No description available.

Temperature represents a major driving force in biology as it influences essential functions across multiple levels of biological organization. The role of temperature is especially important for ectothermic animals, whose biotic processes are dependent on both body and environmental temperature. Assessing the relationship between temperature and organismal performance represents an important research direction as temperatures continue to warm under anthropogenic climate change. Chapters two and three are focused on a recently colonized population of the invasive Mediterranean House Geckos at the northern edge of their invasion front. These chapters examine the ecological and physiological factors that enable these lizards to persist in a cooler and more temperate environment than their native range. The thermal breadth of a reptile greatly influences its ability to tolerate a thermally variable environment, particularly when environmental options are limited for behavioral thermoregulation. These chapters explore the thermal performance of this species, and the results show that the eurythermality of these geckos promotes their rapid colonization of novel environments despite experiencing prolonged periods of cool temperatures. Chapters four, five, and six, by contrast, shift focus to larval amphibians to explore the constraints and factors underlying plasticity in acclimation to temperature extremes. As habitats continue to warm with climate change, ectotherms with limited capacity to thermoregulate, such as larval amphibians in shallow ponds, will be under a heightened threat of heat stress and mortality. Resultantly, identifying different factors that can increase organismal heat tolerance would reduce the risk of overheating and promote survival. Chapters four, five, and six explore this topic by measuring the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of larval wood frogs. Chapter four focuses on the tradeoff between basal CTmax and plasticity of CTmax and its consequences for how a larval anuran responds to an acute heat shock. Chapter five examines the role a viral pathogen, ranavirus, has on larval CTmax. Surprisingly, a lethal dose of ranavirus did not reduce CTmax which goes against the common pattern of pathogenic infections lowering host heat tolerance. Lastly, chapter six explores the relationship between the gut microbiota and host CTmax with a particular focus on cross-species microbiota transplants. In line with our prediction, transplanting the gut microbiota of a heat-tolerant donor species promoted greater CTmax in the heat-sensitive recipient species.

Orientador: Tânia Marcia Costa / Resumo: A temperatura é uma das principais restrições ambientais à distribuição dos organismos, afetando a fisiologia e sobrevivência. Organismos que habitam a zona do entremarés estão constantemente expostos à variação da temperatura e, com as mudanças climáticas, esses organismos devem enfrentar condições diferentes, que incluem temperaturas mais elevadas, levando a maiores taxas de perda de água por evaporação e, consequentemente, redução do desempenho ou mortalidade. Neste estudo, testamos os efeitos da dessecação em duas espécies de caranguejos violinistas (Leptuca thayeri e Minuca rapax) que ocupam habitats distintos em relação à cobertura da vegetação e posição no entremarés e, portanto, podem responder de forma diferente ao estresse por dessecação e ao aumento da temperatura. Leptuca thayeri, que é restrita à zona intermediária do entremarés, é mais sensível à dessecação do que M. rapax, uma espécie generalista, com maiores taxas de dessecação e mortalidade quando expostas à dessecação por 120 minutos. Além disso, em comparação com M. rapax, L. thayeri possui uma carapaça mais permeável. Também avaliamos se o aumento de temperatura pode causar alterações fisiológicas na espécie mais restrita L. thayeri, tendo acesso a alimento e à água. Uma elevação de temperatura de 10 ° C e 20 ° C durante 72 h não causou mortalidade em L. thayeri nem mudanças na concentração de glicose e proteína na hemolinfa. No entanto, as temperaturas mais altas aumentaram os níveis de lactato desidrogen... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Invasive species often encounter climatic conditions that differ significantly from those of their native range. These environmental shifts may trigger phenotypic responses, resulting through some combination of adaptation and plasticity, that enable the invader to persist under novel thermal regimes. In this dissertation, I examine phenotypic changes in a tropical lizard that has successful invaded a cooler temperate climate, specifically examining traits that may promote survival and reproduction in their new range. First, I examined physiological traits, as I predicted greater cold tolerance would be necessary to survival in the invasive range. I found that invasive populations tolerated lower temperatures, exhibited greater maximum sprint speeds, and had higher metabolic rates than native populations. Next, I examined how life-history traits may change in the invasive range in order to facilitate reproduction under shorter breeding and growing seasons. I found that compared to native females, invasive females had shorter interlaying intervals and produced eggs that hatched more quickly. Once I quantified changes physiological and life-history traits that may have aided in successful establishment, I executed a common garden study to determine whether changes were the result of adaptation or plasticity. I found that differences in critical thermal minimum, metabolic rate, interlaying interval, and incubation period were maintained in lab-reared offspring, while measures of sprint speed converged. My results provide evidence that life history and physiology can evolve rapidly during invasion. These findings are useful to understanding contemporary evolution, and also provide valuable insight on how species respond to environmental shifts, both during invasions and as a result of climate change. / Doctor of Philosophy / When species invade a new area, they often face different climates that make can make survival and reproduction challenging. In response, species may alter traits in order to adjust to new temperatures and conditions. In this dissertation, I examine trait changes in a tropical lizard that has successfully invaded a cooler temperate climate, specifically examining traits that may help them to survive and reproduce in their new range. First, I examined physiological traits, as I predicted greater cold tolerance would be necessary to survival in the invasive range. I found that invasive populations tolerated lower temperatures, could sprint faster, and had higher metabolism than native populations. Next, I examined how reproductive traits may change in the invasive range in order to facilitate reproduction under shorter breeding and growing seasons. I found that compared to native females, invasive females had less time between egg lays and produced eggs that hatched more quickly. Once I assessed how traits may have changed in the new range, I determined whether changes resulted from evolution or not. I found that differences in low temperature tolerance, metabolic rate, the time between egg lays, and incubation period were the result of evolution, while sprint speed did not seem to be the result of evolution. My results provide evidence that traits can evolve rapidly during invasion, allowing invasive species to persist and spread in new areas.

Le changement climatique récent a des conséquences dramatiques pour la biodiversité, à travers des modifications des conditions abiotiques et biotiques. La vulnérabilité d'une espèce au changement climatique peut dépendre de son habitat, de sa position au sein de sa communauté ainsi que de sa physiologie thermique. A cet égard, les espèces ectothermes, dont la température interne dépend directement du milieu extérieur, sont considérées comme particulièrement vulnérables à l'augmentation de température. Nous avons étudié expérimentalement l'impact du réchauffement climatique futur sur une espèce de vertébré ectotherme, le lézard vivipare (Zootoca vivipara). Pour cela nous avons utilisé le Métatron, un système de grands enclos semi-naturels dans lesquels les conditions climatiques peuvent être manipulées. Nous avons étudié l'impact d'un climat futur plus chaud (+2°C) sur la dynamique des populations et leur risque d'extinction, ainsi que sur les capacités d'adaptation des populations par la plasticité phénotypique, la sélection et la dispersion. De plus, nous avons considéré l'impact du changement climatique à l'échelle de la communauté. Nous démontrons que le changement climatique futur a un impact négatif sur les populations de lézard vivipare, avec un risque d'extinction à court terme. Cependant, des moyens d'adaptation existent, à travers des changements de phénologie et de physiologie (mélanisme, préférences thermiques). Enfin, les conséquences du changement climatique ne sont pas limitées à l'impact sur les populations de lézard, mais affectent la communauté toute entière, depuis les communautés de plantes et d'insectes jusqu'aux communautés microbiennes. / Recent global change has dramatic impacts on biodiversity, through modifications in abiotic and biotic factors. Species vulnerability to changing climates depend for instance of its habitat, its position within the community and its thermal physiology. In this respect, ectotherm species are considered particularly vulnerable as their body temperature depend directly on their environment. We experimentally studied the impact of future climate change on an ectotherm vertebrate species, the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). We used the Metatron, a system of semi-natural enclosures in which climatic conditions can be manipulated. We studied the impact of warmer climatic conditions (+2°C) on common lizard's population dynamics and extinction risk, and on population adaptation capacity through plasticity, selection and dispersal. We further investigated the impact of climate change at the community scale. We demonstrated that future climatic conditions pose a threat to common lizard. However, possibilities of adaptation exist through changes in phenology and physiology (preferred temperature and melanism). Finally, we show that changing climatic conditions have an impact on the entire communities, from plants and insects to microbial communities.

Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae), classified as an emerging weed in South Africa, has become abundant throughout large parts of southern and eastern Africa. In South Africa it has invaded areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the North West Province and Limpopo. A biological control programme against parthenium weed was launched in South Africa in 2003, based on the success achieved in Australia. Zygogramma bicolorata, a leaf-feeding beetle native to Mexico, was imported into South Africa via Central Queensland, Australia where it was released in the 1980s. This thesis examines aspects of the thermal physiology of Z. bicolorata which, in conjunction with its native and exotic geographical distribution, was used to predict the potential distribution of the agent in South Africa, in relation to climate. To determine Z. bicolorata’s physiological capability, several physiological parameters were examined for mechanistic modelling purposes. These parameters included the beetle’s lethal thermal limits, critical thermal limits, lethal humidities (Chapter 2) and developmental rate at constant temperatures (Chapter 3). In Chapter 4, these physiological parameters were entered into the dynamic modelling program CLIMEX (CLIMEX programme ver. 2, CSIRO Entomology ©) and a map of the areas that are acceptable for the establishment of Z. bicolorata was produced. The CLIMEX model predicted that most of South Africa is favourable for the establishment of the beetle, except in the west of the country and in the north of Lesotho, extending into South Africa. All areas in which parthenium currently occurs were predicted to be very favourable for Z. bicolorata establishment and proliferation. Optimal release sites aimed at initial establishment were earmarked at three areas in the northeastern part of South Africa (Jozini, Ndumu Game Reserve and along the road from Swaziland to Mozambique). It is concluded that Z. bicolorata is climatically suited to South Africa, increasing the likelihood that populations will establish and proliferate when released. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.