skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Hot, dry, and salty: The present and future of an Extremophile model lizard from Argentina
Global warming poses a threat to lizard populations by raising ambient temperatures above historical norms and reducing thermoregulation opportunities. Whereas the reptile fauna of desert systems is relatively well studied, the lizard fauna of saline environments has not received much attention and—to our knowledge—thermal ecology and the effects of global warming on lizards from saline environments have not been yet addressed. This pioneer study investigates the thermal ecology, locomotor performance and potential effects of climate warming on Liolaemus ditadai, a lizard endemic to one of the largest salt flats on Earth. We sampled L. ditadai using traps and active searches along its known distribution, as well as in other areas within Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta, where the species had not been previously recorded. Using ensemble models (GAM, MARS, RandomForest), we modeled climatically suitable habitats for L. ditadai in the present and under a pessimistic future scenario (SSP585, 2070). L. ditadai emerges as an efficient thermoregulator, tolerating temperatures near its upper thermal limits. Our ecophysiological model suggests that available activity hours predict its distribution, and the projected temperature increase due to global climate change should minimally impact its persistence or may even have a positive effect on suitable thermal habitat. However, this theoretical increase in habitat could be linked to the distribution of halophilous scrub in the future. Our surveys reveal widespread distribution along the borders of Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta, suggesting a potential presence along the entire border of both salt plains wherever halophytic vegetation exists. Optimistic model results, extended distribution, and no evidence of flood-related adverse effects offer insights into assessing the conservation status of L. ditadai, making it and the Salinas Grandes system suitable models for studying lizard ecophysiology in largely unknown saline environments.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1950636 1241848
PAR ID:
10626718
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Elsevier
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Thermal Biology
Volume:
123
Issue:
C
ISSN:
0306-4565
Page Range / eLocation ID:
103917
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
Climate change Ecophysiological conservation Thermal adaptation Hybrid modeling approach Salt plains ecology Thermal performance curve Thermal ecology
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; ; (, ICES Journal of Marine Science)
    Hidalgo, Manuel (Ed.)
    Abstract Warming temperatures elicit shifts in habitat use and geographic distributions of fishes, with uneven effects across life stages. Spawners and embryos often have narrower thermal tolerances than other life stages, and are thus particularly sensitive to warming. Here, we examine the spatiotemporal variability of thermal spawning habitat for Pacific cod in the eastern Bering Sea. Specifically, we use bottom temperatures from downscaled global climate models coupled with an experimentally-derived hatch success and temperature relationship to predict how the spatial extent, mean latitude, and consistency of thermal spawning habitat has varied over time. Predictions are validated with observations of spawning adults and early larvae. We find that habitat availability has not increased in the past but is predicted to increase and shift northward in the future, particularly if no climate change mitigation occurs. Habitat hotspots are consistent across shorter time periods but do shift across the shelf by the end of the century such that highly suitable areas in the past and present are not predicted to be suitable in the future. This work highlights the importance of coupling experimental data with climate models to identify the complex and mechanistic dynamics among temperature, life histories, and ecology, particularly under climate change. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; (, Conservation Science and Practice)
    Abstract Anthropogenic global warming and deforestation are significant drivers of the global biodiversity crisis. Ectothermic and viviparous animals are especially vulnerable since high environmental temperatures can impair embryonic development, but we lack knowledge about these effects upon Neotropical organisms. Here, we estimate how much of the current area with suitable habitats overlaps with protected areas and model the combined effects of climate change and deforestation on the geographic distribution of the viviparous Neotropical lizardNotomabuya frenata(Scincidae). This species ranges in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. We use environmental and physiological variables (locomotor performance and hours of activity) to predict suitable present and future areas, considering different scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. The most critical predictors of habitat suitability were isothermality (i.e., the ratio between mean diurnal temperature range and annual temperature range), precipitation during winter, and hours of activity under lower thermal extremes. Still, our models predict a contraction of suitable habitats in all future scenarios and the displacement of these areas towards eastern South America. In addition, protected areas are not enough to ensure suitable habitats for this species. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of tropical and viviparous ectotherms and suggest that even widely distributed species, such asN. frenata, may have their conservation compromised shortly due to the low representativeness of their suitable habitats in protected areas combined with the synergistic effects of climate change and deforestation. We stress the need for decision‐makers to consider the impact of range shifts in creating protected areas and managing endangered species. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; (, Oecologia)
    Global climate change has profound effects on species, especially those in habitats already altered by humans. Tropical ectotherms are predicted to be at high risk from global temperature increases, particularly those adapted to cooler temperatures at higher altitudes. We investigated how one such species, the water anole (Anolis aquaticus), is affected by temperature stress similar to that of a warming climate across a gradient of human-altered habitats at high elevation sites. We conducted a field survey on thermal traits and measured lizard critical thermal maxima across the sites. From the field survey, we found that (1) lizards from the least disturbed site and (2) operative temperature models of lizards placed in the least disturbed site had lower temperatures than those from sites with histories of human disturbance. Individuals from the least disturbed site also demonstrated greater tolerance to high temperatures than those from the more disturbed sites, in both their critical thermal maxima and the time spent at high temperatures prior to reaching critical thermal maxima. Our results demonstrate within-species variability in responses to high temperatures, depending on habitat type, and provide insight into how tropical reptiles may fare in a warming world. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Biological Reviews)
    ABSTRACT Nocturnal temperatures are increasing at a pace exceeding diurnal temperatures in most parts of the world. The role of warmer nocturnal temperatures in animal ecology has received scant attention and most studies focus on diurnal or daily descriptors of thermal environments' temporal trends. Yet, available evidence from plant and insect studies suggests that organisms can exhibit contrasting physiological responses to diurnal and nocturnal warming. Limiting studies to diurnal trends can thus result in incomplete and misleading interpretations of the ability of species to cope with global warming. Although they are expected to be impacted by warmer nocturnal temperatures, insufficient data are available regarding the night‐time ecology of vertebrate ectotherms. Here, we illustrate the complex effects of nocturnal warming on squamate reptiles, a keystone group of vertebrate ectotherms. Our review includes discussion of diurnal and nocturnal ectotherms, but we mainly focus on diurnal species for which nocturnal warming affects a period dedicated to physiological recovery, and thus may perturb activity patterns and energy balance. We first summarise the physical consequences of nocturnal warming on habitats used by squamate reptiles. Second, we describe how such changes can alter the energy balance of diurnal species. We illustrate this with empirical data from the asp viper (Vipera aspis) and common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), two diurnal species found throughout western Europe. Third, we make use of a mechanistic approach based on an energy‐balance model to draw general conclusions about the effects of nocturnal temperatures. Fourth, we examine how warmer nights may affect squamates over their lifetime, with potential consequences on individual fitness and population dynamics. We review quantitative evidence for such lifetime effects using recent data derived from a range of studies on the European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). Finally, we consider the broader eco‐evolutionary ramifications of nocturnal warming and highlight several research questions that require future attention. Our work emphasises the importance of considering the joint influence of diurnal and nocturnal warming on the responses of vertebrate ectotherms to climate warming. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; (, Landscape Ecology)
    Abstract ContextClimate change is altering suitable habitat distributions of many species at high latitudes. Fleshy fruit-producing plants (hereafter, “berry plants”) are important in arctic food webs and as subsistence resources for human communities, but their response to a warming and increasingly variable climate at a landscape scale has not yet been examined. ObjectivesWe aimed to identify environmental determinants of berry plant distribution and predict how climate change might shift these distributions. MethodsWe used species distribution models to identify characteristics and predict the distribution of suitable habitat under current (2006–2013) and future climate conditions (2081–2100; representative concentration pathways 4.5, 6.0, & 8.5) for five berry plant species:Vaccinium uliginosumL.,Empetrum nigrumL.,Rubus chamaemorusL.,Vaccinium vitis-idaeaL., andViburnum edule(Michx.) Raf.. ResultsElevation, soil characteristics, and January and July temperatures were important drivers of habitat distributions. Future suitable habitat predictions showed net declines in suitable habitat area for all species modeled under almost all future climate scenarios tested. ConclusionsOur work contributes to understanding potential geographic shifts in suitable berry plant habitat with climate change at a landscape scale. Shifting and retracting distributions may alter where communities can harvest, suggesting that access to these resources may become restricted in the future. Our prediction maps may help inform climate adaptation planning as communities anticipate shifting access to harvesting locations. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email