Stable isotope analysis reveals variation in trophic niche depending on altitude in an endemic alpine gecko

Comas, Mireia; Escoriza, Daniel; Moreno‐Rueda, Gregorio

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2014.05.005

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In some mountain systems insect abundance can increase with elevation, because of diminished interspecific competition or reduced predator density (Comas et al . 2014; Moreno‐Rueda et al . 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resting metabolic rates increase with elevation in a mountain‐dwelling lizard

Plasman

Bautista

McCue³

et al. 2020

Integr. Zool.

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Individuals that inhabit broad elevational ranges may experience unique environmental challenges. Because temperature decreases with increased elevation, the ectotherms living at high elevations have to manage limited activity time and high thermoregulatory effort. The resting metabolic rate (RMR) of a postabsorptive animal is related to its total energy requirements as well as many other fitness traits. Mesquite lizards (Sceloporus grammicus) living on La Malinche Volcano, Mexico, inhabit a wide elevational range with some populations apparently thriving above the tree line. We measured the RMR of lizards from different elevations (i.e., 2,600, 3,200, and 4,100 m) at four ecologically relevant temperatures (i.e., 15, 25, 30, and 35 °C) and found that RMR of mesquite lizards increased with temperature and body mass. More importantly, lizards from the high‐elevation population had mass specific RMR that was higher at all temperatures. While the higher RMRs of high‐elevation populations imply higher metabolic costs at a given temperature these lizards were also smaller. Both of these traits may allow these high elevation populations to thrive in the face of the thermal challenges imposed by their environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resting metabolic rates increase with elevation in a mountain‐dwelling lizard

Plasman

Bautista

McCue³

et al. 2020

Integr. Zool.

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“…Geographical variation in predator or competitor pressure could generate geographic changes into the realized isotopic niche of a species, as proved by [ 57 ]. However, the spectrum of predators and competitors of Aspidoscelis hyperythra must be rather similar in all our localities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic Niche Variation in a Higher Trophic Level Ectotherm: Highlighting the Role of Succulent Plants in Desert Food Webs

Delibes

Blázquez²,

Fedriani

et al. 2015

PLoS ONE

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Stable isotope analysis of animal tissues allows description of isotopic niches, whose axes in an n-dimensional space are the isotopic ratios, compared to a standard, of different isotope systems (e.g. δ13C, δ15N). Isotopic niches are informative about where an animal, population or species lives and about what it consumes. Here we describe inter- and intrapopulation isotopic niche (bidimensional δ13C-δ15N space) of the Orange-throated whiptail (Aspidoscelis hyperythra), an arthropodivorous small lizard, in ten localities of Baja California Sur (Mexico). These localities range from extreme arid to subtropical conditions. Between 13 and 20 individuals were sampled at each locality and 1 cm of tail-tip was collected for isotope analysis. As expected, interpopulation niche width variation was much larger than intrapopulation one. Besides, isotopic variation was not related to age, sex or individual size of lizards. This suggests geographic variation of the isotopic niche was related to changes in the basal resources that fuel the trophic web at each locality. The position of Bayesian isotope ellipses in the δ-space indicated that whiptails in more arid localities were enriched in 13C, suggesting most of the carbon they ingested came from CAM succulent plants (cacti, agaves) and in minor degree in C4 grasses. Contrarily, whiptails in subtropical areas were depleted in 13C, as they received more carbon from C3 scrubs and trees. Localities closer to sea-level tended to be enriched in 15N, but a clear influence of marine subsidies was detected only at individual level. The study contributes to identify the origin and pathways through which energy flows across the trophic webs of North American deserts.

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“…In addition, mountain species tend to be cold-specialists (e.g., Aguado & Braña , 2014 ), which makes them more vulnerable, because the decline of fitness when body temperatures exceed the optimum temperature is greater in narrower thermal reaction norms ( Martin & Huey , 2008 ; Huey et al , 2012 ; Gunderson & Stillman , 2015 ). Mountain lizards could also be threatened by potential displacement by thermal generalist species with a broader distribution at the surrounding lowlands that may ascend in altitude as warming increases ( Araújo, Thuiller & Pearson , 2006 ; Huey et al , 2012 ; Comas, Escoriza & Moreno-Rueda , 2014 ). An expansion, both in altitude and latitude, due to climate change has already been documented for several species ( Parmesan , 2006 ; Sinervo et al , 2010 ; Chen et al , 2011 ; Moreno-Rueda et al , 2012 ; Bestion, Clobert & Cote , 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are mountain habitats becoming more suitable for generalist than cold-adapted lizards thermoregulation?

Ortega¹,

Mencía²,

Pérez-Mellado³

2016

PeerJ

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Mountain lizards are highly vulnerable to climate change, and the continuous warming of their habitats could be seriously threatening their survival. We aim to compare the thermal ecology and microhabitat selection of a mountain lizard, Iberolacerta galani, and a widely distributed lizard, Podarcis bocagei, in a montane area. Both species are currently in close syntopy in the study area, at 1,400 m above the sea level. We determined the precision, accuracy and effectiveness of thermoregulation, and the thermal quality of habitat for both species. We also compared the selection of thermal microhabitats between both species. Results show that I. galani is a cold-adapted thermal specialist with a preferred temperature range of 27.9–29.7 °C, while P. bocagei would be a thermal generalist, with a broader and higher preferred temperature range (30.1–34.5 °C). In addition, I. galani selects rocky substrates while P. bocagei selects warmer soil and leaf litter substrates. The thermal quality of the habitat is higher for P. bocagei than for I. galani. Finally, P. bocagei achieves a significantly higher effectiveness of thermoregulation (0.87) than I. galani (0.80). Therefore, these mountain habitat conditions seem currently more suitable for performance of thermophilic generalist lizards than for cold-specialist lizards.

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Stable isotope analysis reveals variation in trophic niche depending on altitude in an endemic alpine gecko

Cited by 18 publications

References 52 publications

Resting metabolic rates increase with elevation in a mountain‐dwelling lizard

Resting metabolic rates increase with elevation in a mountain‐dwelling lizard

Isotopic Niche Variation in a Higher Trophic Level Ectotherm: Highlighting the Role of Succulent Plants in Desert Food Webs

Are mountain habitats becoming more suitable for generalist than cold-adapted lizards thermoregulation?

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