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Lenard A, Diamond SE. Evidence of plasticity, but not evolutionary divergence, in the thermal limits of a highly successful urban butterfly. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 155:104648. [PMID: 38754698 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Despite the generally negative impact of urbanization on insect biodiversity, some insect species persist in urban habitats. Understanding the mechanisms underpinning the ability of insects to tolerate urban habitats is critical given the contribution of land-use change to the global insect decline. Compensatory mechanisms such as phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary change in thermal physiological traits could allow urban populations to persist under the altered thermal regimes of urban habitats. It is important to understand the contributions of plasticity and evolution to trait change along urbanization gradients as the two mechanisms operate under different constraints and timescales. Here, we examine the plastic and evolutionary responses of heat and cold tolerance (critical thermal maximum [CTmax] and critical thermal minimum [CTmin]) to warming among populations of the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, from urban and non-urban (rural) habitats using a two-temperature common garden experiment. Although we expected populations experiencing urban warming to exhibit greater CTmax and diminished CTmin through plastic and evolutionary mechanisms, our study revealed evidence only for plasticity in the expected direction of both thermal tolerance traits. We found no evidence of evolutionary divergence in either heat or cold tolerance, despite each trait showing evolutionary potential. Our results suggest that thermal tolerance plasticity contributes to urban persistence in this system. However, as the magnitude of the plastic response was low and comparable to other insect species, other compensatory mechanisms likely further underpin this species' success in urban habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie Lenard
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 2074 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Sarah E Diamond
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 2074 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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2
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Taff CC, Baldan D, Mentesana L, Ouyang JQ, Vitousek MN, Hau M. Endocrine flexibility can facilitate or constrain the ability to cope with global change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220502. [PMID: 38310929 PMCID: PMC10838644 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate change has increased average environmental temperatures world-wide, simultaneously intensifying temperature variability and extremes. Growing numbers of studies have documented phenological, behavioural and morphological responses to climate change in wild populations. As systemic signals, hormones can contribute to orchestrating many of these phenotypic changes. Yet little is known about whether mechanisms like hormonal flexibility (reversible changes in hormone concentrations) facilitate or limit the ability of individuals, populations and species to cope with a changing climate. In this perspective, we discuss different mechanisms by which hormonal flexibility, primarily in glucocorticoids, could promote versus hinder evolutionary adaptation to changing temperature regimes. We focus on temperature because it is a key gradient influenced by climate change, it is easy to quantify, and its links to hormones are well established. We argue that reaction norm studies that connect individual responses to population-level and species-wide patterns will be critical for making progress in this field. We also develop a case study on urban heat islands, where several key questions regarding hormonal flexibility and adaptation to climate change can be addressed. Understanding the mechanisms that allow animals to cope when conditions become more challenging will help in predicting which populations are vulnerable to ongoing climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C. Taff
- Laboratory Ornithology and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Davide Baldan
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Lucia Mentesana
- Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Faculty of Sciences, Republic University, Montevideo, 11200, Uruguay
| | - Jenny Q. Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Laboratory Ornithology and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michaela Hau
- Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78467, Germany
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3
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Cossa D, Infantes E, Dupont S. Hidden cost of pH variability in seagrass beds on marine calcifiers under ocean acidification. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170169. [PMID: 38244616 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems experience large environmental variability leading to local adaptation. The key role of variability and adaptation in modulating the biological sensitivity to ocean acidification is increasingly acknowledged. Monitoring and understanding the ecological niche at the right spatio-temporal scale is key to understand the sensitivity of any organism and ecosystems. However, the role of the variability in relevant carbonate chemistry parameters as a driver is often overlooked. For example, the balance between photosynthesis and respiration over the day/night cycle is leading to high pH/pCO2 variability in seagrass beds. We hypothesized that (i) the calcifying larvae of the sea urchin Echinus esculentus exposed to seagrass-driven variability would have some physiological mechanisms to respond to such variability; and (ii) these mechanisms would reach their limit under ocean acidification. We compared the presence and absence of the seagrass Zostera marina in flow through mesocosms fed with seawater with 4 pHs. The carbonate chemistry was monitored and biological response of a sea urchin larvae was documented over 3 weeks. Growth and net calcification rates were measured twice a day to encompass diurnal variability. Our results show that larvae growth rate significantly decreased with decreasing average pHT in both absence and presence of seagrass. Moreover, sea urchin larvae showed a slower growth rate in presence of seagrass, only visible in the lowest pH conditions. In addition, larvae raised in presence of seagrass, maximized calcification during the day, and lower their calcification during the night. In contrast, no significant difference was observed between day and night for the net calcification rate in larvae raised in absence of seagrass. Our results demonstrate the limit of local adaptation to the present range of variability under ocean acidification conditions. It also demonstrates that photosynthetic ecosystems such as seagrass may not play a role of refuge against future ocean acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damboia Cossa
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden; Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, 257 Maputo, Mozambique.
| | - Eduardo Infantes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | - Sam Dupont
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden; Radioecology Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Monaco
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Milles A, Bielcik M, Banitz T, Gallagher CA, Jeltsch F, Jepsen JU, Oro D, Radchuk V, Grimm V. Defining ecological buffer mechanisms should consider diverse approaches. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:119-120. [PMID: 38158240 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Milles
- Research Institute for Forest Ecology and Forestry Rhineland-Palatinate, Haupstr. 16, 67705 Trippstadt, Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; University of Potsdam, Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| | - Milos Bielcik
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research - ZALF, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Banitz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cara A Gallagher
- University of Potsdam, Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- University of Potsdam, Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jane U Jepsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Department of Arctic Ecology, Fram Centre, Hjalmar Johansens gt.14, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Daniel Oro
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB - CSIC), Acces Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Ecological Dynamics Department, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; University of Potsdam, Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Am Muhlenberg 3, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Kulbaba MW, Yoko Z, Hamilton JA. Chasing the fitness optimum: temporal variation in the genetic and environmental expression of life-history traits for a perennial plant. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1191-1204. [PMID: 37493041 PMCID: PMC10902883 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The ability of plants to track shifting fitness optima is crucial within the context of global change, where increasing environmental extremes may have dramatic consequences for life history, fitness, and ultimately population persistence. However, tracking changing conditions relies on the relationship between genetic and environmental variance, where selection may favour plasticity, the evolution of genetic differences, or both depending on the spatial and temporal scale of environmental heterogeneity. METHODS Over three years, we compared the genetic and environmental components of phenological and life-history variation in a common environment for the spring perennial Geum triflorum. Populations were sourced from alvar habitats that exhibit extreme but predictable annual flood-desiccation cycles and prairie habitats that exhibit similar but less predictable variation in water availability. KEY RESULTS Heritability was generally higher for early life-history (emergence probability) relative to later life-history traits (total seed mass), indicating that traits associated with establishment are under stronger genetic control relative to later life-history fitness expressions, where plasticity may play a larger role. This pattern was particularly notable in seeds sourced from environmentally extreme but predictable alvar habitats relative to less predictable prairie environments. Fitness landscapes based on seed source origin, largely characterized by varying water availability and flower production, described selection as the degree of maladaptation of seed source environment relative to the prairie common garden environment. Plants from alvar populations were consistently closer to the fitness optimum across all years. Annually, the breadth of the fitness optimum expanded primarily along a moisture gradient, with inclusion of more populations onto the expanding optimum. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the importance of temporally and spatially varying selection in life-history evolution, indicating plasticity may become a primary mechanism needed to track fitness for later life-history events within perennial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason W Kulbaba
- Our Lady of the Lake University, Department of Mathematics and Science, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA
- St Mary’s University, Biology Area, 14500 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2X 1Z4
| | - Zebadiah Yoko
- North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
| | - Jill A Hamilton
- North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University Park, PA 16801, USA
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Rokusek B, Cheku S, Rokusek M, Waples CJ, Harshman L, Carlson KA. HoTDAM! An easy-to-use automated assay expands the inducible thermotolerance phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster: Heat hardening reduces motility. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 286:111522. [PMID: 37742820 PMCID: PMC10593110 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
To quantify heat tolerance in insects, two manual observation measures are typically implemented: the time to physiological collapse at a static noxious temperature (time to knockdown; TKD) or the temperature at which collapse occurs as temperature increases (critical thermal maximum; CTmax). Both assay modalities focus on physiological collapse, neglecting the prior behavioral processes. In this study, the locomotion response of Drosophila melanogaster to relatively high temperature (39 and 40.5 °C) was quantified using the TriKinetics Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM2 system). The absence of locomotion was defined as the state of physiological collapse resulting from extended exposure to high temperature. An easy-to-use executable application that allows the user to automatically extract individual TKD from the activity data was developed. For validation, manual TKD assays were performed in parallel to automated assays across multiple factors, including sex, hardening, recovery time after hardening, and assay temperature, which gave similar results. In terms of behavioral aspects, heat hardening consistently led to reduced activity during a subsequent heat stress, irrespective of assay temperature, sex, or recovery time after hardening. Our automated heat tolerance assay utilizing the DAM2 system is one way to expand the scope of the heat tolerance phenotype to include a behavioral component in conjunction with the traditional TKD measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blase Rokusek
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Sunayn Cheku
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Matthew Rokusek
- School of Computing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Christopher J Waples
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849, USA
| | - Lawrence Harshman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Kimberly A Carlson
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE 68849, USA.
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7
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Enos AN, Velikaneye BA, Kozak GM. Temperature impacts how sugar resources alter reproductive investment in the European corn borer moth. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:853-862. [PMID: 37616563 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Investment of resources in reproduction can be based on individual state, environmental conditions, and perceived mate quality. Changing climates impact many aspects of the environment by increasing temperature, decreasing precipitation, and altering resource availability. Access to high-quality resources is known to improve survival under elevated temperatures, but its effects on reproduction in warming environments are largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the effects of elevated temperature and sugar resources on reproductive output within and between E- and Z-pheromone strains of the European corn borer moth [Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)]. Corn borers prefer mates from their own strain, with reproductive output being highest for within-strain pairs. In this experiment, mating pairs were provided with a 20% sugar solution while exposed to either ambient (23 °C) or elevated (28 °C) temperatures. We measured reproductive investment as the total number of egg clusters laid 3 days after pairing. We found that at ambient temperature, sugar supplementation resulted in high investment across all pairs, including with usually unpreferred mates. However, when sugar was provided at elevated temperature, more egg clusters were laid in pairs with preferred (within-strain) mates as compared to less preferred (between-strain) mates. These results differ from temperature effects in the absence of sugar and suggest that the effects of sugar on reproductive investment in less preferred mates depend on temperature. Changes in investment may be due to differences in the allocation of extra resources to thermoregulation at elevated temperatures. Our results suggest the possibility of interactive effects of temperature and resources on sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle N Enos
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Brittany A Velikaneye
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Genevieve M Kozak
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
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de la Mata R, Zas R. Plasticity in growth is genetically variable and highly conserved across spatial scales in a Mediterranean pine. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:542-554. [PMID: 37491863 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is a main mechanism for sessile organisms to cope with changing environments. Plasticity is genetically based and can evolve under natural selection so that populations within a species show distinct phenotypic responses to environment. An important question that remains elusive is whether the intraspecific variation in plasticity at different spatial scales is independent from each other. To test whether variation in plasticity to macro- and micro-environmental variation is related among each other, we used growth data of 25 Pinus pinaster populations established in seven field common gardens in NW Spain. Phenotypic plasticity to macro-environmental variation was estimated across test sites while plasticity to micro-environmental variation was estimated by using semivariography and kriging for modeling within-site heterogeneity. We provide empirical evidence of among-population variation in the magnitude of plastic responses to both micro- and macro-environmental variation. Importantly, we found that such responses were positively correlated across spatial scales. Selection for plasticity at one scale of environmental variation may impact the expression of plasticity at other scales, having important consequences on the ability of populations to buffer climate change. These results improve our understanding of the ecological drivers underlying the expression of phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul de la Mata
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Andalucía, 41092, Spain
| | - Rafael Zas
- Misión Biológica de Galicia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (MBG-CSIC), Apdo 28, Pontevedra, 36080, Spain
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Weerawansha N, Wang Q, He XZ. Reproductive plasticity in response to the changing cluster size during the breeding period: a case study in a spider mite. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 91:237-250. [PMID: 37651032 PMCID: PMC10562284 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00834-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Animals living in clusters should adjust their reproductive strategies to adapt to the social environment. Theories predict that the benefits of cluster living would outweigh the costs of competition. Yet, it is largely unknown how animals optimize their reproductive fitness in response to the changing social environment during their breeding period. We used Tetranychus ludeni Zacher, a haplodiploid spider mite, to investigate how the ovipositing females modified their life-history traits in response to the change of cluster size (i.e., aggregation and dispersal) with a consistent population density (1 ♀/cm2). We demonstrate that (1) after females were shifted from a large cluster (16 ♀♀) to small ones (1 ♀, 5 and 10 ♀♀), they laid fewer and larger eggs with a higher female-biased sex ratio; (2) after females were shifted from small clusters to a large one, they laid fewer and smaller eggs, also with a higher female-biased sex ratio, and (3) increasing egg size significantly increased offspring sex ratio (% daughters), but did not increase immature survival. The results suggest that (1) females fertilize more larger eggs laid in a small population but lower the fertilization threshold and fertilize smaller eggs in a larger population, and (2) the reproductive adjustments in terms of egg number and size may contribute more to minimize the mate competition among sons but not to increase the number of inhabitants in the next generation. The current study provides evidence that spider mites can manipulate their reproductive output and adjust offspring sex ratio in response to dynamic social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuwan Weerawansha
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, Passara Road, Badulla, 90000, Sri Lanka
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Zhao He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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Valdés A, Arnold PA, Ehrlén J. Spring temperature drives phenotypic selection on plasticity of flowering time. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230670. [PMID: 37670583 PMCID: PMC10510446 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In seasonal environments, a high responsiveness of development to increasing temperatures in spring can infer benefits in terms of a longer growing season, but also costs in terms of an increased risk of facing unfavourable weather conditions. Still, we know little about how climatic conditions influence the optimal plastic response. Using 22 years of field observations for the perennial forest herb Lathyrus vernus, we assessed phenotypic selection on among-individual variation in reaction norms of flowering time to spring temperature, and examined if among-year variation in selection on plasticity was associated with spring temperature conditions. We found significant among-individual variation in mean flowering time and flowering time plasticity, and that plants that flowered earlier also had a more plastic flowering time. Selection favoured individuals with an earlier mean flowering time and a lower thermal plasticity of flowering time. Less plastic individuals were more strongly favoured in colder springs, indicating that spring temperature influenced optimal flowering time plasticity. Our results show how selection on plasticity can be linked to climatic conditions, and illustrate how we can understand and predict evolutionary responses of organisms to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Valdés
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pieter A. Arnold
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia
| | - Johan Ehrlén
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Badger JJ, Bowen WD, den Heyer CE, Breed GA. Individual Quality Drives Life History Variation in a Long-Lived Marine Predator. Am Nat 2023; 202:351-367. [PMID: 37606942 DOI: 10.1086/725451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIndividual quality and environmental conditions may mask or interact with energetic trade-offs in life history evolution. Deconstructing these sources of variation is especially difficult in long-lived species that are rarely observed on timescales long enough to disentangle these effects. Here, we investigated relative support for variation in female quality and costs of reproduction as factors shaping differences in life history trajectories using a 32-year dataset of repeated reproductive measurements from 273 marked, known-age female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). We defined individual reproductive investment using two traits, reproductive frequency (a female's probability of breeding) and provisioning performance (offspring weaning mass). Fitted hierarchical Bayesian models identified individual investment relative to conspecifics (over a female's entire life and in three age classes) and subsequently estimated how these investment metrics and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation are associated with longevity. Individual differences (i.e., quality) contributed a large portion of the variance in reproductive traits. Females that consistently invest well in their offspring relative to other females survive longer. The best-supported model estimated survival as a function of age class-specific provisioning performance, where late-life performance was particularly variable and had the greatest impact on survival, possibly indicating individual variation in senescence. There was no evidence to support a trade-off in reproductive performance and survival at the individual level. Overall, these results suggest that in gray seals, individual quality is a stronger driver in life history variation than individual strategies resulting from energetic trade-offs.
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12
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Xu K. Population Rescue through an Increase in the Selfing Rate under Pollen Limitation: Plasticity versus Evolution. Am Nat 2023; 202:337-350. [PMID: 37606947 DOI: 10.1086/725425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIncreased rates of self-fertilization offer reproductive assurance when plant populations experience pollen limitation, but self-fertilization may reduce fitness by exposing deleterious mutations. If an environmental change responsible for pollen limitation also induces plastic mating system shifts toward self-pollination, the reproductive assurance benefit and inbreeding depression cost of increased self-fertilization occur immediately, while the benefit and cost happen more gradually when increased self-fertilization occur through evolution. I built eco-evolutionary models to explore the demographic and genetic conditions in which higher self-fertilization by plasticity and/or evolution rescues populations, following deficits due to a sudden onset of pollen limitation. Rescue is most likely under an intermediate level of selfing rate increase, either through plasticity or evolution, and this critical level of selfing rate increase is higher under stronger pollen limitation. Generally, rescue is more likely through plasticity than through evolution. Under weak pollen limitation, rescue by enhanced self-fertilization may mainly occur through purging of deleterious mutations rather than reproductive assurance. The selfing rate increase conferring the highest rescue probability is lower when the initial population size is smaller. This article shows the importance of plasticity during plant population rescue and offers insights for future studies of the evolution of mating system plasticity.
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Dellaert Z, Putnam HM. Reconciling the variability in the biological response of marine invertebrates to climate change. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245834. [PMID: 37655544 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
As climate change increases the rate of environmental change and the frequency and intensity of disturbance events, selective forces intensify. However, given the complicated interplay between plasticity and selection for ecological - and thus evolutionary - outcomes, understanding the proximate signals, molecular mechanisms and the role of environmental history becomes increasingly critical for eco-evolutionary forecasting. To enhance the accuracy of our forecasting, we must characterize environmental signals at a level of resolution that is relevant to the organism, such as the microhabitat it inhabits and its intracellular conditions, while also quantifying the biological responses to these signals in the appropriate cells and tissues. In this Commentary, we provide historical context to some of the long-standing challenges in global change biology that constrain our capacity for eco-evolutionary forecasting using reef-building corals as a focal model. We then describe examples of mismatches between the scales of external signals relative to the sensors and signal transduction cascades that initiate and maintain cellular responses. Studying cellular responses at this scale is crucial because these responses are the basis of acclimation to changing environmental conditions and the potential for environmental 'memory' of prior or historical conditions through molecular mechanisms. To challenge the field, we outline some unresolved questions and suggest approaches to align experimental work with an organism's perception of the environment; these aspects are discussed with respect to human interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Dellaert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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14
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Bodensteiner BL, Iverson JB, Lea CA, Milne-Zelman CL, Mitchell TS, Refsnider JM, Voves K, Warner DA, Janzen FJ. Mother knows best: nest-site choice homogenizes embryo thermal environments among populations in a widespread ectotherm. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220155. [PMID: 37427473 PMCID: PMC10331915 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Species with large geographical ranges provide an excellent model for studying how different populations respond to dissimilar local conditions, particularly with respect to variation in climate. Maternal effects, such as nest-site choice greatly affect offspring phenotypes and survival. Thus, maternal behaviour has the potential to mitigate the effects of divergent climatic conditions across a species' range. We delineated natural nesting areas of six populations of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) that span a broad latitudinal range and quantified spatial and temporal variation in nest characteristics. To quantify microhabitats available for females to choose, we also identified sites within the nesting area of each location that were representative of available thermal microhabitats. Across the range, females nested non-randomly and targeted microhabitats that generally had less canopy cover and thus higher nest temperatures. Nest microhabitats differed among locations but did not predictably vary with latitude or historic mean air temperature during embryonic development. In conjunction with other studies of these populations, our results suggest that nest-site choice is homogenizing nest environments, which buffers embryos from thermally induced selection and could slow embryonic evolution. Thus, although effective at a macroclimatic scale, nest-site choice is unlikely to compensate for novel stressors that rapidly increase local temperatures. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L. Bodensteiner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - John B. Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 60071, USA
| | - Carter A. Lea
- Office of Research Proposal Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Timothy S. Mitchell
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Jeanine M. Refsnider
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | | | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
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15
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Regan CE, Sheldon BC. Phenotypic plasticity increases exposure to extreme climatic events that reduce individual fitness. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2968-2980. [PMID: 36867108 PMCID: PMC10947444 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate models, and empirical observations, suggest that anthropogenic climate change is leading to changes in the occurrence and severity of extreme climatic events (ECEs). Effects of changes in mean climate on phenology, movement, and demography in animal and plant populations are well documented. In contrast, work exploring the impacts of ECEs on natural populations is less common, at least partially due to the challenges of obtaining sufficient data to study such rare events. Here, we assess the effect of changes in ECE patterns in a long-term study of great tits, near Oxford, over a 56-year period between 1965 and 2020. We document marked changes in the frequency of temperature ECEs, with cold ECEs being twice as frequent in the 1960s than at present, and hot ECEs being ~three times more frequent between 2010 and 2020 than in the 1960s. While the effect of single ECEs was generally quite small, we show that increased exposure to ECEs often reduces reproductive output, and that in some cases the effect of different types of ECE is synergistic. We further show that long-term temporal changes in phenology, resulting from phenotypic plasticity, lead to an elevated risk of exposure to low temperature ECEs early in reproduction, and hence suggest that changes in ECE exposure may act as a cost of plasticity. Overall, our analyses reveal a complex set of risks of exposure and effects as ECE patterns change and highlight the importance of considering responses to changes in both mean climate and extreme events. Patterns in exposure and effects of ECEs on natural populations remain underexplored and continued work will be vital to establish the impacts of ECEs on populations in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Regan
- Department of BiologyEdward Grey Institute, University of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Department of BiologyEdward Grey Institute, University of OxfordOxfordUK
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16
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Draghi JA. Bet-hedging via dispersal aids the evolution of plastic responses to unreliable cues. J Evol Biol 2023. [PMID: 37224140 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive plasticity is expected to evolve when informative cues predict environmental variation. However, plastic responses can be maladaptive even when those cues are informative, if prediction mistakes are shared across members of a generation. These fitness costs can constrain the evolution of plasticity when initial plastic mutants use of cues of only moderate reliability. Here, we model the barriers to the evolution of plasticity produced by these constraints and show that dispersal across a metapopulation can overcome them. Constraints are also lessened, though not eliminated, when plastic responses are free to evolve gradually and in concert with increased reliability. Each of these factors be viewed as a form of bet-hedging: by lessening correlations in the fates of relatives, dispersal acts as diversifying bet-hedging, while producing submaximal responses to a cue can be understood as a conservative bet-hedging strategy. While poor information may constrain the evolution of plasticity, the opportunity for bet-hedging may predict when that constraint can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Draghi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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17
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Booth JM, Giomi F, Daffonchio D, McQuaid CD, Fusi M. Disturbance of primary producer communities disrupts the thermal limits of the associated aquatic fauna. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162135. [PMID: 36775146 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental fluctuation forms a framework of variability within which species have evolved. Environmental fluctuation includes predictability, such as diel cycles of aquatic oxygen fluctuation driven by primary producers. Oxygen availability and fluctuation shape the physiological responses of aquatic animals to warming, so that, in theory, oxygen fluctuation could influence their thermal ecology. We describe annual oxygen variability in agricultural drainage channels and show that disruption of oxygen fluctuation through dredging of plants reduces the thermal tolerance of freshwater animals. We compared the temperature responses of snails, amphipods, leeches and mussels exposed to either natural oxygen fluctuation or constant oxygen in situ under different acclimation periods. Oxygen saturation in channel water ranged from c. 0 % saturation at night to >300 % during the day. Temperature showed normal seasonal variation and was almost synchronous with daily oxygen fluctuation. A dredging event in 2020 dramatically reduced dissolved oxygen variability and the correlation between oxygen and temperature was lost. The tolerance of invertebrates to thermal stress was significantly lower when natural fluctuation in oxygen availability was reduced and decoupled from temperature. This highlights the importance of natural cycles of variability and the need to include finer scale effects, including indirect biological effects, in modelling the ecosystem-level consequences of climate change. Furthermore, restoration and management of primary producers in aquatic habitats could be important to improve the thermal protection of aquatic invertebrates and their resistance to environmental variation imposed by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Booth
- Coastal Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
| | - F Giomi
- Via Maniciati, 6, Padova, Italy
| | - D Daffonchio
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - C D McQuaid
- Coastal Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - M Fusi
- Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science, School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK; Present address: Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough PE1 1JY, UK.
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18
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Dantzer B. Frank Beach Award Winner: The centrality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dealing with environmental change across temporal scales. Horm Behav 2023; 150:105311. [PMID: 36707334 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding if and how individuals and populations cope with environmental change is an enduring question in evolutionary ecology that has renewed importance given the pace of change in the Anthropocene. Two evolutionary strategies of coping with environmental change may be particularly important in rapidly changing environments: adaptive phenotypic plasticity and/or bet hedging. Adaptive plasticity could enable individuals to match their phenotypes to the expected environment if there is an accurate cue predicting the selective environment. Diversifying bet hedging involves the production of seemingly random phenotypes in an unpredictable environment, some of which may be adaptive. Here, I review the central role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoids (GCs) in enabling vertebrates to cope with environmental change through adaptive plasticity and bet hedging. I first describe how the HPA axis mediates three types of adaptive plasticity to cope with environmental change (evasion, tolerance, recovery) over short timescales (e.g., 1-3 generations) before discussing how the implications of GCs on phenotype integration may depend upon the timescale under consideration. GCs can promote adaptive phenotypic integration, but their effects on phenotypic co-variation could also limit the dimensions of phenotypic space explored by animals over longer timescales. Finally, I discuss how organismal responses to environmental stressors can act as a bet hedging mechanism and therefore enhance evolvability by increasing genetic or phenotypic variability or reducing patterns of genetic and phenotypic co-variance. Together, this emphasizes the crucial role of the HPA axis in understanding fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, MI 48109 Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, MI 48109, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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19
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Leung C, Guscelli E, Chabot D, Bourret A, Calosi P, Parent GJ. The lack of genetic variation underlying thermal transcriptomic plasticity suggests limited adaptability of the Northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1125134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionGenetic variation underlies the populations’ potential to adapt to and persist in a changing environment, while phenotypic plasticity can play a key role in buffering the negative impacts of such change at the individual level.MethodsWe investigated the role of genetic variation in the thermal response of the northern shrimp Pandalus borealis, an ectotherm species distributed in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. More specifically, we estimated the proportion transcriptomic responses explained by genetic variance of female shrimp from three origins after 30 days of exposure to three temperature treatments.ResultsWe characterized the P. borealis transcriptome (170,377 transcripts, of which 27.48% were functionally annotated) and then detected a total of 1,607 and 907 differentially expressed transcripts between temperatures and origins, respectively. Shrimp from different origins displayed high but similar level of transcriptomic plasticity in response to elevated temperatures. Differences in transcript expression among origins were not correlated to population genetic differentiation or diversity but to environmental conditions at origin during sampling.DiscussionThe lack of genetic variation explaining thermal plasticity suggests limited adaptability in this species’ response to future environmental changes. These results together with higher mortality observed at the highest temperature indicate that the thermal niche of P. borealis will likely be restricted to higher latitudes in the future. This prediction concurs with current decreases in abundance observed at the southern edge of this species geographical distribution, as it is for other cold-adapted crustaceans.
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20
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Zheng S, Hu J, Ma Z, Lindenmayer D, Liu J. Increases in intraspecific body size variation are common among North American mammals and birds between 1880 and 2020. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:347-354. [PMID: 36690729 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01967-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have documented the average body size of animals declining over time. Compared to mean body size, less is known about long-term changes in intraspecific trait variation (ITV), which is also important to understanding species' ability to cope with environmental challenges. On the basis of 393,499 specimen records from 380 species collected in North America between 1880 and 2020, we found that body size ITV increased by 9.59% for mammals (n = 302) and 30.67% for birds (n = 78); human-harvested species had higher probability of ITV increase. The observed increasing ITV in many species suggests possible niche expansion and potential buffering effects against downsizing but it risks increased maladaptation to rapidly changing environments. The results demonstrate that trait mean and variance do not necessarily respond in similar ways to anthropogenic pressures and both should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilu Zheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juntao Hu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. .,Institute of Eco-Chongming, Shanghai, China.
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21
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Pacheco-Fuentes H, Ton R, Griffith SC. Short- and long-term consequences of heat exposure on mitochondrial metabolism in zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis). Oecologia 2023; 201:637-648. [PMID: 36894790 PMCID: PMC10038956 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05344-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of heat exposure on mitochondrial function is crucial as mitochondria lie at the core of metabolic processes, also affecting population dynamics. In adults, mitochondrial metabolism varies with temperature but can also depend on thermal conditions experienced during development. We exposed zebra finches to two alternative heat treatments during early development: "constant", maintained birds at ambient 35 °C from parental pair formation to fledglings' independence, while "periodic" heated broods at 40 °C, 6 h daily at nestling stage. Two years later, we acclimated birds from both experiments at 25 °C for 21 days, before exposing them to artificial heat (40 °C, 5 h daily for 10 days). After both conditions, we measured red blood cells' mitochondrial metabolism using a high-resolution respirometer. We found significantly decreased mitochondrial metabolism for Routine, Oxidative Phosphorylation (OxPhos) and Electron Transport System maximum capacity (ETS) after the heat treatments. In addition, the birds exposed to "constant" heat in early life showed lower oxygen consumption at the Proton Leak (Leak) stage after the heat treatment as adults. Females showed higher mitochondrial respiration for Routine, ETS and Leak independent of the treatments, while this pattern was reversed for OxPhos coupling efficiency (OxCE). Our results show that short-term acclimation involved reduced mitochondrial respiration, and that the reaction of adult birds to heat depends on the intensity, pattern and duration of temperature conditions experienced at early-life stages. Our study provides insight into the complexity underlying variation in mitochondrial metabolism and raises questions on the adaptive value of long-lasting physiological adjustments triggered by the early-life thermal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Riccardo Ton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Simon C Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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22
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Festa F, Ancillotto L, Santini L, Pacifici M, Rocha R, Toshkova N, Amorim F, Benítez-López A, Domer A, Hamidović D, Kramer-Schadt S, Mathews F, Radchuk V, Rebelo H, Ruczynski I, Solem E, Tsoar A, Russo D, Razgour O. Bat responses to climate change: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:19-33. [PMID: 36054527 PMCID: PMC10087939 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how species respond to climate change is key to informing vulnerability assessments and designing effective conservation strategies, yet research efforts on wildlife responses to climate change fail to deliver a representative overview due to inherent biases. Bats are a species-rich, globally distributed group of organisms that are thought to be particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change because of their high surface-to-volume ratios and low reproductive rates. We systematically reviewed the literature on bat responses to climate change to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge, identify research gaps and biases and highlight future research needs. We found that studies are geographically biased towards Europe, North America and Australia, and temperate and Mediterranean biomes, thus missing a substantial proportion of bat diversity and thermal responses. Less than half of the published studies provide concrete evidence for bat responses to climate change. For over a third of studied bat species, response evidence is only based on predictive species distribution models. Consequently, the most frequently reported responses involve range shifts (57% of species) and changes in patterns of species diversity (26%). Bats showed a variety of responses, including both positive (e.g. range expansion and population increase) and negative responses (range contraction and population decrease), although responses to extreme events were always negative or neutral. Spatial responses varied in their outcome and across families, with almost all taxonomic groups featuring both range expansions and contractions, while demographic responses were strongly biased towards negative outcomes, particularly among Pteropodidae and Molossidae. The commonly used correlative modelling approaches can be applied to many species, but do not provide mechanistic insight into behavioural, physiological, phenological or genetic responses. There was a paucity of experimental studies (26%), and only a small proportion of the 396 bat species covered in the examined studies were studied using long-term and/or experimental approaches (11%), even though they are more informative about the effects of climate change. We emphasise the need for more empirical studies to unravel the multifaceted nature of bats' responses to climate change and the need for standardised study designs that will enable synthesis and meta-analysis of the literature. Finally, we stress the importance of overcoming geographic and taxonomic disparities through strengthening research capacity in the Global South to provide a more comprehensive view of terrestrial biodiversity responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Festa
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Zoonoses, Research and Innovation Department, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ancillotto
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Luca Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università, 32, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Michela Pacifici
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università, 32, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Ricardo Rocha
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Nia Toshkova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria.,National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Francisco Amorim
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Benítez-López
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Cartuja TA-10, Edificio I, C. Américo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Calle Prof. Vicente Callao, 3, 18011, Granada, Spain
| | - Adi Domer
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Daniela Hamidović
- Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Institute for Environment and Nature, Radnička cesta 80, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Biospelological Society, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstr. 12, 12165, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fiona Mathews
- University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ireneusz Ruczynski
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Estelle Solem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Asaf Tsoar
- Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Southern District Omer Industrial Park, P.O. Box 302, Omer, Israel
| | - Danilo Russo
- Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055, Portici, Napoli, Italy
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
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23
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de Souza Silva CC, Cirne D, Freitas O, Campos PRA. Phenotypic evolution as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process: The effect of environmental variation and phenotypic plasticity. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:024417. [PMID: 36932534 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.024417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Here we investigate phenotypic evolution from the perspective of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process. Evolutionarily speaking, the model assumes the existence of stabilizing selection toward a phenotypic optimum. The standard (OU) model is modified to include environmental variation by taking a moving phenotypic optimum and endowing organisms with phenotypic plasticity. These two processes lead to an effective fitness landscape, which deforms the original. We observe that the simultaneous occurrence of environmental variation and phenotypic plasticity leads to skewed phenotypic distributions. The skewness of the resulting phenotypic distributions strongly depends on the rate of environmental variation and strength of selection. When generalized to more than one trait, the phenotypic distributions are not only affected by the magnitude of the rate of environmental variation but also by its direction. A remarkable feature of our predictions is the existence of an upper bound for the critical rate of environmental variation to allow population persistence, even if there is no cost associated with phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego Cirne
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - Osmar Freitas
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - Paulo R A Campos
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-560 Recife-PE, Brazil
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24
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Petrullo L, Boutin S, Lane JE, McAdam AG, Dantzer B. Phenotype-environment mismatch errors enhance lifetime fitness in wild red squirrels. Science 2023; 379:269-272. [PMID: 36656926 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn0665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Mismatches between an organism's phenotype and its environment can result in short-term fitness costs. Here, we show that some phenotype-environment mismatch errors can be explained by asymmetrical costs of different types of errors in wild red squirrels. Mothers that mistakenly increased reproductive effort when signals of an upcoming food pulse were absent were more likely to correctly increase effort when a food pulse did occur. However, mothers that failed to increase effort when cues of an upcoming food pulse were present suffered lifetime fitness costs that could only be offset through food supplementation. In fluctuating environments, such phenotype-environment mismatches may therefore reflect a bias to overestimate environmental cues and avoid making the costliest error, ultimately enhancing lifetime fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jeffrey E Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Andrew G McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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25
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Halali S, Saastamoinen M. Exploring links between climatic predictability and the evolution of within- and transgenerational plasticity. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9662. [PMID: 36619708 PMCID: PMC9798148 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In variable environments, phenotypic plasticity can increase fitness by providing tight environment-phenotype matching. However, adaptive plasticity is expected to evolve only when the future selective environment can be predicted based on the prevailing conditions. That is, the juvenile environment should be predictive of the adult environment (within-generation plasticity) or the parental environment should be predictive of the offspring environment (transgenerational plasticity). Moreover, the environmental predictability can also shape transient responses such as stress response in an adaptive direction. Here, we test links between environmental predictability and the evolution of adaptive plasticity by combining time series analyses and a common garden experiment using temperature as a stressor in a temperate butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). Time series analyses revealed that across season fluctuations in temperature over 48 years are overall predictable. However, within the growing season, temperature fluctuations showed high heterogeneity across years with low autocorrelations and the timing of temperature peaks were asynchronous. Most life-history traits showed strong within-generation plasticity for temperature and traits such as body size and growth rate broke the temperature-size rule. Evidence for transgenerational plasticity, however, was weak and detected for only two traits each in an adaptive and non-adaptive direction. We suggest that the low predictability of temperature fluctuations within the growing season likely disfavors the evolution of adaptive transgenerational plasticity but instead favors strong within-generation plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Halali
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland,Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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Morgan BL, Donohue K. Parental methylation mediates how progeny respond to environments of parents and of progeny themselves. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:883-899. [PMID: 36201313 PMCID: PMC9758305 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Environments experienced by both parents and offspring influence progeny traits, but the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the balance of parental vs. progeny control of progeny phenotypes are not known. We tested whether DNA methylation in parents and/or progeny mediates responses to environmental cues experienced in both generations. METHODS Using Arabidopsis thaliana, we manipulated parental and progeny DNA methylation both chemically, via 5-azacytidine, and genetically, via mutants of methyltransferase genes, then measured progeny germination responses to simulated canopy shade in parental and progeny generations. KEY RESULTS We first found that germination of offspring responded to parental but not seed demethylation. We further found that parental demethylation reversed the parental effect of canopy in seeds with low (Cvi-1) to intermediate (Col) dormancy, but it obliterated the parental effect in seeds with high dormancy (Cvi-0). Demethylation did so by either suppressing germination of seeds matured under white-light (Cvi-1) or under canopy (Cvi-0), or by increasing the germination of seeds matured under canopy (Col). Disruption of parental methylation also prevented seeds from responding to their own light environment in one genotype (Cvi-0, most dormant), but it enabled seeds to respond to their own environment in another genotype (Cvi-1, least dormant). Using mutant genotypes, we found that both CG and non-CG DNA methylation were involved in parental effects on seed germination. CONCLUSIONS Parental methylation state influences seed germination more strongly than does the progeny's own methylation state, and it influences how seeds respond to environments of parents and progeny in a genotype-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britany L Morgan
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- University Program in Ecology Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
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Evidence for adaptive morphological plasticity in the Caribbean coral, Acropora cervicornis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203925119. [PMID: 36442118 PMCID: PMC9894258 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203925119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE) indicate that variation in organismal traits cannot be explained by fixed effects of genetics or site-specific plastic responses alone. For tropical coral reefs experiencing dramatic environmental change, identifying the contributions of genotype, environment, and GxE on coral performance will be vital for both predicting persistence and developing restoration strategies. We quantified the impacts of G, E, and GxE on the morphology and survival of the endangered coral, Acropora cervicornis, through an in situ transplant experiment exposing common garden (nursery)-raised clones of ten genotypes to nine reef sites in the Florida Keys. By fate-tracking outplants over one year with colony-level 3D photogrammetry, we uncovered significant GxE on coral size, shape, and survivorship, indicating that no universal winner exists in terms of colony performance. Rather than differences in mean trait values, we found that individual-level morphological plasticity is adaptive in that the most plastic individuals also exhibited the fastest growth and highest survival. This indicates that adaptive morphological plasticity may continue to evolve, influencing the success of A. cervicornis and resulting reef communities in a changing climate. As focal reefs are active restoration sites, the knowledge that variation in phenotype is an important predictor of performance can be directly applied to restoration planning. Taken together, these results establish A. cervicornis as a system for studying the ecoevolutionary dynamics of phenotypic plasticity that also can inform genetic- and environment-based strategies for coral restoration.
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Vinton AC, Gascoigne SJL, Sepil I, Salguero-Gómez R. Plasticity's role in adaptive evolution depends on environmental change components. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1067-1078. [PMID: 36153155 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
To forecast extinction risks of natural populations under climate change and direct human impacts, an integrative understanding of both phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution is essential. To date, the evidence for whether, when, and how much plasticity facilitates adaptive responses in changing environments is contradictory. We argue that explicitly considering three key environmental change components - rate of change, variance, and temporal autocorrelation - affords a unifying framework of the impact of plasticity on adaptive evolution. These environmental components each distinctively effect evolutionary and ecological processes underpinning population viability. Using this framework, we develop expectations regarding the interplay between plasticity and adaptive evolution in natural populations. This framework has the potential to improve predictions of population viability in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Vinton
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | | | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Roberto Salguero-Gómez
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4071, QLD, Australia; Evolutionary Demography Laboratory, Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock 18057, Germany
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29
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Weeks BC, Klemz M, Wada H, Darling R, Dias T, O'Brien BK, Probst CM, Zhang M, Zimova M. Temperature, size and developmental plasticity in birds. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220357. [PMID: 36475424 PMCID: PMC9727665 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As temperatures increase, there is growing evidence that species across much of the tree of life are getting smaller. These climate change-driven size reductions are often interpreted as a temporal analogue of the observation that individuals within a species tend to be smaller in the warmer parts of the species' range. For ectotherms, there has been a broad effort to understand the role of developmental plasticity in temperature-size relationships, but in endotherms, this mechanism has received relatively little attention in favour of selection-based explanations. We review the evidence for a role of developmental plasticity in warming-driven size reductions in birds and highlight insulin-like growth factors as a potential mechanism underlying plastic responses to temperature in endotherms. We find that, as with ectotherms, changes in temperature during development can result in shifts in body size in birds, with size reductions associated with warmer temperatures being the most frequent association. This suggests developmental plasticity may be an important, but largely overlooked, mechanism underlying warming-driven size reductions in endotherms. Plasticity and natural selection have very different constraining forces, thus understanding the mechanism linking temperature and body size in endotherms has broad implications for predicting future impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Madeleine Klemz
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Rachel Darling
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Tiffany Dias
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Bruce K. O'Brien
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charlotte M. Probst
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Dana Building, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
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30
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Plastic energy allocation toward life-history functions in a consumer-resource interaction : Analyzing the temporal patterns of the consumer-resource dynamics. J Math Biol 2022; 85:68. [PMID: 36416949 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-022-01834-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Various environmental alterations resulting from the current global change compromise the persistence of species in their habitual environment. To cope with the obvious risk of extinction, plastic responses provide organisms with rapid acclimatization to new environments. The premise of plastic rescue has been theoretically studied from mathematical models in both deterministic and stochastic environments, focusing on analyzing the persistence and stability of the populations. Here, we evaluate this premise in the framework of a consumer-resource interaction considering the energy investment towards reproduction vs. maintenance as a plastic trait according to positive/negative variation of the available resource. A basic consumer-resource mathematical model is formulated based on the principle of biomass conversion that incorporates the energy allocation toward vital functions of the life-cycle of consumer individuals. Our mathematical approach is based on the impulsive differential equations at fixed moments considering two impulsive effects associated with the instants at which consumers obtain environmental information and when energy allocation strategy change occurs. From a preliminary analysis of the non-plastic temporal dynamics, namely when the energy allocation is constant over time and without experiencing changes concerning the variation of resources, both the persistence and stability of the consumer-resource dynamic are dependent on the energy allocation strategies belonging to a set termed stability range. We found that the plastic energy allocation can promote a stable dynamical pattern in the consumer-resource interaction depending on both the magnitude of the energy allocation change and the time lag between environmental sensibility instants and when the expression of the plastic trait occurs.
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31
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Predator-induced transgenerational plasticity in animals: a meta-analysis. Oecologia 2022; 200:371-383. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05274-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThere is growing evidence that the environment experienced by one generation can influence phenotypes in the next generation via transgenerational plasticity (TGP). One of the best-studied examples of TGP in animals is predator-induced transgenerational plasticity, whereby exposing parents to predation risk triggers changes in offspring phenotypes. Yet, there is a lack of general consensus synthesizing the predator–prey literature with existing theory pertaining to ecology and evolution of TGP. Here, we apply a meta-analysis to the sizable literature on predator-induced TGP (441 effect sizes from 29 species and 49 studies) to explore five hypotheses about the magnitude, form and direction of predator-induced TGP. Hypothesis #1: the strength of predator-induced TGP should vary with the number of predator cues. Hypothesis #2: the strength of predator-induced TGP should vary with reproductive mode. Hypothesis #3: the strength and direction of predator-induced TGP should vary among offspring phenotypic traits because some traits are more plastic than others. Hypothesis #4: the strength of predator-induced TGP should wane over ontogeny. Hypothesis #5: predator-induced TGP should generate adaptive phenotypes that should be more evident when offspring are themselves exposed to risk. We found strong evidence for predator-induced TGP overall, but no evidence that parental predator exposure causes offspring traits to change in a particular direction. Additionally, we found little evidence in support of any of the specific hypotheses. We infer that the failure to find consistent evidence reflects the heterogeneous nature of the phenomena, and the highly diverse experimental designs used to study it. Together, these findings set an agenda for future work in this area.
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Kahilainen A, Oostra V, Somervuo P, Minard G, Saastamoinen M. Alternative developmental and transcriptomic responses to host plant water limitation in a butterfly metapopulation. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5666-5683. [PMID: 34516691 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Predicting how climate change affects biotic interactions poses a challenge. Plant-insect herbivore interactions are particularly sensitive to climate change, as climate-induced changes in plant quality cascade into the performance of insect herbivores. Whereas the immediate survival of herbivore individuals depends on plastic responses to climate change-induced nutritional stress, long-term population persistence via evolutionary adaptation requires genetic variation for these responses. To assess the prospects for population persistence under climate change, it is therefore crucial to characterize response mechanisms to climate change-induced stressors, and quantify their variability in natural populations. Here, we test developmental and transcriptomic responses to water limitation-induced host plant quality change in a Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) metapopulation. We combine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on the plant metabolome, larval developmental assays and an RNA sequencing analysis of the larval transcriptome. We observed that responses to feeding on water-limited plants, in which amino acids and aromatic compounds are enriched, showed marked variation within the metapopulation, with individuals of some families performing better on control and others on water-limited plants. The transcriptomic responses were concordant with the developmental responses: families exhibiting opposite developmental responses also produced opposite transcriptomic responses (e.g. in growth-associated transcripts). The divergent responses in both larval development and transcriptome are associated with differences between families in amino acid catabolism and storage protein production. The results reveal intrapopulation variability in plasticity, suggesting that the Finnish M. cinxia metapopulation harbours potential for buffering against drought-induced changes in host plant quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aapo Kahilainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Vicencio Oostra
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Panu Somervuo
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Guillaume Minard
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INRAe, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland.,Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Volk K, Braasch J, Ahlering M, Hamilton JA. Environmental contributions to the evolution of trait differences in Geum triflorum: Implications for restoration. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1822-1837. [PMID: 36151780 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE How the environment influences the distribution of trait variation across a species' range has important implications for seed transfer during restoration. Evolution across environments could influence fitness when individuals are transferred into new environments. Here, we evaluate the role the environment has had on the distribution of genetic variance for traits important to adaptation. METHODS In a common garden experiment, we quantified trait differentiation for populations of Geum triflorum sourced from three distinct ecoregions and evaluated the ability of climate to predict trait variation. Populations were sourced from the Manitoba and Great Lake alvar ecoregions that experience predictable extremes in seasonal water availability and the prairie ecoregion which exhibits unpredictable changes in water availability. RESULTS Plants sourced from alvar ecoregions exhibited smaller but more stomata and greater intrinsic water-use efficiency relative to prairie plant populations, supporting the evolution of ecotypic differences. Estimates of standing genetic variance and heritable genetic variation for quantitative traits suggest alvar populations have greater adaptive potential. However, low evolvability suggests all populations likely have limited capacity to evolve in response to environmental change. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the importance of the environment in influencing the evolution and distribution of genetic differences across populations used as seed sources for restoration. Additionally, these data may inform recommendations for seed transfer across novel environments and our expectations of populations' adaptive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Volk
- North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Joseph Braasch
- North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
- Rutgers University Camden, Department of Biological Sciences, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
| | | | - Jill A Hamilton
- North Dakota State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Rushworth CA, Wagner MR, Mitchell-Olds T, Anderson JT. The Boechera model system for evolutionary ecology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1939-1961. [PMID: 36371714 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Model systems in biology expand the research capacity of individuals and the community. Closely related to Arabidopsis, the genus Boechera has emerged as an important ecological model owing to the ability to integrate across molecular, functional, and eco-evolutionary approaches. Boechera species are broadly distributed in relatively undisturbed habitats predominantly in western North America and provide one of the few experimental systems for identification of ecologically important genes through genome-wide association studies and investigations of selection with plants in their native habitats. The ecologically, evolutionarily, and agriculturally important trait of apomixis (asexual reproduction via seeds) is common in the genus, and field experiments suggest that abiotic and biotic environments shape the evolution of sex. To date, population genetic studies have focused on the widespread species B. stricta, detailing population divergence and demographic history. Molecular and ecological studies show that balancing selection maintains genetic variation in ~10% of the genome, and ecological trade-offs contribute to complex trait variation for herbivore resistance, flowering phenology, and drought tolerance. Microbiome analyses have shown that host genotypes influence leaf and root microbiome composition, and the soil microbiome influences flowering phenology and natural selection. Furthermore, Boechera offers numerous opportunities for investigating biological responses to global change. In B. stricta, climate change has induced a shift of >2 weeks in the timing of first flowering since the 1970s, altered patterns of natural selection, generated maladaptation in previously locally-adapted populations, and disrupted life history trade-offs. Here we review resources and results for this eco-evolutionary model system and discuss future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maggie R Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | | | - Jill T Anderson
- Department of Genetics and Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Aguilera VM, Bednaršek N. Variations in phenotypic plasticity in a cosmopolitan copepod species across latitudinal hydrographic gradients. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.925648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies assessing latitudinal variations in habitat conditions and phenotypic plasticity among populations yield evidence of the mechanisms governing differentiation in the potential to adapt to current/future habitat changes. The cosmopolitan copepod species Acartia tonsa thrives across ocean clines delimiting Seasonal (30–40° S) and Permanent (10–30° S) Upwelling coastal provinces established during the middle–late Pliocene (3.6–1.8 Ma) alongshore the South East Pacific (SEP), nowadays exhibiting contrasting variability features related to several ocean drivers (temperature, salinity, pH, and food availability). Latitudinal variation across the range of environmental conditions of the coastal provinces can contribute toward shaping divergent A. tonsa’s phenotypes, for example, through specific patterns of phenotypic plasticity in morphological and physiological traits and tolerance to environmental drivers. With the aim of contributing to the understanding of these adaptive processes in a relatively little studied oceanic region, here we compared the expression of parental (i.e., adult size, egg production, and ingestion rate) and offspring (i.e., egg size) traits in relation to variation in environmental habitat conditions across different cohorts of two distant (> 15° latitude) A. tonsa populations inhabiting estuarine and upwelling habitats located in the Seasonal and Permanent Upwelling province, respectively. Mean conditions and ranges of variability in the habitat conditions and phenotypic plasticity of parental and offspring traits within and among cohorts of A. tonsa populations varied significantly across the different examined regions (i.e., Seasonal vs. Permanent). We also found significant differences in the coupling of habitat variability and trait expression, suggesting that the differences in trait expressions might be related to habitat variability. The phenotypic divergence was translated to cohort-related patterns of trait trade-offs regulating reproduction and tolerance of egg production efficiency that can jointly determine the level of plasticity, genetic structure, or local adaptation. The current findings provide novel evidence of how divergent phenotypes might sustain A. tonsa populations across variable coastal provinces of the SEP.
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English SG, Wilson S, Bandivadekar RR, Graves EE, Holyoak M, Brown JC, Tell LA. Quantifying phenology and migratory behaviours of hummingbirds using single-site dynamics and mark-detection analyses. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220991. [PMID: 36100019 PMCID: PMC9470262 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuanced understanding of seasonal movements of partially migratory birds is paramount to species and habitat conservation. Using nascent statistical methods, we identified migratory strategies of birds outfitted with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags detected at RFID feeders in two sites in California, USA. We quantified proportions of migrants and residents and the seasonal phenology for each movement strategy in Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds; we also validated our methodology by fitting our model to obligate migratory black-chinned hummingbirds. Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds exhibited characteristics of facultative migratory behaviour. We also quantified apparent annual survival for each migratory strategy and found that residents had significantly higher probabilities of apparent survival. Low survival estimates for migrants suggest that a high proportion of birds in the migrant group permanently emigrated from our study sites. Considered together, our analyses suggest that hummingbirds in both northern and southern California sites partake in diverse and highly plastic migratory behaviours. Our assessment elucidates the dynamics underlying idiosyncratic migratory behaviours of two species of hummingbirds, in addition to describing a framework for similar assessments of migratory behaviours using the multi-state open robust design with state uncertainty model and single-site dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon G English
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Scott Wilson
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ruta R Bandivadekar
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Emily E Graves
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Lisa A Tell
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Schneider HM. Characterization, costs, cues and future perspectives of phenotypic plasticity. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:131-148. [PMID: 35771883 PMCID: PMC9445595 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plastic responses of plants to the environment are ubiquitous. Phenotypic plasticity occurs in many forms and at many biological scales, and its adaptive value depends on the specific environment and interactions with other plant traits and organisms. Even though plasticity is the norm rather than the exception, its complex nature has been a challenge in characterizing the expression of plasticity, its adaptive value for fitness and the environmental cues that regulate its expression. SCOPE This review discusses the characterization and costs of plasticity and approaches, considerations, and promising research directions in studying plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity is genetically controlled and heritable; however, little is known about how organisms perceive, interpret and respond to environmental cues, and the genes and pathways associated with plasticity. Not every genotype is plastic for every trait, and plasticity is not infinite, suggesting trade-offs, costs and limits to expression of plasticity. The timing, specificity and duration of plasticity are critical to their adaptive value for plant fitness. CONCLUSIONS There are many research opportunities to advance our understanding of plant phenotypic plasticity. New methodology and technological breakthroughs enable the study of phenotypic responses across biological scales and in multiple environments. Understanding the mechanisms of plasticity and how the expression of specific phenotypes influences fitness in many environmental ranges would benefit many areas of plant science ranging from basic research to applied breeding for crop improvement.
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Terry TJ, Hardegree SP, Madsen MD, Roundy BA, St. Clair SB. Trends in soil microclimate and modeled impacts on germination timing in the sagebrush steppe. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tyson J. Terry
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | | | - Matthew D. Madsen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Bruce A. Roundy
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Samuel B. St. Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
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Corbel Q, Londoño-Nieto C, Carazo P. Does perception of female cues modulate male short-term fitness components in Drosophila melanogaster? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9287. [PMID: 36177144 PMCID: PMC9471061 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive behavior can be a strong driver of individual fitness. In species with high intra‐sexual competition, changes in socio‐sexual context can trigger quick adaptive plastic responses in males. In particular, a recent study in the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) shows that males derive net fitness benefits from being shortly exposed to female cues ahead of access to mating (termed sexual perception), but the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon remain unknown. Here, we investigated the short‐term effects of female perception on male pre‐ and post‐copulatory components of reproductive performance: (a) mating success, (b) mating latency and duration, (c) sperm competitiveness, and (d) ejaculate effects on female receptivity and reproductive rate. We found that brief sexual perception increased mating duration, but had no effect on the other main pre‐ and post‐copulatory fitness proxies recorded. This suggests that perception of female cues may not yield net fitness benefits for males in the short‐term, but we discuss alternative explanations and future avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Corbel
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Claudia Londoño-Nieto
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Pau Carazo
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
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40
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Griffen BD, Whiteman JP, Pullan S. Significance of autumn and winter food consumption for reproduction by Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears, Ursus maritimus. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03066-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPolar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea experience long annual periods when preferred seal prey are scarce or are unavailable. Consumption of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcasses from native Alaskan subsistence hunting is increasingly common for onshore polar bears, yet the energetic consequences of this consumption remain unclear. We use data on bears captured repeatedly over periods that encompassed autumn and winter, combined with calculations, to show that adult female bears likely consume an average of at least 4 seal equivalents during both autumn and winter periods and that considerable variation in energy intake exists across individual bears. We further show that subsistence-caught whale carcasses provide an upper threshold of > 4000 seal equivalents, which could potentially meet mean consumption needs of ~ 80% of the southern Beaufort Sea bear subpopulation during autumn and winter periods. Finally, we modify an existing model to show that observed mass changes over autumn and winter could substantially alter spring foraging habitat choice by females with cubs and the chance that a female with reduced energy reserves would abort a pregnancy or abandon cubs in favor of increasing her own survival; these behaviors could potentially influence population vital rates. Our study highlights the importance of mass dynamics over the autumn and winter months, points to the need for additional data on foraging and energetics over this period, and indicates that the recent declines in polar bear body condition in some subpopulations could have complex effects on reproduction.
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41
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Bednaršek N, Beck MW, Pelletier G, Applebaum SL, Feely RA, Butler R, Byrne M, Peabody B, Davis J, Štrus J. Natural Analogues in pH Variability and Predictability across the Coastal Pacific Estuaries: Extrapolation of the Increased Oyster Dissolution under Increased pH Amplitude and Low Predictability Related to Ocean Acidification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:9015-9028. [PMID: 35548856 PMCID: PMC9228044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Coastal-estuarine habitats are rapidly changing due to global climate change, with impacts influenced by the variability of carbonate chemistry conditions. However, our understanding of the responses of ecologically and economically important calcifiers to pH variability and temporal variation is limited, particularly with respect to shell-building processes. We investigated the mechanisms driving biomineralogical and physiological responses in juveniles of introduced (Pacific; Crassostrea gigas) and native (Olympia; Ostrea lurida) oysters under flow-through experimental conditions over a six-week period that simulate current and future conditions: static control and low pH (8.0 and 7.7); low pH with fluctuating (24-h) amplitude (7.7 ± 0.2 and 7.7 ± 0.5); and high-frequency (12-h) fluctuating (8.0 ± 0.2) treatment. The oysters showed physiological tolerance in vital processes, including calcification, respiration, clearance, and survival. However, shell dissolution significantly increased with larger amplitudes of pH variability compared to static pH conditions, attributable to the longer cumulative exposure to lower pH conditions, with the dissolution threshold of pH 7.7 with 0.2 amplitude. Moreover, the high-frequency treatment triggered significantly greater dissolution, likely because of the oyster's inability to respond to the unpredictable frequency of variations. The experimental findings were extrapolated to provide context for conditions existing in several Pacific coastal estuaries, with time series analyses demonstrating unique signatures of pH predictability and variability in these habitats, indicating potentially benefiting effects on fitness in these habitats. These implications are crucial for evaluating the suitability of coastal habitats for aquaculture, adaptation, and carbon dioxide removal strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Bednaršek
- Southern
California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California 92626, United States
- National
Institute of Biology, Marine Biological Station, 6330 Piran, Slovenia
| | - Marcus W. Beck
- Tampa
Bay Estuary Program, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, United States
| | - Greg Pelletier
- Southern
California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California 92626, United States
| | - Scott Lee Applebaum
- Environmental
Studies Program, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Richard A. Feely
- NOAA
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, Washington 98115, United States
| | - Robert Butler
- Southern
California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California 92626, United States
| | - Maria Byrne
- School of
Life and Environmental Sciences, University
of Sydney, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Betsy Peabody
- Puget
Sound Restoration Fund, Bainbridge
Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Jonathan Davis
- Pacific
Hybreed, Inc., Port Orchard, Washington 98366, United States
| | - Jasna Štrus
- Biotechnical
Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Kath NJ, Gaedke U, van Velzen E. The double-edged sword of inducible defences: costs and benefits of maladaptive switching from the individual to the community level. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10344. [PMID: 35725738 PMCID: PMC9209413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can increase individual fitness when environmental conditions change over time. Inducible defences are a striking example, allowing species to react to fluctuating predation pressure by only expressing their costly defended phenotype under high predation risk. Previous theoretical investigations have focused on how this affects predator–prey dynamics, but the impact on competitive outcomes and broader community dynamics has received less attention. Here we use a small food web model, consisting of two competing plastic autotrophic species exploited by a shared consumer, to study how the speed of inducible defences across three trade-off constellations affects autotroph coexistence, biomasses across trophic levels, and temporal variability. Contrary to the intuitive idea that faster adaptation increases autotroph fitness, we found that higher switching rates reduced individual fitness as it consistently provoked more maladaptive switching towards undefended phenotypes under high predation pressure. This had an unexpected positive impact on the consumer, increasing consumer biomass and lowering total autotroph biomass. Additionally, maladaptive switching strongly reduced autotroph coexistence through an emerging source-sink dynamic between defended and undefended phenotypes. The striking impact of maladaptive switching on species and food web dynamics indicates that this mechanism may be of more critical importance than previously recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja J Kath
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ellen van Velzen
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
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43
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Govaert L, Pantel JH, De Meester L. Quantifying eco‐evolutionary contributions to trait divergence in spatially structured systems. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Govaert
- Leibniz Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B‐3000 Leuven Belgium
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190 Zürich Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Überlandstrasse 133 Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Jelena H. Pantel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B‐3000 Leuven Belgium
- Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Science The American University of Paris, 6 rue du Colonel Combes Paris France
- Ecological Modelling, Faculty of Biology University of Duisburg‐Essen, Universitätsstraße 5 Essen Germany
| | - Luc De Meester
- Leibniz Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B‐3000 Leuven Belgium
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
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Gill RL, Collins S, Argyle PA, Larsson ME, Fleck R, Doblin MA. Predictability of thermal fluctuations influences functional traits of a cosmopolitan marine diatom. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212581. [PMID: 35473374 PMCID: PMC9043731 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary theory predicts that organismal plasticity should evolve in environments that fluctuate regularly. However, in environments that fluctuate less predictably, plasticity may be constrained because environmental cues become less reliable for expressing the optimum phenotype. Here, we examine how the predictability of +5°C temperature fluctuations impacts the phenotype of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Thermal regimes were informed by temperatures experienced by microbes in an ocean simulation and featured regular or irregular temporal sequences of fluctuations that induced mild physiological stress. Physiological traits (growth, cell size, complexity and pigmentation) were quantified at the individual cell level using flow cytometry. Changes in cellular complexity emerged as the first impact of predictability after only 8–11 days, followed by deleterious impacts on growth on days 13–16. Specifically, cells with a history of irregular fluctuation exposure exhibited a 50% reduction in growth compared with the stable reference environment, while growth was 3–18 times higher when fluctuations were regular. We observed no evidence of heat hardening (increasingly positive growth) with recurrent fluctuations. This study demonstrates that unpredictable temperature fluctuations impact this cosmopolitan diatom under ecologically relevant time frames, suggesting shifts in environmental stochasticity under a changing climate could have widespread consequences among ocean primary producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raissa L Gill
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sinead Collins
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9YL, UK
| | - Phoebe A Argyle
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michaela E Larsson
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert Fleck
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Martina A Doblin
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, Australia
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45
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Boyd JN, Odell J, Cruse‐Sanders J, Rogers W, Anderson JT, Baskauf C, Brzyski J. Phenotypic plasticity and genetic diversity elucidate rarity and vulnerability of an endangered riparian plant. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nagel Boyd
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
| | - Jared Odell
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
| | - Jennifer Cruse‐Sanders
- Department of Genetics Odum School of Ecology, Davison Life Sciences, University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Jill T. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
- Department of Genetics Odum School of Ecology, Davison Life Sciences, University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Carol Baskauf
- Department of Biology Austin Peay State University Clarksville Tennessee USA
| | - Jessica Brzyski
- Department of Biology Seton Hill University Greensburg Pennsylvania USA
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46
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Stuart KC, Sherwin WB, Cardilini AP, Rollins LA. Genetics and Plasticity Are Responsible for Ecogeographical Patterns in a Recent Invasion. Front Genet 2022; 13:824424. [PMID: 35360868 PMCID: PMC8963341 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.824424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of covariation between phenotype and environment are presumed to be reflective of local adaptation, and therefore translate to a meaningful influence on an individual’s overall fitness within that specific environment. However, these environmentally driven patterns may be the result of numerous and interacting processes, such as genetic variation, epigenetic variation, or plastic non-heritable variation. Understanding the relative importance of different environmental variables on underlying genetic patterns and resulting phenotypes is fundamental to understanding adaptation. Invasive systems are excellent models for such investigations, given their propensity for rapid evolution. This study uses reduced representation sequencing data paired with phenotypic data to examine whether important phenotypic traits in invasive starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) within Australia appear to be highly heritable (presumably genetic) or appear to vary with environmental gradients despite underlying genetics (presumably non-heritable plasticity). We also sought to determine which environmental variables, if any, play the strongest role shaping genetic and phenotypic patterns. We determined that environmental variables—particularly elevation—play an important role in shaping allelic trends in Australian starlings and may also reinforce neutral genetic patterns resulting from historic introduction regime. We examined a range of phenotypic traits that appear to be heritable (body mass and spleen mass) or negligibly heritable (e.g. beak surface area and wing length) across the starlings’ Australian range. Using SNP variants associated with each of these phenotypes, we identify key environmental variables that correlate with genetic patterns, specifically that temperature and precipitation putatively play important roles shaping phenotype in this species. Finally, we determine that overall phenotypic variation is correlated with underlying genetic variation, and that these interact positively with the level of vegetation variation within a region, suggesting that ground cover plays an important role in shaping selection and plasticity of phenotypic traits within the starlings of Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina C. Stuart
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Katarina C. Stuart,
| | - William B. Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam P.A. Cardilini
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Lee A. Rollins
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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47
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Pulkkinen K, Ketola T, Laakso J, Mappes J, Sundberg L. Rich resource environment of fish farms facilitates phenotypic variation and virulence in an opportunistic fish pathogen. Evol Appl 2022; 15:417-428. [PMID: 35386393 PMCID: PMC8965373 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic variation is suggested to facilitate the persistence of environmentally growing pathogens under environmental change. Here, we hypothesized that the intensive farming environment induces higher phenotypic variation in microbial pathogens than natural environment, because of high stochasticity for growth and stronger survival selection compared to the natural environment. We tested the hypothesis with an opportunistic fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare isolated either from fish farms or from natural waters. We measured growth parameters of two morphotypes from all isolates in different resource concentrations and two temperatures relevant for the occurrence of disease epidemics at farms and tested their virulence using a zebrafish (Danio rerio) infection model. According to our hypothesis, isolates originating from the fish farms had higher phenotypic variation in growth between the morphotypes than the isolates from natural waters. The difference was more pronounced in higher resource concentrations and the higher temperature, suggesting that phenotypic variation is driven by the exploitation of increased outside‐host resources at farms. Phenotypic variation of virulence was not observed based on isolate origin but only based on morphotype. However, when in contact with the larger fish, the less virulent morphotype of some of the isolates also had high virulence. As the less virulent morphotype also had higher growth rate in outside‐host resources, the results suggest that both morphotypes can contribute to F. columnare epidemics at fish farms, especially with current prospects of warming temperatures. Our results suggest that higher phenotypic variation per se does not lead to higher virulence, but that environmental conditions at fish farms could select isolates with high phenotypic variation in bacterial population and hence affect evolution in F. columnare at fish farms. Our results highlight the multifaceted effects of human‐induced environmental alterations in shaping epidemiology and evolution in microbial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Pulkkinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Tarmo Ketola
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Jouni Laakso
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Lotta‐Riina Sundberg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Finland
- Nanoscience Center University of Jyväskylä Finland
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48
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Bernal MA, Ravasi T, Rodgers GG, Munday PL, Donelson JM. Plasticity to ocean warming is influenced by transgenerational, reproductive, and developmental exposure in a coral reef fish. Evol Appl 2022; 15:249-261. [PMID: 35233246 PMCID: PMC8867710 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming is expected to drive some ectothermic species beyond their thermal tolerance in upcoming decades. Phenotypic plasticity, via developmental or transgenerational acclimation, is a critical mechanism for compensation in the face of environmental change. Yet, it remains to be determined if the activation of beneficial phenotypes requires direct exposure throughout development, or if compensation can be obtained just through the experience of previous generations. In this study, we exposed three generations of a tropical damselfish to combinations of current-day (Control) and projected future (+1.5°C) water temperatures. Acclimation was evaluated with phenotypic (oxygen consumption, hepatosomatic index, physical condition) and molecular (liver gene expression) measurements of third-generation juveniles. Exposure of grandparents/parents to warm conditions improved the aerobic capacity of fish regardless of thermal conditions experienced afterwards, representing a true transgenerational effect. This coincided with patterns of gene expression related to inflammation and immunity seen in the third generation. Parental effects due to reproductive temperature significantly affected the physical condition and routine metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) of offspring, but had little impact on gene expression of the F3. Developmental temperature of juveniles, and whether they matched conditions during parental reproduction, had the largest influence on the liver transcriptional program. Using a combination of both phenotypic and molecular approaches, this study highlights how the conditions experienced by both previous and current generations can influence plasticity to global warming in upcoming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés A. Bernal
- Department of Biological SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
| | - Timothy Ravasi
- Marine Climate Change UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnna‐son, OkinawaJapan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQLDAustralia
| | - Giverny G. Rodgers
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQLDAustralia
| | - Philip L. Munday
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQLDAustralia
| | - Jennifer M. Donelson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQLDAustralia
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49
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Boutry J, Mistral J, Berlioz L, Klimovich A, Tökölyi J, Fontenille L, Ujvari B, Dujon AM, Giraudeau M, Thomas F. Tumors (re)shape biotic interactions within ecosystems: Experimental evidence from the freshwater cnidarian Hydra. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149923. [PMID: 34487898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
While it is often assumed that oncogenic processes in metazoans can influence species interactions, empirical evidence is lacking. Here, we use the cnidarian Hydra oligactis to experimentally explore the consequences of tumor associated phenotypic alterations for its predation ability, relationship with commensal ciliates and vulnerability to predators. Unexpectedly, hydra's predation ability was higher in tumorous polyps compared to non-tumorous ones. Commensal ciliates colonized preferentially tumorous hydras than non-tumorous ones, and had a higher replication rate on the former. Finally, in a choice experiment, tumorous hydras were preferentially eaten by a fish predator. This study, for the first time, provides evidence that neoplastic growth has the potential, through effect(s) on host phenotype, to alter biotic interactions within ecosystems and should thus be taken into account by ecologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Boutry
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Juliette Mistral
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Berlioz
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jácint Tökölyi
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Laura Fontenille
- AZELEAD, 377 Rue du Professeur Blayac, 34080 Montpellier, France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France; LIENSs, UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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50
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Turko AJ, Rossi GS. Habitat choice promotes and constrains phenotypic plasticity. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210468. [PMID: 35042396 PMCID: PMC8767202 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat choice can either speed up or slow rates of phenotypic evolution, depending on which trait is measured. We suggest that habitat choice plays an analogous, and generally overlooked, role in shaping patterns of phenotypic plasticity. Using our work with an amphibious fish, we discuss two case studies that demonstrate how habitat choice can both promote and constrain expression of plasticity. First, habitat choice during the dry season accentuates adaptive metabolic plasticity and minimizes maladaptive changes to muscle, ultimately increasing survival time out of water. Second, a trade-off between water- and air-breathing drives matching habitat choice, resulting in positive feedback that reinforces respiratory specialization and environmental preference. Overall, these case studies demonstrate that we must consider the interactions between plasticity and habitat choice to fully understand how animals survive in the face of environmental change. Without considering both processes simultaneously, the performance of animals in challenging conditions can be either under- or over-estimated. Finally, because habitat choice shapes the frequency and predictability of environmental changes that animals experience, feedback between habitat choice and expressions of phenotypic plasticity may be an important factor that influences how plasticity evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy J. Turko
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4L8
| | - Giulia S. Rossi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4
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