFE SOC B 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - J. Matthew Carroll
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - Evan P. Tanner
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - Torre J. Hovick
- School of Natural Resource Sciences—Range ProgramNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoND58108USA
| | - Blake A. Grisham
- Department of Natural Resources ManagementTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTX79409USA
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - Steve K. Windels
- National Park ServiceVoyageurs National ParkInternational FallsMN56649USA
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Campobello D, Lindström J, Di Maggio R, Sarà M. An integrated analysis of micro- and macro-habitat features as a tool to detect weather-driven constraints: A case study with cavity nesters. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174090. [PMID: 28319183 PMCID: PMC5358771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of climate change on animal populations may be shaped by habitat characteristics at both micro- and macro-habitat level, however, empirical studies integrating these two scales of observation are lacking. As analyses of the effects of climate change commonly rely on data from a much larger scale than the microhabitat level organisms are affected at, this mismatch risks hampering progress in developing understanding of the details of the ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms and, ultimately, effective actions to preserve their populations. Cavity nesters, often with a conservation status of concern, are an ideal model because the cavity is a microenvironment potentially different from the macroenvironment but nonetheless inevitably interacting with it. The lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a cavity nester which was until recently classified by as Vulnerable species. Since 2004, for nine years, we collected detailed biotic and abiotic data at both micro- and macro-scales of observation in a kestrel population breeding in the Gela Plain (Italy), a Mediterranean area where high temperatures may reach lethal values for the nest content. We show that macroclimatic features needed to be integrated with both abiotic and biotic factors recorded at a microscale before reliably predicting nest temperatures. Among the nest types used by lesser kestrels, we detected a preferential occupation of the cooler nest types, roof tiles, by early breeders whereas, paradoxically, late breeders nesting with hotter temperatures occupied the overheated nest holes. Not consistent with such a suggested nest selection, the coolest nest type did not host a higher reproductive success than the overheated nests. We discussed our findings in the light of cavity temperatures and nest types deployed within conservation actions assessed by integrating selected factors at different observation scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Campobello
- Section of Animal Biology, Dept. STEBICEF, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- * E-mail: ,
| | - J. Lindström
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - R. Di Maggio
- Section of Animal Biology, Dept. STEBICEF, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - M. Sarà
- Section of Animal Biology, Dept. STEBICEF, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Mathewson PD, Moyer-Horner L, Beever EA, Briscoe NJ, Kearney M, Yahn JM, Porter WP. Mechanistic variables can enhance predictive models of endotherm distributions: the American pika under current, past, and future climates. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:1048-1064. [PMID: 27500587 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
How climate constrains species' distributions through time and space is an important question in the context of conservation planning for climate change. Despite increasing awareness of the need to incorporate mechanism into species distribution models (SDMs), mechanistic modeling of endotherm distributions remains limited in this literature. Using the American pika (Ochotona princeps) as an example, we present a framework whereby mechanism can be incorporated into endotherm SDMs. Pika distribution has repeatedly been found to be constrained by warm temperatures, so we used Niche Mapper, a mechanistic heat-balance model, to convert macroclimate data to pika-specific surface activity time in summer across the western United States. We then explored the difference between using a macroclimate predictor (summer temperature) and using a mechanistic predictor (predicted surface activity time) in SDMs. Both approaches accurately predicted pika presences in current and past climate regimes. However, the activity models predicted 8-19% less habitat loss in response to annual temperature increases of ~3-5 °C predicted in the region by 2070, suggesting that pikas may be able to buffer some climate change effects through behavioral thermoregulation that can be captured by mechanistic modeling. Incorporating mechanism added value to the modeling by providing increased confidence in areas where different modeling approaches agreed and providing a range of outcomes in areas of disagreement. It also provided a more proximate variable relating animal distribution to climate, allowing investigations into how unique habitat characteristics and intraspecific phenotypic variation may allow pikas to exist in areas outside those predicted by generic SDMs. Only a small number of easily obtainable data are required to parameterize this mechanistic model for any endotherm, and its use can improve SDM predictions by explicitly modeling a widely applicable direct physiological effect: climate-imposed restrictions on activity. This more complete understanding is necessary to inform climate adaptation actions, management strategies, and conservation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
| | - Lucas Moyer-Horner
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Erik A Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
| | - Natalie J Briscoe
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael Kearney
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jeremiah M Yahn
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53703, USA
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Rodhouse TJ, Hovland M, Jeffress MR. Variation in subsurface thermal characteristics of microrefuges used by range core and peripheral populations of the American pika ( Ochotona princeps). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:1514-1526. [PMID: 28261461 PMCID: PMC5330895 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Microrefuges provide microclimates decoupled from inhospitable regional climate regimes that enable range‐peripheral populations to persist and are important to cold‐adapted species in an era of accelerated climate change. However, identifying and describing the thermal characteristics of microrefuge habitats is challenging, particularly for mobile organisms in cryptic, patchy habitats. We examined variation in subsurface thermal conditions of microrefuge habitats among different rock substrate types used by the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a climate‐sensitive, rock‐dwelling Lagomorph. We compared subsurface temperatures in talus and lava substrates in pika survey sites in two US national park units; one park study area on the range periphery and the other in the range core. We deployed paired sensors to examine within‐site temperature variation. We hypothesized that subsurface temperatures within occupied sites and structurally complex substrates would be cooler in summer and warmer in winter than unoccupied and less complex sites. Although within‐site variability was high, with correlations between paired sensors as low as 47%, we found compelling evidence that pikas occupy microrefuge habitats where subsurface conditions provide more thermal stability than in unoccupied microhabitats. The percentage of days in which microhabitat temperatures were between −2.5 and 25.5°C was significantly higher in occupied sites. Interestingly, thermal conditions were substantially more stable (p < .05) in the lava substrate type identified to be preferentially used by pikas (pahoehoe vs. a'a) in a previous study. Our study and others suggest that thermal stability appears to be the defining characteristic of subsurface microrefuges used by American pikas and is a likely explanation for enigmatic population persistence at the range periphery. Our study exemplifies an integrated approach for studying complex microhabitat conditions, paired with site use surveys and contextualized with information about gene flow provided by complementary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Hovland
- Department of Fish and Wildlife University of Idaho Moscow ID USA; Present address: Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences Oregon State University 112 Withycombe Hall Corvallis OR 97331 USA
| | - Mackenzie R Jeffress
- Department of Fish and Wildlife University of Idaho Moscow ID USA; Nevada Department of Wildlife Elko NV USA
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Smith AT, Nagy JD, Millar CI. Behavioral Ecology of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) at Mono Craters, California: Living on the Edge. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.3398/064.076.0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T. Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501. E-mail:
| | - John D. Nagy
- Department of Life Sciences, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
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Moyer-Horner L, Beever EA, Johnson DH, Biel M, Belt J. Predictors of Current and Longer-Term Patterns of Abundance of American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) across a Leading-Edge Protected Area. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167051. [PMID: 27902732 PMCID: PMC5130250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
American pikas (Ochotona princeps) have been heralded as indicators of montane-mammal response to contemporary climate change. Pikas no longer occupy the driest and lowest-elevation sites in numerous parts of their geographic range. Conversely, pikas have exhibited higher rates of occupancy and persistence in Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada montane 'mainlands'. Research and monitoring efforts on pikas across the western USA have collectively shown the nuance and complexity with which climate will often act on species in diverse topographic and climatic contexts. However, to date no studies have investigated habitat, distribution, and abundance of pikas across hundreds of sites within a remote wilderness area. Additionally, relatively little is known about whether climate acts most strongly on pikas through direct or indirect (e.g., vegetation-mediated) mechanisms. During 2007-2009, we collectively hiked >16,000 km throughout the 410,077-ha Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, in an effort to identify topographic, microrefugial, and vegetative characteristics predictive of pika abundance. We identified 411 apparently pika-suitable habitat patches with binoculars (in situ), and surveyed 314 of them for pika signs. Ranking of alternative logistic-regression models based on AICc scores revealed that short-term pika abundances were positively associated with intermediate elevations, greater cover of mosses, and taller forbs, and decreased each year, for a total decline of 68% during the three-year study; whereas longer-term abundances were associated only with static variables (longitude, elevation, gradient) and were lower on north-facing slopes. Earlier Julian date and time of day of the survey (i.e., midday vs. not) were associated with lower observed pika abundance. We recommend that wildlife monitoring account for this seasonal and diel variation when surveying pikas. Broad-scale information on status and abundance determinants of montane mammals, especially for remote protected areas, is crucial for land and wildlife-resource managers trying to anticipate mammalian responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moyer-Horner
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Erik A. Beever
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Douglas H. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Department, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Mark Biel
- Glacier National Park, National Park Service, West Glacier, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jami Belt
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, National Park Service, Skagway, Alaska, United States of America
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Hall LE, Chalfoun AD, Beever EA, Loosen AE. Microrefuges and the occurrence of thermal specialists: implications for wildlife persistence amidst changing temperatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40665-016-0021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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40
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Bonnell TR, Ghai RR, Goldberg TL, Sengupta R, Chapman CA. Spatial patterns of persistence for environmentally transmitted parasites: Effects of regional climate and local landscape. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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41
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Beever EA, Perrine JD, Rickman T, Flores M, Clark JP, Waters C, Weber SS, Yardley B, Thoma D, Chesley-Preston T, Goehring KE, Magnuson M, Nordensten N, Nelson M, Collins GH. Pika (Ochotona princeps) losses from two isolated regions reflect temperature and water balance, but reflect habitat area in a mainland region. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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42
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Carroll JM, Davis CA, Fuhlendorf SD, Elmore RD. Landscape pattern is critical for the moderation of thermal extremes. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Matthew Carroll
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University 008c Ag Hall Stillwater Oklahoma 74078 USA
| | - Craig A. Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University 008c Ag Hall Stillwater Oklahoma 74078 USA
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University 008c Ag Hall Stillwater Oklahoma 74078 USA
| | - R. Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University 008c Ag Hall Stillwater Oklahoma 74078 USA
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43
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Nichols LB, Klingler KB, Peacock MM. American Pikas (Ochotona princeps) Extirpated from the Historic Masonic Mining District of Eastern California. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.3398/064.076.0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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44
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Ray C, Beever EA, Rodhouse TJ. Distribution of a climate‐sensitive species at an interior range margin. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine ResearchUniversity of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
| | - Erik A. Beever
- United States Geological SurveyNorthern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Department of EcologyMontana State University Bozeman Montana 59715 USA
- Ashland Wisconsin 54806 USA
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Schwalm D, Epps CW, Rodhouse TJ, Monahan WB, Castillo JA, Ray C, Jeffress MR. Habitat availability and gene flow influence diverging local population trajectories under scenarios of climate change: a place-based approach. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:1572-1584. [PMID: 26667878 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecological niche theory holds that species distributions are shaped by a large and complex suite of interacting factors. Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to describe species' niches and predict the effects of future environmental change, including climate change. Currently, SDMs often fail to capture the complexity of species' niches, resulting in predictions that are generally limited to climate-occupancy interactions. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change on the American pika using a replicated place-based approach that incorporates climate, gene flow, habitat configuration, and microhabitat complexity into SDMs. Using contemporary presence-absence data from occupancy surveys, genetic data to infer connectivity between habitat patches, and 21 environmental niche variables, we built separate SDMs for pika populations inhabiting eight US National Park Service units representing the habitat and climatic breadth of the species across the western United States. We then predicted occurrence probability under current (1981-2010) and three future time periods (out to 2100). Occurrence probabilities and the relative importance of predictor variables varied widely among study areas, revealing important local-scale differences in the realized niche of the American pika. This variation resulted in diverse and - in some cases - highly divergent future potential occupancy patterns for pikas, ranging from complete extirpation in some study areas to stable occupancy patterns in others. Habitat composition and connectivity, which are rarely incorporated in SDM projections, were influential in predicting pika occupancy in all study areas and frequently outranked climate variables. Our findings illustrate the importance of a place-based approach to species distribution modeling that includes fine-scale factors when assessing current and future climate impacts on species' distributions, especially when predictions are intended to manage and conserve species of concern within individual protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donelle Schwalm
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Clinton W Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Thomas J Rodhouse
- National Park Service, Upper Columbia Basin Network, 650 SW Columbia Street, Suite 7250, OR, 97702, USA
| | - William B Monahan
- USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg. A, Suite 331, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Jessica A Castillo
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
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Varner J, Horns JJ, Lambert MS, Westberg E, Ruff JS, Wolfenberger K, Beever EA, Dearing MD. Plastic pikas: Behavioural flexibility in low-elevation pikas (Ochotona princeps). Behav Processes 2016; 125:63-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Wilkening JL, Ray C, Varner J. When can we measure stress noninvasively? Postdeposition effects on a fecal stress metric confound a multiregional assessment. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:502-13. [PMID: 26843934 PMCID: PMC4729247 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Measurement of stress hormone metabolites in fecal samples has become a common method to assess physiological stress in wildlife populations. Glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) measurements can be collected noninvasively, and studies relating this stress metric to anthropogenic disturbance are increasing. However, environmental characteristics (e.g., temperature) can alter measured GCM concentration when fecal samples cannot be collected immediately after defecation. This effect can confound efforts to separate environmental factors causing predeposition physiological stress in an individual from those acting on a fecal sample postdeposition. We used fecal samples from American pikas (Ochotona princeps) to examine the influence of environmental conditions on GCM concentration by (1) comparing GCM concentration measured in freshly collected control samples to those placed in natural habitats for timed exposure, and (2) relating GCM concentration in samples collected noninvasively throughout the western United States to local environmental characteristics measured before and after deposition. Our timed‐exposure trials clarified the spatial scale at which exposure to environmental factors postdeposition influences GCM concentration in pika feces. Also, fecal samples collected from occupied pika habitats throughout the species' range revealed significant relationships between GCM and metrics of climate during the postdeposition period (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation during the month of sample collection). Conversely, we found no such relationships between GCM and metrics of climate during the predeposition period (prior to the month of sample collection). Together, these results indicate that noninvasive measurement of physiological stress in pikas across the western US may be confounded by climatic conditions in the postdeposition environment when samples cannot be collected immediately after defecation. Our results reiterate the importance of considering postdeposition environmental influences on this stress metric, especially in multiregional comparisons. However, measurements of fecal GCM concentration should prove useful for population monitoring within an eco‐region or when postdeposition exposure can be minimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Wilkening
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
| | - Chris Ray
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Colorado; Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder Colorado
| | - Johanna Varner
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah
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Robson KM, Lamb CT, Russello MA. Low genetic diversity, restricted dispersal, and elevation-specific patterns of population decline in American pikas in an atypical environment. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In the face of climate change, there is a growing need for research into the ability of organisms to persist at the limits of their bioclimatic envelope. American pikas ( Ochotona princeps ) have emerged as a focal mammalian species for investigating extinction risk related to climate change; however, most studies have occurred in characteristic alpine talus habitat within the range core. In the Columbia River Gorge (CRG), Oregon, American pikas inhabit low-elevation talus slopes previously considered outside the species’ bioclimatic range. We used microsatellite genotypic data to reconstruct levels of genetic variation, population connectivity, and demographic history at 11 CRG sites spanning an elevational gradient (104–1,292 m). Sampled sites separated into 2 genetic clusters largely explained by elevation, topography, and geographic proximity, with pairwise estimates of differentiation and migration rates suggesting little gene flow may be occurring. Sites were characterized by levels of allelic richness and heterozygosity substantially lower than values reported at characteristic alpine sites from the range core. Evidence of recent demographic contraction was found almost exclusively at high-elevation sites despite these areas being considered refuges from climate warming in more typical habitat. Given their unique genetic characteristics and persistence in an atypical environment, the CRG pika populations likely constitute a significant component of intraspecific biodiversity with high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M. Robson
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
| | - Michael A. Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia , Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 , Canada (KMR, CTL, MAR)
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Carroll JM, Davis CA, Elmore RD, Fuhlendorf SD. A Ground-Nesting Galliform's Response to Thermal Heterogeneity: Implications for Ground-Dwelling Birds. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143676. [PMID: 26618845 PMCID: PMC4664423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The habitat selection choices that individuals make in response to thermal environments influence both survival and reproduction. Importantly, the way that organisms behaviorally respond to thermal environments depends on the availability and juxtaposition of sites affording tolerable or preferred microclimates. Although, ground nesting birds are especially susceptible to heat extremes across many reproductive stages (i.e., breeding, nesting, brood rearing), the mechanistic drivers of nest site selection for these species are not well established from a thermal perspective. Our goal was to assess nest site selection relative to the configuration of the thermal landscape by quantifying thermal environments available to a ground-nesting bird species inhabiting a climatically stressful environment. Using northern bobwhite (Colinus virginanus) as a model species, we measured black bulb temperature (Tbb) and vegetation parameters at 87 nests, 87 paired sites and 205 random landscape sites in Western Oklahoma during spring and summer 2013 and 2014. We found that thermal space within the study area exhibited differences in Tbb of up to 40°C during peak diurnal heating, resulting in a diverse thermal landscape available to ground-nesting birds. Within this thermally heterogeneous landscape, nest sites moderated Tbb by more than 12°C compared to random landscape sites. Furthermore, successful nests remained on average 6°C cooler than unsuccessful nests on days experiencing ambient temperatures ≥ 39°C. Models of future Tbb associated with 2080 climate change projections indicate that nesting bobwhites will face substantially greater Tbb throughout the landscape for longer durations, placing an even greater importance on thermal choices for nest sites in the future. These results highlight the capacity of landscape features to act as moderators of thermal extremes and demonstrate how thermal complexity at organism-specific scales can dictate habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Matthew Carroll
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Craig A. Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - R. Dwayne Elmore
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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Moyer-Horner L, Mathewson PD, Jones GM, Kearney MR, Porter WP. Modeling behavioral thermoregulation in a climate change sentinel. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5810-22. [PMID: 26811756 PMCID: PMC4717337 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
When possible, many species will shift in elevation or latitude in response to rising temperatures. However, before such shifts occur, individuals will first tolerate environmental change and then modify their behavior to maintain heat balance. Behavioral thermoregulation allows animals a range of climatic tolerances and makes predicting geographic responses under future warming scenarios challenging. Because behavioral modification may reduce an individual's fecundity by, for example, limiting foraging time and thus caloric intake, we must consider the range of behavioral options available for thermoregulation to accurately predict climate change impacts on individual species. To date, few studies have identified mechanistic links between an organism's daily activities and the need to thermoregulate. We used a biophysical model, Niche Mapper, to mechanistically model microclimate conditions and thermoregulatory behavior for a temperature‐sensitive mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Niche Mapper accurately simulated microclimate conditions, as well as empirical metabolic chamber data for a range of fur properties, animal sizes, and environmental parameters. Niche Mapper predicted pikas would be behaviorally constrained because of the need to thermoregulate during the hottest times of the day. We also showed that pikas at low elevations could receive energetic benefits by being smaller in size and maintaining summer pelage during longer stretches of the active season under a future warming scenario. We observed pika behavior for 288 h in Glacier National Park, Montana, and thermally characterized their rocky, montane environment. We found that pikas were most active when temperatures were cooler, and at sites characterized by high elevations and north‐facing slopes. Pikas became significantly less active across a suite of behaviors in the field when temperatures surpassed 20°C, which supported a metabolic threshold predicted by Niche Mapper. In general, mechanistic predictions and empirical observations were congruent. This research is unique in providing both an empirical and mechanistic description of the effects of temperature on a mammalian sentinel of climate change, the American pika. Our results suggest that previously underinvestigated characteristics, specifically fur properties and body size, may play critical roles in pika populations' response to climate change. We also demonstrate the potential importance of considering behavioral thermoregulation and microclimate variability when predicting animal responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moyer-Horner
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah; Department of Zoology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin
| | - Paul D Mathewson
- Department of Zoology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin
| | - Gavin M Jones
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin
| | - Michael R Kearney
- Department of Zoology The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Warren P Porter
- Department of Zoology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin
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