Abstract
When dispersal is not an option to evade warming temperatures, compensation through behavior, plasticity, or evolutionary adaptation is essential to prevent extinction. In this work, we evaluated whether there is physiological plasticity in the thermal performance curve (TPC) of maximum jumping speed in individuals acclimated to current and projected temperatures and whether there is an opportunity for behavioral thermoregulation in the desert landscape where inhabits the northernmost population of the endemic frog Pleurodema thaul. Our results indicate that individuals acclimated to 20°C and 25°C increased the breath of their TPCs by shifting their upper limits with respect to when they were acclimated at 10°C. In addition, even when dispersal is not possible for this population, the landscape is heterogeneous enough to offer opportunities for behavioral thermoregulation. In particular, under current climatic conditions, behavioral thermoregulation is not compulsory as available operative temperatures are encompassed within the population TPC limits. However, for severe projected temperatures under climate change, behavioral thermoregulation will be required in the sunny patches. In overall, our results suggest that this population of Pleurodema thaul will be able to endure the worst projected scenario of climate warming as it has not only the physiological capacities but also the environmental opportunities to regulate its body temperature behaviorally.
Highlights
The biodiversity of the earth is undergoing an extraordinary transformation as a result of the effects of human activities on every ecosystem (Vitousek 1992, 1994; Mooney and Cleland 2001)
Thermal physiological traits (Tpref and resistance critical resistance thermal minimum (CRTmin) and CRTmax) and traits obtained from the thermal performance curve (TPC) (CTmin, the optimal temperature (Topt), Vmax, and CTmax) were analyzed using a mixed modeling approach, as we have three repeated measures on the same individual
We evaluated whether there is physiological plasticity in the TPC of maximum jumping speed in individuals acclimated to current and projected temperatures and whether there is an opportunity for behavioral thermoregulation in the desert landscape where inhabits the northernmost population of the frog P. thaul
Summary
The biodiversity of the earth is undergoing an extraordinary transformation as a result of the effects of human activities on every ecosystem (Vitousek 1992, 1994; Mooney and Cleland 2001). The impact of current global warming on biodiversity has been widespread and has involved several types of responses (Parmesan 2006; Chown et al 2010; Hoffmann and Sgro 2011). Four compensatory mechanisms are possible for a population (or a species) in the face of warming to prevent extinction. Given the structure of the landscape, to more favorable thermal environments tracking their current bioclimate envelope. If dispersal is not possible and/or if the thermal environment is rather homogeneous, a population may adjust to a warming climate by physiological plasticity, or evolutionary adaptation (Huey et al 2012)
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