Limits to compensatory responses to altered phenology in amphibian larvae

Abstract

Changes in phenology are among the most pervasive effects of current climate change. Modifications in the timing of life‐cycle events can affect the behavior, physiology and life‐history of wildlife. However, organisms can develop compensatory strategies in order to reduce the costs of phenological alterations. Here, we examine the extent and limits of compensatory developmental responses in amphibian larvae exposed to variation in hatching timing. Using a common‐garden experiment, we analyze how changes in temperature and food conditions alter compensatory responses to hatching delay, paying particular attention at how adverse environmental conditions can constrain these responses. We found that under benign conditions (warm temperature, unrestricted food) larvae fully compensate for the hatching delay, without cost in mass. However, under detrimental conditions (cold temperature and restricted food) these responses were prevented, and the combination of adverse conditions with long hatching delay completely disrupt compensatory responses. This study highlights the need of examining ecological responses to climate variation across a broad spectrum of environmental conditions in order to accurately predict the putative effect that climatic alterations can have on the life‐histories and survival of wildlife.

Understanding the influence of check dam and season on habitat use to develop habitat suitability criteria for overwintering tadpoles of Nanorana spp.

“…Overhanging and submerged vegetation heterogeneity can provide different microhabitats for tadpoles, which further influence temperature, light availability, predation pressure, and food resource conditions (Eterovick & Barata, 2006; Kopp, Wachlevski, & Eterovick, 2006; Marques et al, 2018; Pinero‐Rodríguez, Díaz‐Paniagua, & Gomez‐Mestre, 2020; Schiesari, 2006; Warkentin, 1992). Seasonal changes in substrate and instream cover use corresponding with the temperature and food availability in these microhabitats can influence larval growth (Alvarez & Nicieza, 2002; Burraco, Laurila, & Orizaola, 2020; Liess, Rowe, Guo, Thomsson, & Lind, 2013). This might have an important role in the overwintering ecology of the tadpoles.…”

Acclimation Capacity to Global Warming of Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes: Drivers, Patterns, and Data Limitations

“…Moreover, unlike freshwater fishes, most amphibians undergo a habitat shift from a larval aquatic to a post-metamorphic terrestrial habitat (Shi 2000). As an adaptive response to often shallow or temporary larval habitats (Newman 1992), amphibian larvae display a high degree of plasticity in growth and development (Kulkarni et al 2017;Ruthsatz et al 2018;Burraco et al 2021;Sinai et al 2022), providing a means for increasing fitness (Schlichting & Pigliucci 1998). Therefore, plasticity in timing of metamorphosis appears to be more important than that in thermal tolerance to reduce mortality risk (Rudolf & Rödel 2007) due to desiccation or temperature extremes (Burraco et al 2022;Albecker et al 2023).…”

Physiology and acclimation potential are tuned with phenology in larvae of a prolonged breeder amphibian

“…In contrast, spring cohort tadpoles do not expect limiting thermal or food conditions. Thus, they might develop at a slower pace, leading to bigger sizes at metamorphosis (Enriquez-Urzelai et al 2013, Benard 2015, Burraco et al 2020).…”

“…3). Breeding phenology has been shown to alter the energy investment to either growth or development in amphibian tadpoles, due to the difference in length of favourable conditions between life-history transitions (Orizaola et al 2010, Dahl et al 2012, Burraco et al 2020. Surprisingly, although metabolic scope decreased in spring and pre-overwintering tadpoles at high temperature, they grew and developed faster (Walsh et al 2008(Walsh et al , 2016.…”