Elevated temperatures alter competitive outcomes and body condition in southern Appalachian salamanders

Liles, L.; Cecala, Kristen K.; Ennen, Joshua R.; Davenport, Jon M.

doi:10.1111/acv.12342

Cited by 13 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 73 publications

(167 reference statements)

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“…The relative fitness consequences of pejus temperatures should be especially important if the outcomes of species interactions are altered (Dunson & Travis, ; Gilbert et al., ). For example, asymmetric responses among competing species to temperature can cause species to transition from locally superior to inferior competitors even when temperatures are within critical limits (Carmona‐Catot, Magellan, & Garcia‐Berthou, ; Finstad et al., ; Gilman, Urban, Tewksbury, Gilchrist, & Holt, ; Liles, Cecala, Ennen, & Davenport, ; Olsen, Topper, Skarpaas, Vandvik, & Klanderud, ). Thus, variable responses to pejus temperatures could lead to local extinctions via increased competitor colonization and competitive exclusion (Gilman et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiology at near‐critical temperatures, but not critical limits, varies between two lizard species that partition the thermal environment

Telemeco

Gangloff

Cordero

et al. 2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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The mechanisms that mediate the interaction between the thermal environment and species ranges are generally uncertain. Thermal environments may directly restrict species when environments exceed tolerance limits (i.e. the fundamental niche). However, thermal environments might also differentially affect relative performance among species prior to fundamental tolerances being met (i.e. the realized niche). We examined stress physiology (plasma glucose and corticosterone), mitochondrial performance and the muscle metabolome of congeneric lizards that naturally partition the thermal niche, Elgaria multicarinata (southern alligator lizards; SALs) and Elgaria coerulea (northern alligator lizards; NALs), in response to a thermal challenge to quantify variation in physiological performance and tolerance. Both NAL and SAL displayed physiological stress in response to high temperature, but neither showed signs of irreversible damage. NAL displayed a higher baseline mitochondrial respiration rate than SAL. Moreover, NAL substantially adjusted their physiology in response to thermal challenge, whereas SAL did not. For example, the metabolite profile of NAL shifted with changes in key energetic molecules, whereas these were unaffected in SAL. Our results indicate that near-critical high temperatures should incur greater energetic cost in NAL than SAL via an elevated metabolic rate and changes to the metabolome. Thus, SAL displace NAL in warm environments that are within NAL's fundamental thermal niche, but relatively costly. Our results suggest that subcritical thermal events can contribute to biogeographic patterns via physiological differences that alter the relative costs of living in warm or cool environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiology at near‐critical temperatures, but not critical limits, varies between two lizard species that partition the thermal environment

Telemeco

Gangloff

Cordero

et al. 2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therefore, higher condition indices suggest that individuals have greater energy reserves to overcome challenging conditions and that they are successful in acquiring resources while coping with current challenges. Body condition can be affected by wildlife threats including climate, habitat fragmentation, and urban encroachment (Maceda‐Veiga et al 2014, Liles et al 2017). Collectively, quantifying the mean body condition index of individuals within a population directly estimates a parameter closely linked with demographic processes including reproduction and survival.…”

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confidence: 99%

Should landscape variation in population status be assessed with individual‐ or population‐level indicators?

Gould,

Cecala,

Drukker

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

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Monitoring trends in wildlife populations is essential to effective management. Evaluating only a single metric can be cost‐effective; however, how a given metric responds to environmental variation may differ from other population‐ or individual‐level metrics. Consequently, conclusions about the effect of environmental variation on a species should consider the relationship between different metrics. We investigated how population‐level metrics (occupancy and relative abundance) and an individual‐level metric (body condition) responded to landscape variation in 3 semi‐aquatic salamander species. In the summer of 2015 and 2016, we conducted repeated count surveys at 71 streams on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, USA, actively counting and measuring salamanders. We estimated occupancy and abundance of larval and post‐metamorphic animals using community‐occupancy and community‐N mixture models, respectively. We estimated body condition of the most observed life stage for each species using a standardized mass index. All models included the same set of covariates for comparison. Occupancy and abundance responses for each life stage‐by‐species combination were positively correlated for 4 of 6 combinations, with salamander abundance responding to a larger suite of covariates. Body condition was not linked to covariates in the same fashion as population‐level metrics, although consistency across species was detected for 1 covariate, watershed size. Our results indicate that inter‐specific and inter‐life stage variation in evaluated metrics is present within salamanders of this study system. Management for populations of salamanders in the region should consider monitoring multiple response metrics, to capture both population‐ and individual‐level responses, as these may not always be correlated.

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Interspecific interactions are conditional on temperature in an Appalachian stream salamander community

et al. 2018

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Differences in the rates of responses to climate change have the potential to disrupt well-established ecological interactions among species. In semi-aquatic communities, competitive asymmetry based on body size currently maintains competitive exclusion and coexistence via interference competition. Elevated temperatures are predicted to have the strongest negative effects on large species and aquatic species. Our objectives were to evaluate the interaction between the effects of elevated temperatures and competitor identity on growth and habitat selection behavior of semi-aquatic salamanders in stream mesocosms. We observed interference competition between small and large species. Elevated temperatures had a negative effect on the larger species and a neutral effect on the smaller species. At elevated temperatures, the strength of interference competition declined, and the smaller species co-occupied the same aquatic cover objects as the larger species more frequently. Disruptions in competitive interactions in this community may affect habitat use patterns and decrease selection for character displacement among species. Determining how biotic interactions change along abiotic gradients is necessary to predict the future long-term stability of current communities.

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Elevated temperatures alter competitive outcomes and body condition in southern Appalachian salamanders

Cited by 13 publications

References 73 publications

Physiology at near‐critical temperatures, but not critical limits, varies between two lizard species that partition the thermal environment

Physiology at near‐critical temperatures, but not critical limits, varies between two lizard species that partition the thermal environment

Should landscape variation in population status be assessed with individual‐ or population‐level indicators?

Interspecific interactions are conditional on temperature in an Appalachian stream salamander community

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