Life Cycle Of Species Research Articles

Foreword

There is no longer any doubt (IPCC, “Summary for Policymakers”, Cambridge University, in press) that human activities, particularly the extraction and use of fossil fuel resources, have already changed our climate. Unless we collectively change our patterns of energy use, climate change will accelerate and place all nature and humanity in harm's way. This special issue on climate change and fisheries across India is a timely contribution to the array of studies revealing the risks climate change poses for the vast array of ecosystem services and products essential to the continued health and prosperity of Earth's human population.India is a large country (3.287 m km²) with a large population (1.39 billion as of 2021). India's freshwater fisheries and aquaculture account for much of the food protein for its population: 68% in 2013. (Barik, 2017). India, like all regions of the world, already faces multiple stressors arising from human activities which often strain the hydrological systems (rivers, lakes and ponds, wetlands, and coastal areas) upon which ecosystems and, therefore, humans are highly dependent. These impacts may be increased by the joint effects of population size, per capita consumption, and the technological level of activities, all of which are rising as the economy of India rapidly develops. While efforts to limit climate change and mitigate the emerging impacts expand, it is important to increase knowledge of the potential consequences to all ecosystems, especially those essential to human well-being.This special issue presents a collection of nine papers which collectively provide a timely overview of the scope of inland fisheries across India and the challenges climate variability and baseline shifts pose as climate change accelerates. Many papers are focused on floodplain wetlands where much of the intensive aquaculture providing fish protein occurs. Every stage in the life cycle of the many species exploited to produce food has specific climate-related requirements. In temperate regions, the primary focus of climate impact assessment is often temperature. In tropical regions such as India precipitation conditions are often of greater importance. Climate change is altering the pattern and intensity of the annual monsoon season causing more severe flooding which can disrupt aquaculture operations. Increased frequency of droughts in other seasons can bring further disruptions. Temperature increases can compound these impacts by creating timing mismatches.Among this set of papers, three focus on the Ganga basin, a region of primary cultural importance to India. Six papers focus on wetland, particular floodplains, in a range of areas across the country. Six papers draw attention to details of the aquacultural systems that produce the valued fish protein. One paper singles out shrimp aquaculture in a coastal region while another considers how invasive species might induce further complications. Taken together, the papers will increase appreciation of the ecosystem health and management challenges India faces with its essential fisheries resources as climate change continues in the coming decades.

Preserving Rare and Endangered Calcific Steppe-Dwelling East-European Species ex situ

We have summed up the results of experimental efforts for preserving threatened and endangered calcific steppe-dwelling East-European species in the N V Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The results of experiments carried out since 2009 on the preservation of rare and endangered calcephilic-steppe species of Eastern Europe, which require alternative methods of protection, including in connection with the suppression of their populations in modern reserves of Russia, are presented in the conditions of the RAS GBS. The previous experience and methods of organizing such collections and expositions are analyzed. The main factors that negatively affect the life cycle of species at our point of introduction are identified, among them are inappropriate cultural conditions and competition that determine the duration of the existence of samples, that is, their stability. In this regard, it is proposed to create a system of specialized rockeries that imitate the characteristic natural habitats of various calciphilic communities: outcrops of rocky limestone, outcrops of writing chalk or calcareous soils. The developed approaches made it possible to study ex situ the peculiarities of adaptation of more than 170 rare and stenotopic plant species, mainly difficult in terms of cultivation. As a result of observations during the research period, preliminary results of their cultivation were summed up and the following ratio of species in the groups of introduction resistance was revealed: unstable (8%), weakly resistant (15%), resistant (40%), highly resistant (37%), that is, positive results were obtained for almost 80% of species undergoing a full life cycle in Moscow. The research results can find practical application not only in the creation of such collections in botanical gardens, but also for the restoration of populations of protected species in anthropogenically disturbed natural habitats.

Reproductive allocation of Solidago canadensis L. plays a key role in its invasiveness across a gradient of invasion degrees

AbstractReproductive allocation (RA) plays a vital role in the development of ecological strategies during the life cycle of plant species. Invasive alien plants (IAP) may exist at various invasion degrees across a gradient of the colonization process with several grades of relative abundances in the occupied environments. The progressive variation in the invasion degree of IAP has the potential to modify their RA strategy. This study purposes of estimating the RA strategy of the IAP Solidago canadensis L. and the correlations among RA of S. canadensis, the invasion intensity of S. canadensis, the invasiveness of S. canadensis, and the community invasibility across a gradient of invasion degrees by using the field sampling experiment. The height and relative abundance of S. canadensis did not remarkably affect its RA. The RA of S. canadensis was positively related to its reproductive biomass and total biomass. The key reason may be that plant individuals with higher total biomass can allocate more resources into sexual reproduction. The RA of S. canadensis was positively related to its invasiveness. Thus, the RA of S. canadensis may be crucial to its invasiveness.

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

On a nonlinear nonlocal model for a population with separate dispersal and sedentary stages

The life cycles of many species include separate dispersal and sedentary stages. To understand the population dynamics of such species, we study a hybrid model consisting of a reaction–diffusion equation that governs the random movement and settlement of dispersal individuals and an age-structured hyperbolic equation that describes the growth of sedentary individuals. We establish the existence and uniqueness of the solution of the model using the monotone method based on a comparison principle. We study the population persistence and extirpation by means of three measures. We also verify the theoretical results through numerical simulations.

Susceptibility of anurans, lizards, and fish to infection with Dracunculus species larvae and implications for their roles as paratenic hosts

Dracunculus spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect numerous species of mammals and reptiles. The life cycles of Dracunculus species are complex, and unknowns remain regarding the role of paratenic and transport hosts in transmission to definitive hosts. We had two primary objectives: to assess the susceptibility of several species of anurans, lizards, and fish as paratenic hosts for Dracunculus species, and to determine the long-term persistence of Dracunculus infections in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Animals were orally exposed to copepods infected with infectious third-stage larvae (L3s) of either Dracunculus insignis or D. medinensis. Dracunculus L3s were recovered from four anuran species, two lizard species, and one fish species, demonstrating that Dracunculus can infect tissues of a diversity of species. In long-term persistence trials, D. medinensis L3s were recovered from African clawed frogs tissues up to 58 days post-infection, and D. insignis L3s were recovered up to 244 days post-infection. Our findings regarding the susceptibility of novel species of frogs, lizards, and fish to infection with Dracunculus nematodes, and long-term persistence of L3s in paratenic hosts, address pressing knowledge gaps regarding Dracunculus infection in paratenic hosts and may guide future research regarding the transmission of Dracunculus to definitive mammalian hosts.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF BOVINE HYPODERMOSIS IN KAZAKHSTAN AND OTHER CENTRAL ASIAN REGIONS - WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO CONTROL THIS PARASITOSIS BY GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Hypodermosis is known to be a parasitosis of cattle having a negative economic impact. Nevertheless, it is still (or again) highly prevalent in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian regions. This is mainly attributable to the restructuring and privatization of animal husbandry after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union that was associated with economic and social problems, some of them still persist in agriculture today. In view of its negative economic impact, bovine hypodermosis should be controlled by appropriate measures, also by government support and regulations, in order to improve the animal health and the profitability of cattle farming and thus to increase the income of small-holding farmers in particular.The aim of the present paper is to provide an understanding and background for this recommendation. After a description of related English terms and the life cycle of Hypoderma species, a brief review is given on the occurrence of bovine hypodermosis in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian regions and its economic impact as well as on current options to control and eradicate this parasitosis.

Generalized additive models with delayed effects and spatial autocorrelation patterns to improve the spatiotemporal prediction of the skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) distribution in the Colombian Pacific Ocean

Fish populations respond to environmental change with daily, monthly, and annual time delays, depending on each species life cycle. However, these delays are rarely included in Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) for species distribution that uses time-series data. Therefore, the predictions of these models entirely rely on assumptions of immediate fish response to oceanic factors. Spatial autocorrelation is also an issue for GAMs because datasets of fish occurrence usually exhibit this property, and though it has been progressively considered for modeling, it is still frequently ignored. These problems cause low model performance, unstable predictions and more importantly, wrong conclusions for fisheries management. We built and applied Generalized Additive Models with spatial terms and delayed effects of oceanic covariates (SDE-GAMs) to investigate model performance and prediction power for the spatiotemporal distribution of the skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), a species of commercial importance across the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Colombian Pacific Ocean. We used satellite-derived Surface Sea Temperature (SST), Sea Level Anomaly (SLA), and Chlorophyll-a (CHLA) as predictors for the Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE), considering monthly delayed covariate effects and spatial terms at intra-annual cycles. We evaluated performance improvement of SDE-GAMs compared to that of traditional GAMs (T-GAMs: only immediate covariate effects) and spatial GAMs (S-GAMs: immediate covariate effects plus spatial terms). The model performance of SDE-GAMs was on average 25.4% higher, while its prediction error was on average 43% lower. One, two and three-month delayed SST effects were the primary drivers of CPUE throughout the intra-annual cycle across the EEZ. SDE-GAMs were able to predict both general patterns and smaller details of the spatiotemporal distribution of skipjack, capturing sub-regional differentiation with high importance for management and decision making.

Burrowing Parrots Cyanoliseus patagonus as Long-Distance Seed Dispersers of Keystone Algarrobos, Genus Prosopis, in the Monte Desert

Understanding of ecosystem structure and functioning requires detailed knowledge about plant–animal interactions, especially when keystone species are involved. The recent consideration of parrots as legitimate seed dispersers has widened the range of mechanisms influencing the life cycle of many plant species. We examined the interactions between the burrowing parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus and two dominant algarrobo trees (Prosopis alba and Prosopis nigra) in the Monte Desert, Argentina. We recorded the abundance and foraging behaviour of parrots; quantified the handling, consumption, wasting, and dispersal of ripe and unripe pods; and tested the viability of soft and hard ripe seeds wasted and transported by parrots. We found a high abundance of burrowing parrots. They predated on soft seeds from unripe pods while exclusively feeding upon pulp wrapping hard seeds from ripe pods. Frequent pod wasting beneath the plant or transport at a distance invariably implied the dispersal of multiple seeds in each event. Moreover, soft seeds retained viability after desiccation outside the mother plant, suggesting effective seed dispersal after partial pod predation due to a predator satiation effect. In about half of the foraging flocks, at least one parrot departed in flight with pods in its beak, with 10–34% of the flock components moving pods at distances averaging 238 m (P. alba) and 418 m (P. nigra). A snapshot sampling of faeces from livestock and wild mammals suggested a low frequency of seed dispersal by endozoochory and secondary dispersal by ants and dung beetles. The nomadic movements and long flights of burrowing parrots between breeding and foraging sites can lead to the dispersal of huge amounts of seeds across large areas that are sequentially exploited. Further research should evaluate the role of the burrowing parrot as a functionally unique species in the structure of the Monte Desert woods and the genetic structure of algarrobo species.

Conserving the Paraguay-Paraná Fluvial Corridor in the XXI Century: Conflicts, Threats, and Challenges

The Paraguay-Paraná river system represents a unique, free-flowing corridor that extends about 3500 km southwards from the Pantanal to the Rio de la Plata estuary, crossing four countries. The absence of fragmentation along the main channels and its still well-connected floodplains have preserved longitudinal and lateral functional and structural connectivity, defining critical ecological gradients for the biota and species life cycles. The lack of dams represents a noticeable feature that benefits migratory species supporting small-scale fisheries providing food security and the conservation of other ecosystem services with associated livelihoods. The ecological integrity of this corridor could be severely affected by the potential expansion of the Hidrovía Paraguay-Paraná for improving commercial trade, the foreseen installation of new dams in the Paraná basin, in addition to other current impacts and threats. Conservation of the corridor for societal benefits, involving the sustainable development of activities associated with the use of the fluvial territory, requires maintaining the natural ecological process that sustains livelihoods and biodiversity. This calls for innovative strategies encompassing water governance process, social and environmental information related to expected impacts, a better understanding of synergies between processes, and foremost an interdisciplinary approach to design and apply integrative and multi-scale management policies.

First evidence of underwater sounds emitted by the living fossils Lepidurus lubbocki and Triops cancriformis (Branchiopoda: Notostraca)

Sound is the most effective means of communication in marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, no data about acoustic emissions from non-malacostracan crustaceans are currently available, so their ability to produce sounds is unknown. For the first time, this study investigated the sound produced by 2 tadpole shrimp species,Triops cancriformisandLepidurus lubbocki.L. lubbockiindividuals were collected from a natural temporary pond in Sicily (Italy), whereasT. cancriformisindividuals were obtained from eggs contained in sediment from a rock pool in Sardinia (Italy). In the laboratory, experimental tanks with the animals (one species at a time) were acoustically monitored. Both species produced high-frequency, wideband pulses distinguishable by their sound pressure level, which was higher inL. lubbocki(146 dB) than inT. cancriformis(130 dB), and by their first and second peak frequencies, which were higher inL. lubbocki(65 and 86 kHz) than inT. cancriformis(63 and 71 kHz). The energy distributions in the power density spectra showed different shapes, as revealed by the 3 dB bandwidth and centre frequency. The pulse durations were 88 and 97 µs inL. lubbockiandT. cancriformis, respectively.L. lubbockipresented a higher emission rate thanT. cancriformisand a marked circadian pattern, with a higher abundance of sounds during the night. This study reports the first evidence of sound emissions from non-malacostracan crustaceans and reveals the high potential of passive acoustic monitoring to detect the presence, abundance, and life cycle of these elusive keystone species of temporary water bodies.

Artificial Feeding of All Consecutive Life Stages of Ixodes ricinus

The hard tick Ixodes ricinus is an obligate hematophagous arthropod and the main vector for several zoonotic diseases. The life cycle of this three-host tick species was completed for the first time in vitro by feeding all consecutive life stages using an artificial tick feeding system (ATFS) on heparinized bovine blood supplemented with glucose, adenosine triphosphate, and gentamicin. Relevant physiological parameters were compared to ticks fed on cattle (in vivo). All in vitro feedings lasted significantly longer and the mean engorgement weight of F0 adults and F1 larvae and nymphs was significantly lower compared to ticks fed in vivo. The proportions of engorged ticks were significantly lower for in vitro fed adults and nymphs as well, but higher for in vitro fed larvae. F1-females fed on blood supplemented with vitamin B had a higher detachment proportion and engorgement weight compared to F1-females fed on blood without vitamin B, suggesting that vitamin B supplementation is essential in the artificial feeding of I. ricinus ticks previously exposed to gentamicin.

Molecular and morphological characterisation of the metacercariae of two species of Cardiocephaloides (Digenea: Strigeidae) infecting endemic South African klipfish (Perciformes: Clinidae).

South African clinids are a major component of the temperate intertidal regions that are also known to participate in life cycles and transmission of several groups of parasites. However, the knowledge of trematode diversity of these fishes is incomplete. In this study, two species of Clinus Cuvier, the super klipfish Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus) and the bluntnose klipfish Clinus cottoides Valenciennes, were collected from six localities along the South African coast and examined for the presence of trematodes. Metacercariae of Cardiocephaloides Sudarikov, 1959 were found in the eye vitreous humour and brain of C. superciliosus and in the eye vitreous humour of C. cottoides. Detailed analyses integrating morphological and molecular sequence data (28S rDNA, ITS2 rDNA-region, and COI mtDNA) revealed that these belong to two species, Cardiocephaloides physalis (Lutz, 1926) and an unknown species of Cardiocephaloides. This study provides the first report of clinid fishes serving as intermediate hosts for trematodes, reveals that the diversity of Cardiocephaloides in South Africa is higher than previously recorded, and highlights the need for further research to elucidate the life cycles of these trematode species. The broad geographical distribution of Cardiocephaloides spp. was confirmed in the present study based on molecular sequence data. The host-parasite interactions between clinid fishes and metacercariae of Cardiocephaloides are yet to be explored.

When your host shuts down: larval diapause impacts host-microbiome interactions in Nasonia vitripennis

BackgroundThe life cycles of many insect species include an obligatory or facultative diapause stage with arrested development and low metabolic activity as an overwintering strategy. Diapause is characterised by profound physiological changes in endocrine activity, cell proliferation and nutrient metabolism. However, little is known regarding host-microbiome interactions during diapause, despite the importance of bacterial symbionts for host nutrition and development. In this work, we investigated (i) the role of the microbiome for host nutrient allocation during diapause and (ii) the impact of larval diapause on microbiome dynamics in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis, a model organism for host-microbiome interactions.ResultsOur results demonstrate that the microbiome is essential for host nutrient allocation during diapause in N. vitripennis, as axenic diapausing larvae had consistently lower glucose and glycerol levels than conventional diapausing larvae, especially when exposed to cold temperature. In turn, microbiome composition was altered in diapausing larvae, potentially due to changes in the surrounding temperature, host nutrient levels and a downregulation of host immune genes. Importantly, prolonged larval diapause had a transstadial effect on the adult microbiome, with unknown consequences for host fitness. Notably, the most dominant microbiome member, Providencia sp., was drastically reduced in adults after more than 4 months of larval diapause, while potential bacterial pathogens increased in abundance.ConclusionThis work investigates host-microbiome interactions during a crucial developmental stage, which challenges both the insect host and its microbial associates. The impact of diapause on the microbiome is likely due to several factors, including altered host regulatory mechanisms and changes in the host environment.8eXiSqX1W-a7vPRfczqREZVideo .

Reservoir ecological operation considering outflow variations across different time scales

The regulation of reservoirs contributes huge socioeconomic benefits to society at the expense of inducing adverse effects on downstream ecosystems. The reservoir average outflow (such as monthly) can be out of the ecological flow range while the partial daily outflow is suitable due to the outflow fluctuations. To address this issue, the reservoir outflow variations across different time scales (OVDTS) were proposed to form a novel ecological indicator. First, the ecological flow for the full life cycles of indicative native and nonnative species was calculated. Then, the reservoir OVDTS were proposed to describe the streamflow difference between long (e.g., 10-day) and short (e.g., daily) time intervals, and the ecological fitness (namely ecofit) was then formed. Finally, the reservoir operating rule curves were optimized by considering ecofit as well as average annual water supply, water supply reliability, average annual hydropower generation and hydropower generation reliability. The China’s Danjiangkou Reservoir was selected as the case study. It is validated that the established ecofit was almost equal to the proportion of reservoir outflow that met ecological flow range. The ecofit of optimized operating rule curves was improved by 4.19% compared with conventional operation without decreasing the performance of other objectives, also with ecofit improvements of wet, normal, and dry years. It was unexpected that the ecological objective of the optimized operating rule curves was significantly better than that of natural flow mimicry in dry years. The proposed OVDTS and ecofit could be helpful to reservoir ecological operations.

The use of water-filled tree holes by vertebrates in temperate forests

Water-filled tree holes (WHs), commonly referred to as dendrotelmata, develop when water accumulates in cavities related to tree architecture or in rotten parts of the tree. These structures can occur in forest ecosystems and may represent essential microhabitats in the life cycle of various animal species. WHs form temporary microhabitats during wet periods and sometimes sustain water throughout dry seasons. Research on the use of WHs by organisms mainly focuses on invertebrates developing in these while vertebrates are rarely mentioned. A literature search on the use of WHs by vertebrates revealed that attention has been given only to vertebrates in tropical and subtropical systems, mostly to groups with aquatic stages, such as amphibians. To fill the knowledge gap on the use of WHs by vertebrates in temperate forests, we conducted a camera study in three sites across Germany. We identified a total of 28 vertebrate species including 11 mammal, 17 bird and one amphibian species using the WHs. The recorded videos showed that vertebrates use the WHs mainly for nutrition and hydration. With an expected future increase in frequency and intensity of dry spells in central Europe, these microhabitats may sustain healthy forest ecosystems by providing resources for wildlife. Reliable, updated data about the importance of WHs for vertebrates is required to urge forest managers and stakeholders to enforce the preservation of these microhabitats.

Melatonin and osmoregulation in fish: A focus on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smoltification.

Part of the life cycle of several fish species includes important salinity changes, as is the case for the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) or the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Salmosalar juveniles migrate downstream from their spawning sites to reach seawater, where they grow and become sexually mature. The process of preparation enabling juveniles to migrate downstream and physiologically adapt to seawater is called smoltification. Daily and seasonal variations of photoperiod and temperature play a role in defining the timing of smoltification, which may take weeks to months, depending on the river length and latitude. Smoltification is characterised by a series of biochemical, physiological and behavioural changes within the neuroendocrine axis. This review discusses the current knowledge and gaps related to the neuroendocrine mechanisms that mediate the effects of light and temperature on smoltification. Studies performed in S. salar and other salmonids, as well as in other species undergoing important salinity changes, are reviewed, and a particular emphasis is given to the pineal hormone melatonin and its possible role in osmoregulation. The daily and annual variations of plasma melatonin levels reflect corresponding changes in external photoperiod and temperature, which suggests that the hormonal time-keeper melatonin might contribute to controlling smoltification. Here, we review studies on (i) the impact of pinealectomy and/or melatonin administration on smoltification; (ii) melatonin interactions with hormones involved in osmoregulation (e.g., prolactin, growth hormone and cortisol); (iii) the presence of melatonin receptors in tissues involved in osmoregulation; and (iv) the impacts of salinity changes on melatonin receptors and circulating melatonin levels. Altogether, these studies show evidence indicating that melatonin interacts with the neuroendocrine pathways controlling smoltification, although more information is needed to clearly decipher its mechanisms of action.

Annual cycle of growth and population structure of the estuarine crabHemigrapsus crenulatus(Brachyura: Varunidae) off central Chile

AbstractEstuaries and saltmarshes play a fundamental role in the life cycle of many crab species. Diverse studies show that temperature and salinity modulate abundance, size frequency distribution (SFD), sex ratio and growth in crustaceans. These population parameters are usually challenging to estimate due to the high environmental variability of estuaries. Monthly samples of the estuarine crabHemigrapsus crenulatuswere taken from October 2003 to October 2004 (except July 2004) in the Tubul estuary, central Chile. We quantified temporal changes in abundance, size distribution, sex ratio and monthly growth through the annual cycle. A total of 1025 individuals were collected. Sizes ranged from 7.72–33.51 mm carapace length (CL) with a growth rate ranging between 2.13–30.5% mm CL mo−1. Size and growth rates were greater in spring-summer, suggesting a faster growth of younger crabs correlated with increasing sea temperatures in the austral summer. Overall, sex ratio was 1.75:1 in favour of males. Modal analysis identified at least seven cohorts cohabiting throughout the annual cycle. Growth parameters for males and females were the following, respectively:L∞ = 33.6 and 29.6,k= 0.69 and 0.91,t0= –0.39 and −0.28. Changes in size distribution suggested a recruitment period during autumn and winter seasons when there are lower salinities and temperature fluctuations stresses. Generalized linear models indicated that sea temperature, salinity and chlorophyll were the environmental variables that better predicted the annual patterns in the population structure.

Modeling the dispersal of wind-borne pests: Sensitivity of infestation forecasts to uncertainty in parameterization of long-distance airborne dispersal

Modeling dispersal of wind-borne pests can be a valuable tool in a broader context of areawide integrated pest management. In such models both biotic and abiotic factors play important roles. Many aspects of the life cycle and dispersal of the focal species are typically well studied and represented with robust measures. However, some important assessments may be either lacking or based on difficult to obtain measurements. For example, investigations of population processes occurring at broad spatial scales pose logistical difficulties, and consequently the corresponding estimates may be biased. This is true in the case of long-distance airborne dispersal, in which aloft characteristics of dispersal are particularly difficult to estimate. In this study we assessed the sensitivity of regional infestation forecasts of sorghum by sugarcane aphids [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)] to uncertainty in parameterization of measures meant to represent important aspects of long-distance airborne dispersal in the southern-to-central Great Plains of North America. We focused on dispersal duration, take-off height, and maximum dispersal height as three critical parameters that control wind-borne long-distance dispersal of aphids. The 63 investigated combinations of values of these parameters had largely equivalent region-wide impact on timing of first forecasted infestation (equivalence margin of 7 days) and the impact on the probability of forecasted infestation was equivalent (equivalence margin of 0.1). The spatial variability in estimates depended on local specificity of the modeled landscape, and it was larger in areas where infestations were less frequent, primarily in eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern Texas.

Climate impacts on organisms, ecosystems and human societies: integrating OCLTT into a wider context.

Physiological studies contribute to a cause and effect understanding of ecological patterns under climate change and identify the scope and limits of adaptation. Across most habitats, this requires analyzing organism responses to warming, which can be modified by other drivers such as acidification and oxygen loss in aquatic environments or excess humidity or drought on land. Experimental findings support the hypothesis that the width and temperature range of thermal performance curves relate to biogeographical range. Current warming causes range shifts, hypothesized to include constraints in aerobic power budget which in turn are elicited by limitations in oxygen supply capacity in relation to demand. Different metabolic scopes involved may set the borders of both the fundamental niche (at standard metabolic rate) and the realized niche (at routine rate). Relative scopes for aerobic performance also set the capacity of species to interact with others at the ecosystem level. Niche limits and widths are shifting and probably interdependent across life stages, with young adults being least thermally vulnerable. The principles of thermal tolerance and performance may also apply to endotherms including humans, their habitat and human society. Overall, phylogenetically based comparisons would need to consider the life cycle of species as well as organism functional properties across climate zones and time scales. This Review concludes with a perspective on how mechanism-based understanding allows scrutinizing often simplified modeling approaches projecting future climate impacts and risks for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. It also emphasizes the usefulness of a consensus-building process among experimentalists for better recognition in the climate debate.