Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats

Thermal adaptation to habitat variability can determine species vulnerability to environmental change. For example, physiological tolerance to naturally low thermal variation in tropical forests species may alter their vulnerability to climate change impacts, compared with open habitat species. Howe...

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Autores principales: Dongmo, M., Hanna, R., Smith, T.B., Fiaboe, K., Fomena, A., Bonebrake, T.C.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Company of Biologists 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114094
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author Dongmo, M.
Hanna, R.
Smith, T.B.
Fiaboe, K.
Fomena, A.
Bonebrake, T.C.
author_browse Bonebrake, T.C.
Dongmo, M.
Fiaboe, K.
Fomena, A.
Hanna, R.
Smith, T.B.
author_facet Dongmo, M.
Hanna, R.
Smith, T.B.
Fiaboe, K.
Fomena, A.
Bonebrake, T.C.
author_sort Dongmo, M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Thermal adaptation to habitat variability can determine species vulnerability to environmental change. For example, physiological tolerance to naturally low thermal variation in tropical forests species may alter their vulnerability to climate change impacts, compared with open habitat species. However, the extent to which habitat-specific differences in tolerance derive from within-generation versus across-generation ecological or evolutionary processes are not well characterized. Here we studied thermal tolerance limits of a Central African butterfly (Bicyclus dorothea) across two habitats in Cameroon: a thermally stable tropical forest and the more variable ecotone between rainforest and savanna. Second generation individuals originating from the ecotone, reared under conditions common to both populations, exhibited higher upper thermal limits (CTmax) than individuals originating from forest (∼3°C greater). Lower thermal limits (CTmin) were also slightly lower for the ecotone populations (∼1°C). Our results are suggestive of local adaptation driving habitat-specific differences in thermal tolerance (especially CTmax) that hold across generations. Such habitat-specific thermal limits may be widespread for tropical ectotherms and could affect species vulnerability to environmental change. However, microclimate and within-generation developmental processes (e.g. plasticity) will mediate these differences, and determining the fitness consequences of thermal variation for ecotone and rainforest species will require continued study of both within-generation and across-generation eco-evolutionary processes.
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spelling CGSpace1140942025-11-11T10:38:50Z Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats Dongmo, M. Hanna, R. Smith, T.B. Fiaboe, K. Fomena, A. Bonebrake, T.C. climate change domestic gardens ecotones heat tolerance cameroon butterflies lepidoptera Thermal adaptation to habitat variability can determine species vulnerability to environmental change. For example, physiological tolerance to naturally low thermal variation in tropical forests species may alter their vulnerability to climate change impacts, compared with open habitat species. However, the extent to which habitat-specific differences in tolerance derive from within-generation versus across-generation ecological or evolutionary processes are not well characterized. Here we studied thermal tolerance limits of a Central African butterfly (Bicyclus dorothea) across two habitats in Cameroon: a thermally stable tropical forest and the more variable ecotone between rainforest and savanna. Second generation individuals originating from the ecotone, reared under conditions common to both populations, exhibited higher upper thermal limits (CTmax) than individuals originating from forest (∼3°C greater). Lower thermal limits (CTmin) were also slightly lower for the ecotone populations (∼1°C). Our results are suggestive of local adaptation driving habitat-specific differences in thermal tolerance (especially CTmax) that hold across generations. Such habitat-specific thermal limits may be widespread for tropical ectotherms and could affect species vulnerability to environmental change. However, microclimate and within-generation developmental processes (e.g. plasticity) will mediate these differences, and determining the fitness consequences of thermal variation for ecotone and rainforest species will require continued study of both within-generation and across-generation eco-evolutionary processes. 2021-04-15 2021-06-24T10:42:25Z 2021-06-24T10:42:25Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114094 en Open Access application/pdf Company of Biologists Dongmo, M., Hanna, R., Smith, T.B., Fiaboe, K., Fomena, A. & Bonebrake, T.C. (2021). Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats. Biology Open, 10(4), 058619: 106.
spellingShingle climate change
domestic gardens
ecotones
heat tolerance
cameroon
butterflies
lepidoptera
Dongmo, M.
Hanna, R.
Smith, T.B.
Fiaboe, K.
Fomena, A.
Bonebrake, T.C.
Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title_full Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title_fullStr Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title_full_unstemmed Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title_short Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
title_sort local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats
topic climate change
domestic gardens
ecotones
heat tolerance
cameroon
butterflies
lepidoptera
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114094
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