scholarly journals Ice matters: Life‐history strategies of two Antarctic seals dictate climate change eventualities in the Weddell Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Wege ◽  
Leo Salas ◽  
Michelle LaRue
2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (30) ◽  
pp. 18119-18126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line S. Cordes ◽  
Daniel T. Blumstein ◽  
Kenneth B. Armitage ◽  
Paul J. CaraDonna ◽  
Dylan Z. Childs ◽  
...  

Seasonal environmental conditions shape the behavior and life history of virtually all organisms. Climate change is modifying these seasonal environmental conditions, which threatens to disrupt population dynamics. It is conceivable that climatic changes may be beneficial in one season but result in detrimental conditions in another because life-history strategies vary between these time periods. We analyzed the temporal trends in seasonal survival of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) and explored the environmental drivers using a 40-y dataset from the Colorado Rocky Mountains (USA). Trends in survival revealed divergent seasonal patterns, which were similar across age-classes. Marmot survival declined during winter but generally increased during summer. Interestingly, different environmental factors appeared to drive survival trends across age-classes. Winter survival was largely driven by conditions during the preceding summer and the effect of continued climate change was likely to be mainly negative, whereas the likely outcome of continued climate change on summer survival was generally positive. This study illustrates that seasonal demographic responses need disentangling to accurately forecast the impacts of climate change on animal population dynamics.


Author(s):  
Kenyon B. Mobley ◽  
Tutku Aykanat ◽  
Yann Czorlich ◽  
Andrew House ◽  
Johanna Kurko ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the past decades, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) has emerged as a model system for sexual maturation research, owing to the high diversity of life history strategies, knowledge of trait genetic architecture, and their high economic value. The aim of this synthesis is to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning maturation in Atlantic salmon, outline knowledge gaps, and provide a roadmap for future work. We summarize the current state of knowledge: 1) maturation in Atlantic salmon takes place over the entire life cycle, starting as early as embryo development, 2) variation in the timing of maturation promotes diversity in life history strategies, 3) ecological and genetic factors influence maturation, 4) maturation processes are sex-specific and may have fitness consequences for each sex, 5) genomic studies have identified large-effect loci that influence maturation, 6) the brain-pituitary–gonadal axis regulates molecular and physiological processes of maturation, 7) maturation is a key component of fisheries, aquaculture, conservation, and management, and 8) climate change, fishing pressure, and other anthropogenic stressors likely have major effects on salmon maturation. In the future, maturation research should focus on a broader diversity of life history stages, including early embryonic development, the marine phase and return migration. We recommend studies combining ecological and genetic approaches will help disentangle the relative contributions of effects in different life history stages to maturation. Functional validation of large-effect loci should reveal how these genes influence maturation. Finally, continued research in maturation will improve our predictions concerning how salmon may adapt to fisheries, climate change, and other future challenges.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Chapman ◽  
Carmen Galán-Acedo ◽  
Jan F. Gogarten ◽  
Rong Hou ◽  
Michael J. Lawes ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Tropical forests are repositories of much of the world’s biodiversity and are critical for mitigation of climate change. Yet, the drivers of forest dynamics are poorly understood. This is in large part due to the lack of longitudinal data on forest change and changes in drivers.Methodology: We quantify changes in tree abundance, diversity, and stand structure along transects first enumerated in 1978 and resampled 2019 in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We tested five predictions. First, based on the purported role of seed dispersal and herbivory and our quantification of changes in the abundance of frugivores and herbivores, we tested two predictions of how faunal change could have influenced forest composition. Second, based on an evaluation of life history strategies, we tested two predictions concerning how the forest could have changed following disturbance that happened prior to written history. Finally, based on a 50-year climate record, we test the possible influence of climate change on forest dynamics. Results: More trees were present on the assessed transects in 2019 (508) than in 1978 (436), species richness remained similar, but diversity declined as the number of dominant species increased. Rainfall increased by only 3 mm over the 50 years but this effect was not significant. Annual average monthly maximum temperature increased significantly by 2.2°C over 50 years. The abundance of frugivorous and folivorous primates and elephants increased over the 50 years of monitoring. The predictions that as the abundance of seed dispersing frugivores increases the abundance of their preferred fruiting tree species would increases and that as the abundance of folivorous would cause a decline in their preferred species were both not supported. Since Kibale was disturbed prior to historical records, we predicted that light-demanding species would decrease in abundance, while shade-tolerant species would increase - this was supported. Finally, while temperature increased over the 50 years, we found no means to predict a priori how individual species would respond.Conclusions: Our study revealed subtle changes in the tree community over 40 years, sizable increases in primate numbers, a substantial increase in the elephant population and an increase in local temperature. Yet, a clear picture of what set of interactions impact the change in the tree community remains elusive. Our data on tree life-history strategies and frugivore/herbivore foraging preferences suggest that trees species are under opposing pressures.


2018 ◽  
pp. 125-150
Author(s):  
Carlos San Vicente

Patterns of voltinism are well documented in many crustaceans and other invetebrates, and these studies provide diverse insights into species biology, population ecology, and drivers of the evolution of voltinism. This chapter examines voltinism across crustacean taxa, with a focus on mysids as an informative model taxon that exhibits a broad range of life pattern diversity. Voltinism, which describes the number of generations per year for population or species, can be measured as generation time and is shaped by multiple environmental factors, including temperature, latitude, salinity, and depth. Generation time also varies with important biological traits, such as body size, life span, and maturation size and age. I discuss the relationships between voltinism and life history strategies, and the influence of voltinism on adaptative plasticity of species and their populations. Many factors shape evolution of voltinism, including fitness components such as survival, reproduction, and dispersal, as well as tradeoffs among age and size at maturity, reproductive investment, and lifespan. I highlight the importance of voltinism for population modeling in crustaceans, and for understanding regional differences in voltinism. Studies comparing and contrasting voltinism will be critical to better understand how climate change, strong habitat modifications, pollution, and invasive species will impact crustacean populations and their dependent communities.


Author(s):  
Gianni Gilioli ◽  
Giorgio Sperandio ◽  
Michele Colturato ◽  
Sara Pasquali ◽  
Paola Gervasio ◽  
...  

AbstractUnderstanding how climate change might influence the distribution and abundance of crop pests is fundamental for the development and the implementation of pest management strategies. Here we present and apply a modelling framework assessing the non-linear physiological responses of the life-history strategies of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann) to temperature. The model is used to explore how climate change might influence the distribution and abundance of this pest in Europe. We estimated the change in the distribution, abundance and activity of this species under current (year 2020) and future (years 2030 and 2050) climatic scenarios. The effects of climate change on the distribution, abundance and activity of C. capitata are heterogeneous both in time and in space. A northward expansion of the species, an increase in the altitudinal limit marking the presence of the species, and an overall increase in population abundance is expected in areas that might become more suitable under a changing climate. On the contrary, stable or reduced population abundances can be expected in areas where climate change leads to equally suitable or less suitable conditions. This heterogeneity reflects the contribution of both spatial variability in the predicted climatic patterns and non-linearity in the responses of the species’ life-history strategies to temperature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Carmen Galán-Acedo ◽  
Jan F. Gogarten ◽  
Rong Hou ◽  
Michael J. Lawes ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tropical forests are repositories of much of the world’s biodiversity and are critical for mitigation of climate change. Yet, the drivers of forest dynamics are poorly understood. This is in large part due to the lack of long-term data on forest change and changes in drivers. Methodology We quantify changes in tree abundance, diversity, and stand structure along transects first enumerated in 1978 and resampled 2019 in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We tested five predictions. First, based on the purported role of seed dispersal and herbivory and our quantification of changes in the abundance of frugivores and herbivores, we tested two predictions of how faunal change could have influenced forest composition. Second, based on an evaluation of life history strategies, we tested two predictions concerning how the forest could have changed following disturbance that happened prior to written history. Finally, based on a 50-year climate record, we evaluate the possible influence of climate change on forest dynamics. Results More trees were present on the assessed transects in 2019 (508) than in 1978 (436), species richness remained similar, but diversity declined as the number of dominant species increased. Rainfall increased by only 3 mm over the 50 years but this had not significant effect on forest changes measured here. Annual average monthly maximum temperature increased significantly by 1.05 °C over 50 years. The abundance of frugivorous and folivorous primates and elephants increased over the 50 years of monitoring. Neither the prediction that an increase in abundance of seed dispersing frugivores increases the abundance of their preferred fruiting tree species, nor that as an increase in folivore abundance causes a decline in their preferred species were supported. As predicted, light-demanding species decreased in abundance while shade-tolerant species increased as expected from Kibale being disturbed prior to historical records. Finally, while temperature increased over the 50 years, we found no means to predict a priori how individual species would respond. Conclusions Our study revealed subtle changes in the tree community over 40 years, sizable increases in primate numbers, a substantial increase in the elephant population and an increase in local temperature. Yet, a clear picture of what set of interactions impact the change in the tree community remains elusive. Our data on tree life-history strategies and frugivore/herbivore foraging preferences suggest that trees species are under opposing pressures.


Author(s):  
Eric Post

This chapter looks at examples illustrating patterns in phenological responses to observed and experimental climate change. The most commonly observed phenological response to recent climate change is an advance in the timing of early life history events such as migration, plant emergence or flowering, amphibian breeding, or egg-laying dates in birds. Patterns in satellite-derived images of primary productivity suggest a lengthening of the plant-growing season in recent decades, whereas data on plant phenological dynamics from studies conducted at plot and sublandscape scales indicate shortened phenophases, or phenological events, in response to warming. This contrast may be resolved by recognizing the difference between phenology in the context of individual life history strategies of disparate species and landscape-scale patterns of phenology, and by recognizing the difference between local, species-specific phenological dynamics and those occurring at the landscape scale.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenyon Mobley ◽  
Tutku Aykanat ◽  
Yann Czorlich ◽  
Andrew House ◽  
Johanna Kurko ◽  
...  

Over the past decades, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) has emerged as a model system for sexual maturation research, owing to the high diversity of life history strategies, knowledge of trait genetic architecture, and their high economic value. The aim of this synthesis is to summarize the current state of knowledge concerning maturation in Atlantic salmon, outline knowledge gaps, and provide a roadmap for future work. Our summary of the current state of knowledge: 1) maturation in Atlantic salmon takes place over the entire life cycle, starting as early as embryo development, 2) variation in the timing of maturation promotes diversity in life history strategies, 3) ecological and genetic factors influence maturation, 4) maturation processes are sex-specific and may have fitness consequences for each sex, 5) genomic studies have identified large-effect loci that influence maturation, 6) the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis regulates molecular and physiological processes of maturation, 7) maturation is a key component of fisheries, aquaculture, conservation, and management, and 8) climate change, fishing pressure, and other anthropogenic stressors likely have major effects on salmon maturation. In the future, maturation research should focus on a broader diversity of life history stages, including early embryonic development, the marine phase and return migration. We recommend studies combining ecological and genetic approaches will help disentangle their relative contributions to maturation. Functional validation of large-effect loci should reveal how these genes influence maturation. Finally, continued research in maturation will improve our predictions concerning how salmon may adapt to fisheries, climate change, and other future challenges.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E Winkler ◽  
Michelle Yu-Chan Lin ◽  
José Delgadillo ◽  
Kenneth J Chapin ◽  
Travis E Huxman

We studied how a rare, endemic alpine cushion plant responds to the interactive effects of warming and drought. Overall, we found that both drought and warming negatively influenced the species growth but that existing levels of phenotypic variation may be enough to at least temporarily buffer populations.


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