scholarly journals Thermal-metabolic phenotypes of the lizard Podarcis muralis differ across elevation, but converge in high elevation hypoxia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke L. Bodensteiner ◽  
Eric J. Gangloff ◽  
Laura Kouyoumdjian ◽  
Martha M. Muñoz ◽  
Fabien Aubret
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Oxygen Availability ◽  
Metabolic Phenotype ◽  
Transplant Experiment ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Podarcis Muralis ◽  
Metabolic Phenotypes ◽  
Preferred Temperatures

In response to a warming climate, many montane species are shifting upslope to track the emergence of preferred temperatures. Characterizing patterns of variation in metabolic, physiological, and thermal traits along an elevational gradient, and the plastic potential of these traits, is necessary to understand current and future responses to abiotic constraints at high elevations, including limited oxygen availability. We performed a transplant experiment with the upslope-colonizing common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in which we measured nine aspects of thermal physiology and aerobic capacity in lizards from replicate low- (400 m above sea level [ASL]) and high-elevation (1700 m ASL) populations. We first measured traits at their elevation of origin and then transplanted half of each group to extreme high elevation (2900 m ASL; above the current elevational range limit of this species), where oxygen availability is reduced by ∼25% relative to sea level. After three weeks of acclimation, we again measured these traits in both the transplanted and control groups. The multivariate thermal-metabolic phenotypes of lizards originating from different elevations differed clearly when measured at the elevation of origin. For example, high-elevation lizards are more heat tolerant than low-elevation counterparts (countergradient variation). Yet, these phenotypes converged after exposure to reduced oxygen availability at extreme high elevation, suggesting limited plastic responses under this novel constraint. Our results suggest that high-elevation populations are well-suited to their oxygen environments, but that plasticity in the thermal-metabolic phenotype does not pre-adapt these populations to colonize more hypoxic environments at higher elevations.

scholarly journals High turn-over rates at the upper range limit and elevational source-sink dynamics in a widespread songbird

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin U. Grüebler ◽  
Johann von Hirschheydt ◽  
Fränzi Korner-Nievergelt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Apparent Survival ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Source Sink ◽  
Turn Over ◽  
High Elevations

AbstractThe formation of an upper distributional range limit for species breeding along mountain slopes is often based on environmental gradients resulting in changing demographic rates towards high elevations. However, we still lack an empirical understanding of how the interplay of demographic parameters forms the upper range limit in highly mobile species. Here, we study apparent survival and within-study area dispersal over a 700 m elevational gradient in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) by using 15 years of capture-mark-recapture data. Annual apparent survival of adult breeding birds decreased while breeding dispersal probability of adult females, but not males increased towards the upper range limit. Individuals at high elevations dispersed to farms situated at elevations lower than would be expected by random dispersal. These results suggest higher turn-over rates of breeding individuals at high elevations, an elevational increase in immigration and thus, within-population source-sink dynamics between low and high elevations. The formation of the upper range limit therefore is based on preference for low-elevation breeding sites and immigration to high elevations. Thus, shifts of the upper range limit are not only affected by changes in the quality of high-elevation habitats but also by factors affecting the number of immigrants produced at low elevations.

scholarly journals The Within-Population Formation of the Upper Range Limit in a Songbird

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Grüebler ◽  
Johann von Hirschheydt ◽  
Fränzi Korner-Nievergelt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Apparent Survival ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Random Dispersal ◽  
High Elevations

Abstract The formation of the upper distributional range limit of species at mountain slopes is often based on environmental gradients resulting in changing demographic rates towards high elevations. However, we still lack an empiric understanding of how the interplay of demographic parameters forms the upper range limit in highly mobile species. Here, we study apparent survival and within-study area dispersal over a 700 m elevational gradient in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) by using 15 years of capture-mark-recapture data. Annual apparent survival of adult breeding birds decreased while breeding dispersal probability of adult females, but not males increased towards the upper range limit. Individuals at high elevations dispersed to farms situated at lower elevations than would be expected by random dispersal. These results suggest higher turn-over rates of breeding individuals at high elevations, an elevational increase in immigration and thus, within-population source-sink dynamics between low and high elevations. The formation of the upper range limit therefore is based on preference for low-elevation breeding sites and immigration to high elevations. Thus, shifts of the upper range limit are not only affected by changes in the quality of high-elevation habitats but also by factors affecting the number of immigrants produced at low elevations.

Biochemical adaptations of the stout razor clam Tagelus plebeius to changes in oxygen availability: resilience in a changing world?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Soledad Yusseppone ◽  
Tatiana Noya Abad ◽  
M. Cielo Risoli ◽  
Sebastian Eduardo Sabatini ◽  
Maria del Carmen Ríos de Molina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Oxygen Availability ◽  
Transplant Experiment ◽  
Razor Clam ◽  
High Level ◽  
Species Production ◽  
Intertidal Level

Climate change is producing sea level rise and deoxygenation of the ocean, altering estuaries and coastal areas. Changes in oxygen availability are expected to have consequences on the physiological fitness of intertidal species. In this work we analyze the coping response of the intertidal razor clam Tagelus plebeius (Lightfoot, 1786) to extreme environmental changes in oxygen concentration. Their biochemical responses to normoxia, hypoxia and hyperoxia transition at different intertidal level (low- high) were measured through an in situ transplant experiment. The high intertidal level negatively affected the analyzed T. plebeius populations´ traits. The differences in reactive oxygen species production, total oxyradical scavenger capacities and catalase activity also suggested more stressful conditions at the high level where long-term hypoxia periods occur. Both hypoxia and re-oxygenation provoked re-adjustments in the antioxidant responses and higher lipid oxidative damage (normoxia < hypoxia < re-oxygenation). The observed responses in transplanted clams at the opposite intertidal level suggested the potential acclimation of T. plebeius to cope with new environmental conditions. These findings are discussed within a global changing context where both increasing deoxygenation conditions and sea level rise are predicted to be exacerbated in the area driven by climate change challenges.

scholarly journals Monitoring Vegetation Dynamics at a Tidal Marsh Restoration Site: Integrating Field Methods, Remote Sensing and Modeling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra S. Thomsen ◽  
Johannes Krause ◽  
Monica Appiano ◽  
Karen E. Tanner ◽  
Charlie Endris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Soil Analysis ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Vegetation Monitoring ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Bare Area ◽  
Marsh Restoration ◽  
Restoration Success ◽  
Restoration Strategies

AbstractSea level rise threatens coastal wetlands worldwide, and restoration projects are implementing strategies that decrease vulnerability to this threat. Vegetation monitoring at sites employing new restoration strategies and determination of appropriate monitoring techniques improve understanding of factors leading to restoration success. In Central California, soil addition raised a degraded marsh plain to a high elevation expected to be resilient to sea level rise over the next century. We monitored plant survival and recruitment using area searches, transect surveys, and unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) imagery. We used random forest modeling to examine the influence of nine environmental variables on vegetation colonization and conducted targeted soil sampling to examine additional factors contributing to vegetation patterns. Limited pre-construction vegetation survived soil addition, likely due to the sediment thickness (mean = 69 cm) and placement method. After 1 year, about 10% of the initially bare area saw vegetation reestablishment. Elevation and inundation frequency were particularly critical to understanding restoration success, with greatest vegetation cover in high-elevation areas tidally inundated < 0.85% of the time. Soil analysis suggested greater salinity stress and ammonium levels in poorly-vegetated compared to well-vegetated areas at the same elevation. We found that both transect and UAS methods were suitable for monitoring vegetation colonization. Field transects may provide the best approach for tracking early vegetation colonization at moderate-sized sites under resource limitations, but UAS provide a complementary landscape perspective. Beyond elucidating patterns and drivers of marsh dynamics at a newly restored site, our investigation informs monitoring of marsh restoration projects globally.

scholarly journals LARGE-SCALE LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS AND NUMERICAL MODELING OF WAVE FORCE AND PRESSURE ACTING ON THE URBAN STRUCTURES

2020 ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Dayeon Lee ◽  
Sungwon Shin ◽  
Hyoungsu Park ◽  
Dan Cox
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wave Force ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Submerged Breakwater ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Urban Structures ◽  
Overland Flows ◽  
Hard Structures

Low lying coastal communities are most vulnerable to the flooding which causes from sea-level rise (SLR), and extreme coastal flooding events such as hurricanes and tsunami. Notably, the high elevation of sea-levels due to SLR and local tidal conditions could accelerate the damages on the coastal communities. Hard coastal structures such as a submerged breakwater and seawall would consider minimizing the impacts of overland flows to the urban area from the extreme coastal events, but the effectiveness of those hard structures are significantly alter depending on the various waves and sea-level conditions.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/GCOOpB4C3tA

scholarly journals Integrated Fecal Microbiome and Serum Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Abnormal Changes in Rats with Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy and the Intervention Effect of Zhen Wu Tang

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jicheng Li ◽  
Yiwen Cao ◽  
Ruirui Lu ◽  
Honglian Li ◽  
Yu Pang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
Intestinal Microbiota ◽  
Renal Damage ◽  
Immunoglobulin A ◽  
Metabolic Phenotype ◽  
Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy ◽  
Metabolic Phenotypes ◽  
Potential Relationship ◽  
Rdna Sequencing

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), an autoimmune renal disease with complicated pathogenesis, is one of the principal reasons for end-stage renal disease in the clinic. Evidence has linked apparent alterations in the components of the microbiome and metabolome to renal disease in rats. However, thus far, there is insufficient evidence that supports the potential relationship between gut microbiome, circulating metabolites, and IgAN. This study was designed to probe the effects of IgAN on intestinal microecology and metabolic phenotypes and to understand the possible underlying mechanisms. Fecal and serum samples were collected from IgAN rats. Composition of the gut microbiota and biochemical changes in the metabolites was analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The IgAN rats exhibited renal insufficiency and increased concentration of 24-h urine protein, in addition to deposition of IgA and IgG immune complexes in the kidney tissues. There was a disturbance in the balance of gut microbiota in IgAN rats, which was remarkably associated with renal damage. Marked changes in microbial structure and function were accompanied by apparent alterations in 1,403 serum metabolites, associated with the disorder of energy, carbohydrate, and nucleotide metabolisms. Administration of Zhen Wu Tang ameliorated microbial dysbiosis and attenuated the renal damage. Besides, treatment with Zhen Wu Tang modulated the metabolic phenotype perturbation in case of gut microbiota dysbiosis in IgAN rats. In conclusion, these findings provided a comprehensive understanding of the potential relationship between the intestinal microbiota and metabolic phenotypes in rats with IgAN. Elucidation of the intestinal microbiota composition and metabolic signature alterations could identify predictive biomarkers for disease diagnosis and progression, which might contribute to providing therapeutic strategies for IgAN.

scholarly journals Spatial metabolomics of in situ, host-microbe interactions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt K Geier ◽  
Emilia Sogin ◽  
Dolma Michellod ◽  
Moritz Janda ◽  
Mario Kompauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Metabolic Phenotype ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Metabolic Phenotypes ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure Mass Spectrometry

Spatial metabolomics describes the location and chemistry of small molecules involved in metabolic phenotypes, defense molecules and chemical interactions in natural communities. Most current techniques are unable to spatially link the genotype and metabolic phenotype of microorganisms in situ at a scale relevant to microbial interactions. Here, we present a spatial metabolomics pipeline (metaFISH) that combines fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy and high-resolution atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry imaging (AP-MALDI-MSI) to image host-microbe symbioses and their metabolic interactions. metaFISH aligns and integrates metabolite and fluorescent images at the micrometer-scale for a spatial assignment of host and symbiont metabolites on the same tissue section. To illustrate the advantages of metaFISH, we mapped the spatial metabolome of a deep-sea mussel and its intracellular symbiotic bacteria at the scale of individual epithelial host cells. Our analytical pipeline revealed metabolic adaptations of the epithelial cells to the intracellular symbionts, a variation in metabolic phenotypes in one symbiont type, and novel symbiosis metabolites. metaFISH provides a culture-independent approach to link metabolic phenotypes to community members in situ - a powerful tool for microbiologists across fields.

scholarly journals Provenance Geographical and Climatic Characteristics Influence Budburst Phenology of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Seedlings

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1067
Author(s):  
Aalap Dixit ◽  
Thomas Kolb ◽  
Owen Burney
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Provenance Variation ◽  
Pine Seedlings ◽  
Budburst Phenology

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson var. scopulorum Engelm.) forests of the southwestern US are threatened by climate change and deforestation. Information about geographic patterns of provenance variation in budburst phenology is needed to make decisions about selecting seed sources for future planting. In this study, provenance variation in the budburst phenology of ponderosa pine seedlings was examined using common garden studies. Seedlings from 21 provenances, representing an elevational gradient in Arizona and New Mexico, were planted in July 2018 at a ponderosa pine-dominated field site in northern Arizona. Field budburst was monitored weekly on all seedlings in the spring of 2019. Field budburst was compared with budburst timing of the same provenances measured under greenhouse conditions. The hypotheses for this study were that (1) budburst varies among provenances, with earlier budburst in low-elevation provenances, and (2) differences in budburst timing among provenances are consistent for seedlings grown in greenhouse and field environments. Field results show that provenances vary in budburst date and that low- and middle-elevation provenances break bud sooner than high-elevation provenances. Field budburst date had a moderate, positive correlation with provenance mean annual precipitation (r = 0.522) and a moderate, negative trend with latitude (r = −0.413). Budburst date of provenances in the greenhouse had a moderate, positive trend with budburst date in the field (r = 0.554), suggesting application of greenhouse results to field plantings. Such information about provenance variation and environmental and geographic trends in budburst timing will be useful for developing species-specific seed transfer guidelines and effective assisted migration strategies in a changing climate.

scholarly journals Range dynamics of mountain plants decrease with elevation

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (8) ◽  
pp. 1848-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine B. Rumpf ◽  
Karl Hülber ◽  
Günther Klonner ◽  
Dietmar Moser ◽  
Martin Schütz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Cold Adapted ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Range Dynamics ◽  
Mountain Plant

Many studies report that mountain plant species are shifting upward in elevation. However, the majority of these reports focus on shifts of upper limits. Here, we expand the focus and simultaneously analyze changes of both range limits, optima, and abundances of 183 mountain plant species. We therefore resurveyed 1,576 vegetation plots first recorded before 1970 in the European Alps. We found that both range limits and optima shifted upward in elevation, but the most pronounced trend was a mean increase in species abundance. Despite huge species-specific variation, range dynamics showed a consistent trend along the elevational gradient: Both range limits and optima shifted upslope faster the lower they were situated historically, and species’ abundance increased more for species from lower elevations. Traits affecting the species’ dispersal and persistence capacity were not related to their range dynamics. Using indicator values to stratify species by their thermal and nutrient demands revealed that elevational ranges of thermophilic species tended to expand, while those of cold-adapted species tended to contract. Abundance increases were strongest for nutriphilous species. These results suggest that recent climate warming interacted with airborne nitrogen deposition in driving the observed dynamics. So far, the majority of species appear as “winners” of recent changes, yet “losers” are overrepresented among high-elevation, cold-adapted species with low nutrient demands. In the decades to come, high-alpine species may hence face the double pressure of climatic changes and novel, superior competitors that move up faster than they themselves can escape to even higher elevations.

Explaining the exceptional 4270 m high elevation limit of an evergreen oak in the south-eastern Himalayas

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1327-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Hang Sun ◽  
Christian Körner
Keyword(s):  
Safety Margin ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Carbon Limitation ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
The South ◽  
Freezing Resistance ◽  
Eastern Himalayas ◽  
Alpine Treeline ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Stressful Environment

Abstract Unlike the well-understood alpine treeline, the upper range limits of tree taxa that do not reach the alpine treeline are largely unexplained. In this study, we explored the causes of the exceptionally high elevation (4270 m) occurrence of broad-leaved evergreen oaks (Quercus pannosa) in the south-eastern Himalayas. We assessed the course of freezing resistance of buds and leaves from winter to summer at the upper elevational limit of this oak species. Linked to leaf phenology, we analyzed freezing resistance and assessed minimum crown temperature for the past 65 years. We also examined potential carbon limitation at the range limit of this species. Last season buds and leaves operated at a safety margin of 5.5 and 11 K in mid-winter. Once fully dehardened early in July, last season foliage is damaged at −5.9 and new foliage at −4.6 °C. Bud break is timed for late June to early July when low temperature extremes historically were never below −3.0 °C. The monsoon regime ensures a long remaining season (149 days), thus compensating for the late onset of shoot growth. Compared with a site at 3450 m, specific leaf area is reduced, foliar non-structural carbohydrate concentrations are similar and the δ13C signal is higher, jointly suggesting that carbon limitation is unlikely at the range limit of this species. We also show that these oaks enter the growing season with fully intact (not embolized) xylem. We conclude that the interaction between phenology and freezing tolerance results in safe flushing, while still facilitating shoot maturation before winter. These factors jointly determine the upper range limit of this oak species. Our study illuminates an exceptional case of broad-leaved evergreen tree performance near the treeline, and by exploring a suite of traits, we can underpin the central role of flushing phenology in such a stressful environment.

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