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

Hoffacker, Mary Lou; Cecala, Kristen K.; Ennen, Joshua R.; Mitchell, Shawna M.; Davenport, Jon M.

doi:10.1007/s00442-018-4228-x

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Fine-scale environmental heterogeneity might promote the local coexistence of native and invasive competitors by allowing native species to shift their foraging or nesting habits towards environmental conditions where they can avoid or outcompete invasive competitors (Melbourne et al 2007;Nielsen et al 2010;Hart et al 2017). Temperature and humidity are crucial components of species' nesting and foraging requirements and are thus expected to affect the local coexistence of competitor species (Albrecht and Gotelli 2001;Žagar et al 2015;Paterson and Blouin-Demers 2017;Hoffacker et al 2018). Small scale heterogeneity in thermal conditions are omnipresent in nature because they arise from the shades of geometrical features of the habitat such as terrain slopes, trees and human buildings (Napoli et al 2016;Pincebourde et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local coexistence of native and invasive ant species is associated with micro-spatial shifts in foraging activity

2021

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Invasive species often displace native species by outcompeting them. Yet, some native species can persist even in heavily invaded areas. The mechanisms mediating this local coexistence are still unclear. Fine-scale microclimatic heterogeneity could promote the local coexistence of native and invasive animal competitors. We tested if native ant species could coexist with a recent ant invader, Tapinoma magnum, by shifting their foraging activity in time or space to different microclimatic conditions. We compared the foraging activity of native epigeic ant species among invaded and uninvaded sites. We collected ants at baits in green spaces on the north, east, south and west sides of buildings in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon to test if native species foraged under different microclimatic conditions in invaded sites. Invaded sites had lower ant species richness, diversity, and relative abundance. The native black garden ant Lasius nigerone of the most widespread Palearctic ant speciespersisted at high densities in invaded areas but foraged less on the east side of buildings and more on the west side.Microclimatic heterogeneity might promote native and invasive species coexistence by allowing some native species to shift their foraging behaviour to locally avoid or outcompete invasive competitors. Better understanding how fine-scale micro-environmental heterogeneity affects native species' persistence in invaded areas could help to predict and locally mitigate the negative impacts of biological invasions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local coexistence of native and invasive ant species is associated with micro-spatial shifts in foraging activity

2021

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“…Salamanders in the Appalachian Mountains are expected to face a severe decline in habitat with climate change (Milanovich et al, 2010), but recent studies also suggest that physiological plasticity (Riddell et al, 2018) and behavioral regulation of microclimate temperature and moisture (Riddell & Sears, 2020) could help to buffer these impacts. Still, others have found that elevated temperatures alter ecological interactions between large and small species of salamanders, making some competition more intense (Bissell & Cecala, 2019), and others less extreme (Hoffacker et al, 2018), resulting in shifts in habitat use patterns. We found that P. montanus , a high‐elevation restricted Plethodontid species, demonstrated differential thermal preferences between two elevation plots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral preference for microclimate conditions across elevation in Plethodon montanus

Chapman,

Bidwell

2023

J Exp Zool Pt A

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The ability to behaviorally regulate body conditions is critical for ectotherms, particularly in the face of global climate change when seeking stable refugia in a changing environment could facilitate survival. This is especially important for montane species that are limited to high elevations. In the Northern Gray‐cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus), studies have demonstrated that population demographics improve at higher elevations and physiological constraints may prevent them from moving into lower‐elevation habitats. However, little is known about the species' ability to utilize microhabitats and behaviorally regulate by selecting preferable microclimates. Here, we used continuous position‐sensing gradient chambers to examine the behavioral preference for temperature and relative humidity (RH) in P. montanus to better understand their microhabitat use and behavioral thermoregulation across an elevation gradient. We investigated the seasonal variation in both thermal and RH preference of P. montanus collected from different elevations. Our results suggest that most recently experienced environmental temperatures influence thermal preference in animals at high elevations but not those at lower elevations. Salamanders preferred the highest available RH conditions regardless of environmental conditions or elevation. Data on shuttling behavior (movement across the behavior arena) from the experiments suggest that while salamanders shuttled a similar number of times in both types of trials, they spent significantly less time exploring when exposed to the RH gradient compared to the thermal gradient. Together these results suggest that while thermal preference is influenced by acclimation, preference for moisture conditions is less elastic.

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“…The trade-off between desiccation risk and respiration may therefore influence the outcome of competitive interactions near the warm edges of a geographic range. The temperature-dependent outcome of competition requires further investigation, especially given inconsistencies between studies of competition in salamanders (Hairston 1951(Hairston , 1980Nishikawa 1990;Clay and Gifford 2016;Hoffacker et al 2018). The integration of thermally mediated competition and physiological plasticity will ultimately improve predictions of shifts in the geographic range due to abiotic and biotic factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial Salamanders Maintain Habitat Suitability under Climate Change despite Trade-Offs between Water Loss and Gas Exchange

Riddell

Sears

2020

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Physiological acclimation has the potential to improve survival during climate change by reducing sensitivity to warming. However, acclimation can produce trade-offs due to links between related physiological traits. Water loss and gas exchange are intrinsically linked by the need for respiratory surfaces to remain moist. As climates warm and dry, organisms may attempt to lower desiccation risk by limiting water loss but at a cost of inhibiting their ability to breathe. Here we used laboratory experiments to evaluate the trade-off between water loss and gas exchange in a fully terrestrial, lungless salamander (Plethodon metcalfi). We measured acclimation of resistance to water loss and metabolic rates in response to long-term exposure to temperature and humidity treatments. We then integrated the trade-off into a simulationbased species distribution model to determine the consequences of ignoring physiological trade-offs on energy balance and aerobic scope under climate change. In the laboratory, we found a close association between acclimation of resistance to water loss and metabolic rates indicative of a trade-off. After incorporating the trade-off into our simulations, we found that energy balance and aerobic scope were reduced by 49.7% and 34.3%, respectively, under contemporary climates across their geographic range. Under future warming scenarios, incorporating the trade-off lowered the number of sites predicted to experience local extirpation by 52.2% relative to simulations without the trade-off; however, the number of sites capable of supporting the energetic requirements for reproduction declined from 44.6% to 32.6% across the species' geographic range. These experiments and simulations suggest that salamanders can maintain positive energy balance across their geographic range under climate change despite the costs associated with trade-offs between water loss and gas exchange.

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

Cited by 12 publications

References 71 publications

Local coexistence of native and invasive ant species is associated with micro-spatial shifts in foraging activity

Local coexistence of native and invasive ant species is associated with micro-spatial shifts in foraging activity

Behavioral preference for microclimate conditions across elevation in Plethodon montanus

Terrestrial Salamanders Maintain Habitat Suitability under Climate Change despite Trade-Offs between Water Loss and Gas Exchange

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