RESUMO
The vulnerability of populations and species to global warming depends not only on the environmental temperatures, but also on the behavioral and physiological abilities to respond to these changes. In this sense, the knowledge of an organism's sensitivity to temperature variation is essential to predict potential responses to climate warming. In particular, it is interesting to know how close species are to their thermal limits in nature and whether physiological plasticity is a potential short-term response to warming climates. We exposed Liolaemus pictus lizards, from northern Patagonia, to either 21 or 31 °C for 30 days to compare the effects of these treatments on thermal sensitivity in 1 and 0.2 m runs, preferred body temperature (T pref), panting threshold (T pant), and critical minimum temperature (CTMin). Furthermore, we measured the availability of thermal microenvironments (operative temperatures; T e) to measure how close L. pictus is, in nature, to its optimal locomotor performance (T o) and thermal limits. L. pictus showed limited physiological plasticity, since the acclimation temperature (21 and 31 °C) did not affect the locomotor performance nor did it affect T pref, the T pant, or the CTMin. The mean T e was close to T o and was 17 °C lower than the CTMax. The results suggest that L. pictus, in a climate change scenario, could be vulnerable to the predicted temperature increment, as this species currently lives in an environment with temperatures close to their highest locomotor temperature threshold, and because they showed limited acclimation capacity to adjust to new thermal conditions by physiological plasticity. Nevertheless, L. pictus can run at 80 % or faster of its maximum speed across a wide range of temperatures near T o, an ability which would attenuate the impact of global warming.
Assuntos
Aclimatação , Temperatura Baixa , Ecossistema , Aquecimento Global , Lagartos/fisiologia , Fatores Etários , Animais , Argentina , Regulação da Temperatura Corporal , Metabolismo Energético , Feminino , Masculino , Atividade Motora , Fenótipo , Corrida , Fatores Sexuais , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
The locomotor performance of lizards depends on their morphological and physiological adaptations to the habitat. However, when the habitat changes dramatically, for example, by a volcanic eruption, the performance of lizards may be affected. We registered the vegetation cover, the surface covered by ash, the presence of crevices suitable for Phymaturus and the rocks slopes to analyze the effects of ash accumulation produced by the eruption of Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex on microhabitat use and availability of the Phymaturus spectabilis lizard. In addition, we studied the effect of ashes and slope on the locomotor performance of P. spectabilis by registering the maximum speed in sprint runs and long runs under four different treatments (cork and on the level, ashes and on the level, cork and slope, and ashes and slope). P. spectabilis selected microhabitats unvegetated, with crevices and steep slopes. Regarding locomotor performance, the speed of lizards was negatively affected by the presence of ash only in sprint runs on the level and in long runs with slope. The slope had a negative impact on the speed in all the treatments. These results show that the presence of volcanic ashes in the substrate might have affected the locomotor performance of the lizards, especially in long runs, and hence, the interaction of individuals with the environment, that is, escaping from predators and social behavior.