Thermoregulation enhances survival but not reproduction in a plant‐feeding insect

Functional Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 38(6), P. 1344 - 1356

Published: March 14, 2024

Abstract Temperature influences nearly all aspects of fitness. However, reproduction is often more thermally sensitive than survival. Thermoregulation must maintain performance in both components fitness to buffer populations from environmental change. We assessed the benefits thermoregulation Enchenopa binotata treehoppers. Under realistic mesocosm conditions, we quantified fine‐scale microclimates using 3D‐printed operative temperature models. then compared temperatures treehopper body and translated patterns into variation survival reproduction. also two thermoregulatory mechanisms: precise microclimate choice heat‐escape behaviours. Finally, applied our results evaluate if arthropod accurately characterized by theoretical models commonly used simulate responses found substantial thermal at fine spatial scales relevant insects: a single point time, within 30‐cm‐tall plants spanned ranges up 19°C (23–42°C). Lethal were common when air high. heat escapes allowed treehoppers almost entirely avoid lethal temperatures. By contrast, individuals thermoconformed absence This finding suggests that imposes high costs due uncertainty scales. Furthermore, given narrow range which occurs, unlikely was most effective lowest‐quality spatially variable habitats. Treehopper therefore closely follows cost–benefit account for inhibited movement extreme Overall, even can prevent stress, it may have limited capacity arthropods other small ectotherms change cannot reproductive performance. Read free Plain Language Summary this article on Journal blog.

Language: Английский

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Revisiting the ecology and evolution of burying beetle behavior (Staphylinidae: Silphinae)

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(8)

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

Abstract Investigating fundamental processes in biology requires the ability to ground broad questions species‐specific natural history. This is particularly true study of behavior because an organism's experience environment will influence expression and opportunity for selection. Here, we provide a review history burying beetles genus Nicrophorus groundwork comparative work that showcases their remarkable behavioral ecological diversity. Burying have long fascinated scientists well‐developed parenting behavior, exhibiting extended post‐hatching care offspring varies extensively within across taxa. Despite burgeoning success as model system evolution, there has not been ecology, evolution over 25 years. To address this gap, leverage developing community researchers who contributed detailed knowledge highlight utility investigating causes consequences social evolution.

Language: Английский

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The consequences of heatwaves for animal reproduction are timing‐dependent

Functional Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 37(9), P. 2425 - 2433

Published: July 4, 2023

Abstract In light of the increased frequency heatwaves due to climate change, it is crucial better understand their potential effects on animal reproduction. Heat stress can affect all aspects reproduction, including gamete development, fertilisation success, parental care and offspring survival. We may, therefore, expect these be highly sensitive timing a heatwave event relative an organism's reproductive cycle. Here, we use insect study system ( Nicrophorus vespilloides ) test whether variation in within short timeframe has differential success fitness. found that had little no effect when they occurred few days before or after mating, but were detrimental for fitness if during mating. Individuals experienced mating significantly less likely have successful breeding bout, longer smaller suffered lower survival rate. Our shows over very timescales (on order days) drastically different consequences This work provides novel insights into vulnerability organisms at stages cycle improve our ability make informed predictions about ecological under change. Read free Plain Language Summary this article Journal blog.

Language: Английский

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Belowground communities in lowlands are less stable to climate extremes across seasons

Research Square (Research Square), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 25, 2025

Ecological responses to climate extremes vary drastically in different spatiotemporal contexts. For instance, the seasonal timing could be a major factor influencing community responses, but its importance is likely at spatial settings, such as high or low elevation. Here, we investigate how soil communities high- and low-elevation sites respond extreme heat events seasons (spring, summer autumn). We simulated one-week based on site-specific climatic history several laboratory experiments using 360 field-collected cores, measured resistance recovery of two groups biota: Collembola fungi. found that from elevations showed lowest spring summer, with full occurring for most species only soils. Although fungal generally remained stable, pathogens increased saprotrophs declined following heat. Association network analysis revealed connectance negative associations between fungi response events, suggesting deleterious constrained certain collembolan species. provide experimental evidence can restructure destabilize ecological depending contexts like elevation timing.

Language: Английский

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Temperature Variation Regulates the Trade-Off Between Pre- and Post-Hatching Investment in a Burying Beetle

Insects, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(4), P. 378 - 378

Published: April 2, 2025

Understanding how organisms respond to temperature variation is essential for assessing and predicting their resilience vulnerability environmental climate changes. Here, using a biparental care burying beetle (Nicrophorus vespilloides), we tested whether parental investment in carcass preparation ambient interact influence subsequent behaviour reproductive success. We employed 3 × 2 factorial experiment, manipulating the levels of (Reduced, Control, Elevated) temperatures (benign: 20 °C harsh: 23 °C) breeding pairs. found following: (1) Irrespective temperature, males Reduced group decreased pre-hatching care. (2) Across all groups, both sexes under higher reduced post-hatching (3) Carcass-preparation interactively influenced Overall, harsh Furthermore, pairs experiencing carcass-preparation produced fewer eggs lighter broods, while those elevated smaller broods. Our findings provide new insights into affects strategies enhance our understanding phenotypic plasticity that animals employ cope with change.

Language: Английский

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Chronic and acute thermal stressors have non-additive effects on fertility

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2031)

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

Climate change is driving both higher mean temperatures and a greater likelihood of heatwaves, which are becoming longer more intense. Previous work has looked at these two types thermal stressors in isolation, focusing on the effects either small, long-term increase temperature or large, short-term temperature. Yet, fundamental gap our understanding combined effect chronic acute and, particular, its impact vital processes such as reproduction. Here, we investigated independent interactive constant heatwave events reproductive success offspring fitness an insect study system, burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides . We found substantial reduction key traits (fecundity, hatching size) after exposure to temperatures, but not only one stressors. This indicates that amplified when they act combination, very likely occur natural populations. Our findings, therefore, suggest that, by considering potential multiplicative different stressors, may be underestimating climate animal fertility.

Language: Английский

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Heatwaves inflict reproductive but not survival costs to male insects

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 227(6)

Published: March 4, 2024

Climate change is having a dramatic effect on the environment, with rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme climatic events, such as heatwaves, that can hamper organisms' biological functions. Although it clear sudden damage reproductive processes, there limited understanding of effects heatwaves male mating behaviour success. We tested for heat stress induced by ecologically relevant (33°C 39°C five consecutive days) behaviour, success, body mass survival field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus, paired untreated females. predicted life-history costs would increase increasing heatwave intensity. Consistent our expectations, males exposed to highest temperature produced fewest offspring, while courtship effort successfully mate. Males also gained relatively weight following exposure. Given we found no difference in lifetime survival, results suggest potential trade-off resource allocation between somatic maintenance investment. Taken together, findings indicate sublethal could reduce growth persistence animal populations negatively impacting rates. These highlight need considering thermal ecologies, life history better understand consequences events individuals populations.

Language: Английский

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Ecological debts induced by heat extremes

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 39(11), P. 1024 - 1034

Published: July 29, 2024

Heat extremes have become the new norm in Anthropocene. Their potential to trigger major ecological responses is widely acknowledged, but their unprecedented severity hinders our ability predict magnitude of such responses, both during and after extreme heat events. To address this challenge we propose a conceptual framework inspired by core concepts stability thermal biology depict how populations communities accumulate at three response stages (exposure, resistance, recovery). Biological mechanisms mitigating given stage incur associated costs that only apparent other stages; these are known as 'ecological debts'. We outline several scenarios for associate with debts better understand biodiversity changes caused extremes.

Language: Английский

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Heatwaves during early development have long-term consequences for parental care in adulthood

Animal Behaviour, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 217, P. 65 - 72

Published: Sept. 19, 2024

Language: Английский

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Fertility loss and recovery dynamics after repeated heat stress across life stages in male Drosophila melanogaster : patterns and processes

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11(10)

Published: Oct. 1, 2024

Frequent and extreme temperatures associated with climate change pose a major threat to biodiversity, particularly for organisms whose metabolism is strictly linked ambient temperatures. Many studies have explored thermal effects on survival, but heat-induced fertility loss emerging as greater population persistence. However, while evidence accumulating that both juvenile adult stages heat exposure can impair in their own ways, much less known about the immediate longer-term fitness consequences of repeated stress across life stages. To address this knowledge gap, we used male Drosophila melanogaster investigate (i) cumulative stages, (ii) potential recovery from these exposures, (iii) underlying mechanisms. We found individual combined chronic acute traits. These tended exacerbate over several days after brief exposure, indicating substantial short-lived organisms. Our findings highlight persistent fitness. Such could accelerate declines, more vulnerable species, emphasizing importance considering reproduction its accurate models species

Language: Английский

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