Nature & Environment
How Rapid Climate Change May Endanger Ectotherms: Lizards, Turtles and Others
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Dec 11, 2014 06:50 AM EST
As climate change continues to change, some animals are more adept at adapting than others. Animals that regulate their body temperature through the external environment, for example, may not be able to keep pace with rapid changes. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at ectotherms to see how they might be able to keep pace.
Adapting to climate change doesn't just require animals to cope with higher temperatures. Animals will also have to be able to function across a broader range of conditions. This is particularly important for ectotherms, which make up more than 90 percent of all animals. These creatures rely on external sources of heat to control body temperature.
In order to better understand how ectotherms might respond, the scientists studied 40 years of published data to assess how biological functions change in response to a sudden fluctuation in environmental temperatures. They found that the physiological rates of ectothermic animals, such as heart rate, metabolism and locomotion, had already increased over the past 20 years with increasing average temperatures.
"It is important that animals maintain the right balance between the large number of physiological functions despite environmental fluctuations" said Frank Seebacher, one of the researchers, in a news release. "An increase in temperature that leads to changed reaction rates can upset that balance and cause the decline of individuals and species."
The overall trend the last 20 years has been to increase physiological rates, and it's likely these will increase with temperature. Even if the animals are able to maintain the balance of their physiological functions in a warmer climate, though, the increased metabolism will lead to an increase in food resources needed. This, in turn, can upset the environment.
The findings reveal that ectotherms may be dealing with some big challenges in the future. This could be important when it comes to targeting conservation efforts as temperatures climb.
The findings are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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First Posted: Dec 11, 2014 06:50 AM EST
As climate change continues to change, some animals are more adept at adapting than others. Animals that regulate their body temperature through the external environment, for example, may not be able to keep pace with rapid changes. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at ectotherms to see how they might be able to keep pace.
Adapting to climate change doesn't just require animals to cope with higher temperatures. Animals will also have to be able to function across a broader range of conditions. This is particularly important for ectotherms, which make up more than 90 percent of all animals. These creatures rely on external sources of heat to control body temperature.
In order to better understand how ectotherms might respond, the scientists studied 40 years of published data to assess how biological functions change in response to a sudden fluctuation in environmental temperatures. They found that the physiological rates of ectothermic animals, such as heart rate, metabolism and locomotion, had already increased over the past 20 years with increasing average temperatures.
"It is important that animals maintain the right balance between the large number of physiological functions despite environmental fluctuations" said Frank Seebacher, one of the researchers, in a news release. "An increase in temperature that leads to changed reaction rates can upset that balance and cause the decline of individuals and species."
The overall trend the last 20 years has been to increase physiological rates, and it's likely these will increase with temperature. Even if the animals are able to maintain the balance of their physiological functions in a warmer climate, though, the increased metabolism will lead to an increase in food resources needed. This, in turn, can upset the environment.
The findings reveal that ectotherms may be dealing with some big challenges in the future. This could be important when it comes to targeting conservation efforts as temperatures climb.
The findings are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone