Plasticity of preferred body temperatures as means of coping with climate change?

0367022 - ÚBO 2013 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Gvoždík, Lumír
Plasticity of preferred body temperatures as means of coping with climate change?
Biology Letters. Roč. 8, č. 2 (2012), s. 262-265. ISSN 1744-9561. E-ISSN 1744-957X
R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP506/10/2170; GA MŠMT LC06073
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : acclimation * climate change * ectotherms * thermoregulatory behaviour
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
Impact factor: 3.348, year: 2012

Thermoregulatory behaviour represents an important component of ectotherm non-genetic adaptive capacity that mitigates the impact of ongoing climate change. The buffering role of behavioural thermoregulation has been solely attributed to the ability to maintain near optimal body temperature for sufficiently extended periods under altered thermal conditions. The widespread occurrence of plastic modification of target temperatures that an ectotherm aims to achieve has been largely overlooked. I argue that the plasticity of target temperatures may significantly contribute to an ectotherm’s adaptive capacity. Its contribution to population persistence depends on both the effectiveness and the total costs of thermoregulation. The direction and magnitude of plastic shift in preferred body temperatures can be incorporated into mechanistic models to improve predictability of the impact of global climate change on ectotherm populations.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0201819