Microhabitat matters Understanding how our warming climate affects vulnerable species is of paramount importance. However, predicting responses complicated because are complex and may adapt or respond in distinct ways. Riddell et al. compared a century-old dataset on richness the Mojave against modern surveys to measure climate-related changes bird small mammal communities. They found little change occupancy but large declines across birds. attribute these differences microclimate...

Climate change threatens global biodiversity by increasing extinction risk, yet few studies have uncovered a physiological basis of climate-driven species declines. Maintaining stable body temperature is fundamental requirement for homeothermic animals, and water vital resource that facilitates thermoregulation through evaporative cooling, especially in hot environments. Here, we explore the potential thermoregulatory costs to underlie community collapse birds Mojave Desert over past century...

Extinction rates are predicted to rise exponentially under climate warming, but many of these predictions ignore physiological and behavioral plasticity that might buffer species from extinction. We evaluated the potential for acclimatization avoidance poor climatic conditions lower extinction risk change in global hotspot salamander diversity, a region currently lose most habitat due warming. Our approach integrated experimental physiology behavior into mechanistic distribution model...

We examine the evidence linking species’ traits to contemporary range shifts and find they are poor predictors of that have occurred over decades a century. then discuss reasons for performance describing interspecific variation in from two perspectives: ( a) factors associated with degrade range-shift signals stemming measures used traits, typically not analyzed, influence phylogeny on potential b) issues quantifying relating them due imperfect detection species, differences responses...

For many organisms, constraints on activity increase energetic costs, which ultimately reduce the suitability of a particular habitat. Mechanistic species distribution models often use estimates to predict how organisms will respond climate change. These couple physiology and morphology with climatic data estimate potential activity. In turn, duration is used balance individuals at given location. Whether remain in positive net determines if location suitable for species. However, because...

Abstract Species ranges are constrained by the physiological tolerances of organisms to climatic conditions. By incorporating constraints, species distribution models can identify how biotic and abiotic factors constrain a species' geographic range. Rates water loss influence distributions, but characterizing for an individual requires complex calculations. Skin resistance ( r i ) is considered be most informative metric rates because it controls experimental biases. However, calculating...

Abstract Organisms rely upon external cues to avoid detrimental conditions during environmental change. Rapid water loss, or desiccation, is a universal threat for terrestrial plants and animals, especially under climate change, but the that facilitate plastic responses desiccation are unclear. We integrate acclimation experiments with gene expression analyses identify regulate resistance loss at physiological regulatory level in montane salamander ( Plethodon metcalfi ). Here we show...

Changes in gene expression are thought to play a major role adaptive evolution. While it is known that highly sensitive the environment, very few studies have determined influence of genetic and environmental effects on differences natural populations. Here, we utilize allele-specific characterize cis trans regulatory divergence temperate tropical house mice two metabolic tissues under thermal conditions. First, show pervasive between populations across conditions, with roughly 5 10% genes...

Much understanding of organismal responses to climate change and variability relies on the assumption that body temperatures are equal temporally averaged air high above ground. However, most organisms experience microclimates near ground acute exposure solar thermal radiation extremes can substantially elevate or depress their temperatures. We introduce TrenchR package, which aids in Translating Environmental Change into responses. The package includes microclimate models vertically scale...

Indices of climate vulnerability are used to predict species’ change based on intrinsic physiological traits, such as thermal tolerance, sensitivity and acclimation, but rarely is the consistency among indices evaluated simultaneously. We compared physiology queen bumblebees between a species experiencing local declines ( Bombus auricomus ) exhibiting continent-wide increases B. impatiens ). conducted multi-week acclimation experiment under simulated warming measure critical maximum (CT max...

Research Highlight: Edwards, O. M., Zhai, L., Reichert, M. S., Shaughnessy, C. A., Ozment, & Zhang, B. (2024). Physiological and morphological traits affect contemporary range expansion implications for species distribution modelling in an amphibian species. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14212. Range can have profound ecological evolutionary consequences that feedback on the process itself. With global climate change causing widespread shifts to higher...

Small mammals in hot deserts often avoid heat via nocturnality and fossoriality, are thought to have a limited capacity dissipate using evaporative cooling. Research date has focused on thermoregulatory responses air temperatures (Ta) below body temperature (Tb). Consequently, the performance of small exposed high Ta is poorly understood, particularly across geographic seasonal scales. We quantified four cricetid rodents (Neotoma albigula, Neotoma lepida, Peromyscus eremicus, crinitus) Ta,...

Rapid global change has increased interest in developing ways to identify suitable refugia for species of conservation concern. Correlative and mechanistic distribution models (SDMs) represent two approaches generate spatially‐explicit estimates climate vulnerability. SDMs distributions using statistical associations between environmental variables presence data. In contrast, use physiological traits tolerances areas that meet the conditions required growth, survival reproduction. assume...

Abstract Species' thermal tolerances are used to estimate climate vulnerability, but few studies consider the role of hydric environment in shaping tolerances. As environments become hotter and drier, organisms often respond by limiting water loss lower risk desiccation; however, reducing may produce trade‐offs that if respiration becomes inhibited. Here, we measured sensitivity rate critical maximum (CT max ) precipitation nature laboratory experiments exposed click beetles (Coleoptera:...

Terrestrial environments pose many challenges to organisms, but perhaps one of the greatest is need breathe while maintaining water balance. Breathing air requires thin, moist respiratory surfaces, and thus conditions necessary for gas exchange are also responsible high rates loss that lead desiccation. Across diversity terrestrial life, acts as a universal cost imposes limits on respiration. Amphibians known being vulnerable rapid desiccation, in part because they rely permeable skin...

Scholander-Irving curves describe the relationship between ambient temperature and metabolic rate are fundamental to understanding energetic demands of homeothermy. However, typically measured in dry air, which is not representative humidity many organisms experience nature. Consequently, it unclear (1) whether (especially below thermoneutrality) altered by humidity, given effects on thermal properties (2) physiological responses associated with lab reflect organismal performance humid field...

Abstract Phenotypic expression is often constrained by functional conflicts between traits, and the resulting trade-offs impose limits on phenotypic taxonomic diversity. However, underlying mechanisms that maintain or allow organisms to resolve them via plasticity are challenging detect. The trade-off gas exchange water loss across respiratory surfaces represents a fundamental constrains diversity in terrestrial life. Here, we investigate plastic mitigate this lungless salamanders breathe...

Thermal gradient experiments are commonly used in studies of ectothermic organisms for a variety scientific inquiries. Such experiments, performed the laboratory, often to infer climatic preferences animals absence other variables. However, ability extrapolate laboratory results field is only as good accumulation ecological data that organism. When variable quantified interpreted thermal "preference," there some assumptions come with it, namely organism selects particular preferred...

Abstract Wind can significantly influence heat and water exchange between organisms their environment, yet microclimatic variation in wind is often overlooked models forecasting the effects of environmental change on organismal performance. Accounting for may become even more critical given anticipated changes speed across planet as climates continue to warm. In this study, we first assessed how varies under climate warming at macroclimatic scales. We also used data assess temporally...

Abstract Reversible acclimation increases resilience to environmental stress, but may have hidden costs due underlying linkages between related physiological traits. These might result in trade‐offs that undermine whole‐organism performance if the change a trait reduces net benefits of or susceptibility alternative stressors. Metabolic rate and water loss are two fundamental traits could interact their dependence on gas exchange across shared physical surfaces. Reductions response...