Thermal response of a sky island lizard to climate change

Abstract

ABSTRACT Climate change models for lizards assume that changes in its climate envelope (the climatic conditions that define a species’ distribution at a given time) are due to species being unable to withstand temperature increases, but this assumption has not been tested to assess its robustness. Studies on lizards’ preferred temperature in thermal gradients can fill this gap. Our aim is to assess the response to climate change of Liolaemus nigroviridis, a sky island lizard, by (i) assessing its thermal preference in a thermal gradient; and (ii) estimating which localities inhabited by the species would exhibit hours of activity restriction (Hr) implying an increased risk of local extinction. The results of this research and the information obtained from the literature concur on the consequences that climate change will have on the thermal ecology of Liolaemus from specialized habitats; the increase in substrate temperature is indeed a factor determining its presence. We also have information that not all populations of L. nigroviridis will be influenced in the same way; the northern populations will be more affected in terms of thermal restrictions and, in addition, Hr will increase at higher elevations. We propose that this be considered for future management for this species.