Seasonal variability in resilience of a coral reef fish to marine heatwaves and hypoxia

Climate change projections indicate more frequent and severe tropical marine heatwaves (MHWs) and accompanying hypoxia year-round. However, most studies have focused on peak summer conditions under the assumption that annual maximum temperatures will induce the greatest physiological consequences. This study challenges this idea by characterizing seasonal MHWs (i.e., mean, maximum, and cumulative intensities, durations, heating rates, and mean annual occurrence) and comparing metabolic traits (i.e., standard metabolic rate (SMR), Q10 of SMR, maximum metabolic rate (MMR), aerobic scope, and critical oxygen tension (P_crit)) of winter- and summer-acclimatized convict tang (Acanthurus triostegus) to the combined effects of MHWs and hypoxia. Fish were exposed to one of six MHW treatments with seasonally varying maximum intensities (winter: 24.5, 26.5, 28.5°C; summer: 28.5, 30.5, 32.5°C), representing past and future MHWs under IPCC projections (i.e., +0, +2, +4°C). Surprisingly, MHW characteristics did not significantly differ between seasons, yet SMR was more sensitive to winter MHWs (mean Q10 = 2.92) than summer MHWs (mean Q10 = 1.81), despite higher absolute summer temperatures. Concurrently, MMR increased similarly among winter +2 and +4°C treatments (i.e., 26.5, 28.5°C) and all summer MHW treatments, suggesting a ceiling for maximal MMR increase. Aerobic scope did not significantly differ between seasons nor among MHW treatments. While mean P_crit did not significantly vary between seasons, warming of +4°C during winter (i.e., 28.5°C) significantly increased P_crit relative to the winter control group. Contrary to the idea of increased sensitivity to MHWs during the warmest time of year, our results reveal heightened sensitivity to the deleterious effects of winter MHWs, and that seasonal acclimatization to warmer summer conditions may bolster metabolic resilience to warming and hypoxia. Consequently, physiological sensitivity to MHWs and hypoxia may extend across larger parts of the year than previously expected, emphasizing the importance of evaluating climate change impacts during cooler seasons when essential fitness-related traits such as reproduction occur in many species.     

Truncation of thermal tolerance niches among Australian plants

Aim

Despite recognition that realized distributions inherently underestimate species' physiological tolerances, we are yet to identify the extent of these differences within diverse taxonomic groups. The degree to which species could tolerate environmental conditions outside their observed distributions may have a significant impact on the perceived extinction risk in ecological models. More information on this potential error is required to improve our confidence in management strategies.

Location

Australia.

Time Period

1983–2012.

Major Taxa Studied

Plants.

Methods

To quantify the scale and spatial patterns of this disparity, we estimated the existing tolerance to thermal extremes of 7,124 Australian plants, more than one‐third of the native continental flora, using data from cultivated records at 128 botanical gardens and nurseries. Hierarchical Bayesian beta regression was used to assess whether factors such as realized niches, traits or phylogeny could predict the incidence or magnitude of niche truncation (underestimation of thermal tolerances), while controlling for sources of collection bias.

Results

Approximately half of the cultivated species analysed could tolerate temperature extremes beyond those experienced in their native range. Niche truncation was predictable from the breadth and extremes of their realized niches and by traits such as plant growth form. Phylogenetic relationships with niche truncation were weak and appeared more suited to predicting thermal tolerances directly.

Main conclusions

This study highlights a widespread disparity between realized and potential thermal limits that may have significant implications for species' capacity to persist in situ with a changing climate. Identifying whether thermal niche truncation is the result of biotic interactions, dispersal constraints or other environmental factors could provide significant insight into community assembly at macroecological scales. Estimating niche truncation may help to explain why certain ecological communities are more resilient to change and may potentially improve the reliability of model projections under climate change.     

The effects of marine heatwaves on acute heat tolerance in corals

Scleractinian coral populations are increasingly exposed to conditions above their upper thermal limits due to marine heatwaves, contributing to global declines of coral reef ecosystem health. However, historic mass bleaching events indicate there is considerable inter- and intra-specific variation in thermal tolerance whereby species, individual coral colonies and populations show differential susceptibility to exposure to elevated temperatures. Despite this, we lack a clear understanding of how heat tolerance varies across large contemporary and historical environmental gradients, or the selective pressures that underpin this variation. Here we conducted standardised acute heat stress experiments to identify variation in heat tolerance among species and isolated reefs spanning a large environmental gradient across the Coral Sea Marine Park. We quantified the photochemical yield (F_v/F_m) of coral samples in three coral species, Acropora cf humilis, Pocillopora meandrina, and Pocillopora verrucosa, following exposure to four temperature treatments (local ambient temperatures, and + 3°C, +6°C and + 9°C above local maximum monthly mean). We quantified the temperature at which F_v/F_m decreased by 50% (termed ED50) and used derived values to directly compare acute heat tolerance across reefs and species. The ED50 for Acropora was 0.4–0.7°C lower than either Pocillopora species, with a 0.3°C difference between the two Pocillopora species. We also recorded 0.9°C to 1.9°C phenotypic variation in heat tolerance among reefs within species, indicating spatial heterogeneity in heat tolerance across broad environmental gradients. Acute heat tolerance had a strong positive relationship to mild heatwave exposure over the past 35 years (since 1986) but was negatively related to recent severe heatwaves (2016–2020). Phenotypic variation associated with mild thermal history in local environments provides supportive evidence that marine heatwaves are selecting for tolerant individuals and populations; however, this adaptive potential may be compromised by the exposure to recent severe heatwaves.     

Structural and functional heterogeneity in the major light-harvesting complexes of higher plants

The major light-harvesting complex (LHC IIb) of higher plants plays a crucial role in capturing light energy for photosynthesis and in regulating the flow of energy within the photosynthetic apparatus. Multiple isoforms of the protein bind chlorophyll and xanthophyll chromophores, but it is commonly believed that the pigment-binding properties of different LHC IIb complexes are conserved within and between species. We have investigated the structure and function of different LHC IIb complexes isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana grown under different light conditions. LHC IIb isolated from low light-grown plants shows increased amounts of the Lhcb2 gene product, increased binding of chlorophyll a, and altered energy transfer characteristics. We suggest that Lhcb2 specifically binds at least one additional chlorophyll a compared to the Lhcb1 gene product, and that differences in the functioning of LHC IIb from high and low light-grown plants are a direct consequence of the change in polypeptide composition. We show that changes in LHC IIb composition are accompanied by changes in photosynthetic function in vivo and discuss the possible functional significance of LHC IIb heterogeneity.     

海拔变化对高原湿地优势植物叶绿素荧光特性的影响

利用云南高原独特的立体地形和立体气候,选取滇西北代表性高原湿地纳帕海生长的世界广布植物水葱(Scirpus tabernaemontani)和茭草(Zizania caduciflora),分别将两种植物连同其生长的土壤单元原位移至海拔逐渐降低的两处高原湿地(拉市海湿地和昆明滇池流域),分析随海拔梯度下降的区域气候条件差异对两种植物生长周期的叶绿素荧光特性的影响。研究结果表明:与移出地纳帕海相比,移至拉市海和滇池后,植物萌芽期的水葱和茭草叶绿素在拉市海分别增加了22.54%和11.17%,在滇池分别增加了68.77%和29.2%;叶绿素荧光参数值也均随海拔的逐渐降低而升高或降低,滇池的这些数值较拉市海分别升高或降低约1.2—3.0倍。海拔的降低促使PSⅡ实际光化学量子效率的最大值(PhiPSⅡ_(max))和CO_2同化速率相对应的量子产量的最大值(PhiCO_(2max))升高,拉市海分别增至13.96%和25.42%、89.87%和27.08%,滇池分别增至24.09%和46.48%、114.77%和84.33%。两种植物生长期和凋落期的这些参数变化与萌芽期相同,但生长期各项数值的增长率或下降幅度较萌芽期高且变化明显,而凋落期的增长率或下降幅度却比萌芽期低。说明两种广布植物的叶绿素荧光特性指标随着海拔的降低而升高,表明海拔下降有利于两种广布植物光合能力的提升,但光合同化的株高生长速度却远远超过茎粗生长,这种不利影响可能导致两种广布种最终衰亡。     

Transgenerational exposure to marine heatwaves ameliorates the lethal effect on tropical copepods regardless of predation stress

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are emerging as a severe stressor in marine ecosystems. Extreme warm sea surface temperatures during MHWs often exceed the optimal thermal range for more than one generation of tropical coastal zooplankton. However, it is relatively unknown whether transgenerational plasticity (TGP) to MHWs may shape the offspring''s fitness, particularly in an ecologically relevant context with biotic interactions such as predation stress. We addressed these novel research questions by determining the survival, reproductive success, and grazing rate of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus incisus exposed to MHW and fish predator cues (FPC) for two generations (F1 and F2). The experiment was designed in a full orthogonal manner with 4 treatments in F1 and 16 treatments in F2 generation. In both generations, MHW reduced P. incisus survival, reproductive parameters, and grazing by 10%–62% in MHW, but these parameters increased by 2%–15% with exposure to FPC, particularly at control temperature. F2 reproductive success and grazing rate as indicated by cumulative fecal pellets were reduced by 20%–30% in F1‐MHW, but increased by ~2% in F1‐FPC. Strikingly, MHW exposure reduced 17%–18% survival, but transgenerational exposure to MHWs fully ameliorated its lethal effect and this transgenerational effect was independent of FPC. Increased survival came with a cost of reduced reproductive success, constrained by reduced grazing. The rapid transgenerational MHW acclimation and its associated costs are likely widespread and crucial mechanisms underlying the resilience of coastal tropical zooplankton to MHWs in tropical coastal marine ecosystems.     

Plasticity in thermal tolerance has limited potential to buffer ectotherms from global warming

Global warming is increasing the overheating risk for many organisms, though the potential for plasticity in thermal tolerance to mitigate this risk is largely unknown. In part, this shortcoming stems from a lack of knowledge about global and taxonomic patterns of variation in tolerance plasticity. To address this critical issue, we test leading hypotheses for broad-scale variation in ectotherm tolerance plasticity using a dataset that includes vertebrate and invertebrate taxa from terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. Contrary to expectation, plasticity in heat tolerance was unrelated to latitude or thermal seasonality. However, plasticity in cold tolerance is associated with thermal seasonality in some habitat types. In addition, aquatic taxa have approximately twice the plasticity of terrestrial taxa. Based on the observed patterns of variation in tolerance plasticity, we propose that limited potential for behavioural plasticity (i.e. behavioural thermoregulation) favours the evolution of greater plasticity in physiological traits, consistent with the ‘Bogert effect’. Finally, we find that all ectotherms have relatively low acclimation in thermal tolerance and demonstrate that overheating risk will be minimally reduced by acclimation in even the most plastic groups. Our analysis indicates that behavioural and evolutionary mechanisms will be critical in allowing ectotherms to buffer themselves from extreme temperatures.     

铜胁迫对甘蔗生长及抗氧化酶活性的影响

甘蔗是重要的糖能兼用植物,同时也是潜在的重金属土壤修复植物。为了探明甘蔗对铜胁迫的生理响应,该研究采用营养液培养的方法分析了铜胁迫对甘蔗生长、叶片相对电导率、叶绿素含量及根系抗氧化酶活性等的影响。结果表明:甘蔗地上部分生物、叶绿素含量随铜浓度增加而下降,地上部分铜含量和叶片的相对电导率则随铜浓度增加而提高。根系的丙二醛(MDA)含量在胁迫24h开始发生显著的变化,在400μmol·L^-1铜处理下比对照显著增加了25.5%,随着胁迫时间的延长,丙二醛含量增加幅度上升。到胁迫72h,100μmol·L^-1铜处理的MDA含量也显著的提高。根系SOD、POD和CAT酶活性在胁迫24h开始发生显著的变化,但不同酶活性变化存在差异。SOD酶活性除了在胁迫的72h随铜浓度增加而提高,其他时间表现为在100μmol·L^-1铜处理下活性下降,随着铜浓度继续增加SOD酶活性提高,到400μmol·L^-1铜处理SOD酶活性又出现下降。POD酶活性在处理的24、48和72h表现为随浓度增加先提高后下降的趋势,但在处理7d时随铜浓度增加而提高。CAT酶活性随着浓度的升高和胁迫时间的延长而下降,到了胁迫的第7天,三个铜处理下CAT酶活性分别下降了89.98%、96.88%和98.50%。由此可见,铜胁迫严重影响甘蔗的生长,较短时间的处理就已经引起了甘蔗根系的氧化胁迫,根系中SOD、POD和CAT酶活性的变化在甘蔗对抗铜引起的氧化胁迫中起到重要作用。     

Foliar freezing resistance of Australian alpine plants over the growing season

We assessed the freezing resistance of leaves ex situ of 25 Australian alpine plant species. We compared the freezing resistance of forb, graminoid and shrub species from three alpine summits of different altitudes; from a low altitude site just above treeline, to a fully alpine tundra site. Foliar freezing resistance (LT₅₀) in spring varied from ?5.9°C to ?18.7°C and standardized LT₅₀ values within species were significantly related to site altitude. Additionally, when comparing all the species in the study, freezing resistance was significantly related to site; the LT₅₀ of samples from a low‐altitude summit (1696 m) were significantly lower than those of samples from mid‐ (1805 m) and high‐altitude (1860 m) summits. The LT₅₀ of juvenile foliage did not differ significantly from that of adult foliage. Shrubs were highly resistant to freezing. At the highest summit, we examined the course of seasonal freezing resistance from early summer to early autumn across three alpine plant communities that differed in the time of natural snowmelt; from sheltered (snowpatch) to exposed (open heath). No differences in freezing resistance over the growing season were detected for exposed or sheltered communities and there were no consistent trends indicating frost hardening over the growing season. Overall, the common Australian alpine species we investigated appear well adapted to freezing conditions throughout the snow‐free growing season. We have no evidence to suggest that freezing temperatures soon after snowmelt in spring are especially damaging to the alpine plants at these summits.     

底栖铜藻和漂浮铜藻生长与光合生理的比较

铜藻是构成"金潮"的关键种.为了探索"金潮"的爆发原因,采集同一位点的底栖和漂浮铜藻,在温度15℃、光照强度5000 lx条件下,经过7天培养后,比较了两类铜藻生长速率和各组织部位(新生叶、老叶、气囊、枝干)生长以及光合生理的差异.结果表明:漂浮铜藻的生长速率(RGR)为8.25％? d-1,而底栖铜藻的RGR仅为5....     

Microclimate, light adaptation and desiccation tolerance of epiphytic bryophytes in two Venezuelan cloud forests

Aim Analysis of microclimate factors and physiological responses determining survival and growth of epiphytic bryophytes in the lower canopy and trunk space of north‐Andean cloud forests. Location Two cloud forests at 2000–2400 m in the northern Andes near Mérida, Venezuela. Methods Data‐logging of dry and wet‐season temperature, relative humidity (r.h.) and photosynthetically‐active radiation (PAR) for month‐long periods, and laboratory measurements of desiccation tolerance and light responses of selected epiphytic bryophytes. Results Rainfall averages 20 mm or less in January and February, and 200 mm or more from August to October, but is very variable at all seasons. The proportion of time ‘wet’ (continuous 100% r.h.) in the months sampled ranged from 8.5% to 52.2% or more; a dry/wet‐season range between 20% and 40% is probably commoner. The length of ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ periods approximated log‐normal distributions, with mid‐points for wet periods ranging from 2.8 to 10.7 h, and dry periods from 6.2 to 17.1 h. The longest recorded dry period was 143 h. Humidity typically rose during the night to > 90% r.h., reaching 100% for significant periods (implying cloudwater (fog) deposition) on about one night in two in all seasons. Of six bryophytes of pendulous growth form, all survived periods of at least a few days’ desiccation; most recovered better from high than low humidities. Measured 95% light‐saturation values ranged from 110 to 256 μmol m^?2 s^?1, somewhat but not greatly higher than ambient light levels Main conclusions Environmental conditions in the cloud forests are probably near‐optimal for epiphytic bryophytes, but in even the wettest forest these plants must tolerate at least short periods of drying at any time of year, and longer periods seasonally. Interception of cloudwater droplets from moving air is likely to be an important source of water for bryophytes of pendant and other diffuse life forms, especially in periods of low rainfall. Absorption of water from near‐saturated air is probably of little physiological significance. Bryophytes of these life‐forms are notably conspicuous in tropical‐montane cloud forests. They remain prominent into humid temperate regions such as southern Chile, New Zealand and Macaronesia, but progressively disappear at higher latitudes with the stresses of increasing seasonality.     

In situ evidence that chilling in the light does not cause uncoupling of photophosphorylation or detachment of coupling factor in chilling-sensitive plants

The potential involvement of impaired photophosphorylation in the chilling sensitivity of photosynthesis in warm climate plant species has been a topic of investigation for more than two decades. With recent advances in the analysis of photosynthetic energy transduction in intact leaves, experiments are now possible that either address or avoid important uncertainties in the significance and interpretation of earlier in vitro work. Nevertheless, different laboratories using different techniques to analyze the effects of chilling in the light on photophosphorylation in intact cucumber (Cucumis sativus) leaves have come to very different conclusions regarding the role of impaired ATP formation capacity in the inhibition of net photosynthesis. In order to evaluate these discrepancies and bring this issue to a final resolution, in this investigation, we have made a detailed analysis of the decay of the flash-induced electrochromic shift and changes in chlorophyll fluorescence yield in cucumber leaves before, during and after a 5 h light-chill at chill temperatures of between 4 and 10°C. We feel that our findings address the major discrepancies in both data and interpretation as well as provide convincing evidence that photophosphorylation is not disrupted in cucumber leaves during or after light and chilling exposure. It follows that impaired photophosphorylation is not a contributing element to the inhibition of net photosynthesis that is widely observed in warm climate plants as a result of chilling in the light.Abbreviations CF chloroplast coupling factor or CF₁CF₀-ATP synthase - A₅₁₈ flash-induced electrochromic absorbance change measured at 518 nm - DCCD N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide - _H ⁺ transmembrane electrochemical potential of hydrogen ions - the electrical charge component of _H ⁺ - pH the hydrogen ion concentration component of _H ⁺ - F₀ and F_m the yields of chlorophyll fluorescence from dark-adapted material when all Photosystem II centers are open (F₀) or closed (F_m) - F₀' and F_m' F₀ and F_m measured in light-adapted material - F_s steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence yield in light-adapted material - Q_A primary quinone electron acceptor of Photosystem II - PPFD photosynthetic photon flux density     

沙质草地3种优势植物叶片光合生理对增温和降水减少的响应北大核心CSCD

以沙质草地优势物种猪毛蒿、胡枝子和糙隐子草为研究对象,利用开顶式生长室(OTC)模拟增温,研究降水减少20%、40%和60%与增温的交互作用对3种典型植物叶片光合气体交换特征及叶绿素荧光特征的影响,以揭示沙质草地3种优势植物对气候变化的响应规律。结果显示:(1)与自然温度相比,OTC模拟增温增加了猪毛蒿C_(i),显著降低了胡枝子G_(s)、P_(n)和T_(r)、糙隐子草G_(s)和P_(n)、猪毛蒿WUE和L_(s),也显著降低了猪毛蒿和胡枝子F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)。(2)无论增温与否,随着降水减少幅度的增加,猪毛蒿G_(s)和P_(n)呈下降趋势,且中度以上的干旱胁迫下(降水减少>40%)胡枝子和糙隐子草P_(n)显著低于对照。(3)在自然温度条件下,轻度干旱胁迫时(降水减少20%)猪毛蒿T_(r)显著低于对照,重度干旱胁迫时(降水减少60%)其WUE、F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著低于对照;重度干旱胁迫时,胡枝子C_(i)显著高于对照,差异幅度达10.7%,L_(s)显著低于对照,轻度干旱胁迫时(降水减少20%)其F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著高于中度以上的干旱胁迫;中度以上的干旱胁迫下糙隐子草T_(r)和G_(s)显著低于对照,重度干旱胁迫时,其C_(i)、F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)显著低于对照,WUE和L_(s)显著高于对照。(4)增温与降水减少交互作用下,所有处理猪毛蒿C_(i)均高于对照,差异幅度分别达4.5%,6.0%和8.4%;胡枝子T_(r)均显著低于对照,差异幅度达57.8%;重度干旱胁迫时猪毛蒿L_(s)和WUE显著低于对照,糙隐子草F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)随降水减少而降低,中度以上的干旱胁迫时其值显著低于对照。(5)相关性分析表明,3个优势物种的P_(n)与F_(v)/F_(m)和F_(v)/F_(o)均呈显著正相关关系,其中猪毛蒿和糙隐子草的P_(n)—F_(v)/F_(m)和P_(n)—F_(v)/F_(o)斜率明显高于胡枝子。研究表明,气候变暖会在一定程度上加剧降水减少对沙质草地3种群落优势物种光合作用的抑制。     

Environmental regulation and physiological basis of freezing tolerance in woody plants

Cold acclimation of plants is a complex process involving a number of biochemical and physiological changes. The ability to cold acclimate is under genetic control. The development of freezing tolerance in woody plants is generally triggered by non-freezing low temperatures but can also be induced by mild drought or exogenous abscisic acid, as well as by short photoperiod. In nature, the extreme freezing tolerance of woody plants is achieved during sequential stages of cold acclimation the first of which is initiated by short photoperiods and non-freezing low temperatures, and the second by freezing temperatures. Although recent breakthroughs have increased our knowledge on the physiological molecular basis of freezing tolerance in herbaceous species, which acclimate primarily in response to non-freezing low temperatures, very little is known about cold acclimation of woody plants. This article attempts to review our current understanding of the physiological aspects that underline cold acclimation in woody plants.     

Chilling tolerance in February seeded Chaite rices (Oryza sativa) of Nepal

Five Chaite and three main season rices Oryza sativa genotypes were examined to assess the effect of low temperature on the germination and growth of roots and shoots, root regeneration capacity, the extent of chlorophyll synthesis of etiolated seedlings, total chlorophyll content and photo-chemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) of chilled plants. Cultivated differences in the ability to germinate and grow at low temperatures have been found. The poor ability of Chaite rices to tolerate photo-oxidative tissue damage during January and February seemed to be the major factor resulting in poor seedling growth.     

日光诱导叶绿素荧光对亚热带常绿针叶林物候的追踪

植被物候期(春季返青和秋季衰老)是表征生物响应和陆地碳循环的基础信息。由于常绿针叶林冠层绿度的季节变动较弱,遥感提取常绿针叶林的物候信息存在着较大的不确定性,是目前区域物候监测中的难点。利用MODIS植被指数(归一化植被指数NDVI和增强型植被指数EVI)、GOME-2日光诱导叶绿素荧光(SIF)和通量数据(总初级生产力GPP)估算2007—2011年亚热带常绿针叶林物候期,用来比较三类遥感指数估算常绿针叶林物候的差异。结果表明:基于表征光合作用物候的通量GPP数据估算得到5年内亚热带常绿针叶林生长季开始时间(SOS_GPP)为第63天,生长季结束时间(EOS_GPP)为第324天,生长季长度为272天;基于反映植被光合作用特征的SIF曲线获得物候信息要滞后GPP物候期,其中生长季开始时间滞后19天,生长季结束时间滞后2天;基于传统植被指数NDVI和EVI的物候期滞后GPP物候期的时间要大于SIF滞后期,其中植被指数SOS滞后SOS_GPP31天,植被指数EOS滞后EOS_GPP10—17天。虽然基于3种遥...     

Improved experimental protocols to evaluate cold tolerance thresholds in Miscanthus and switchgrass rhizomes

This study investigates protocols to evaluate cold tolerance thresholds for overwintering rhizomes of perennial bioenergy grasses. Protocols examined include the temperature at which ice formation occurs, cooling rate, incubation time at the treatment temperature, and the electrolyte leakage (EL) method to assess mortality thresholds. Using these protocols, we assessed low temperature injury in two genotypes of Miscanthus and two genotypes of lowland switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Ice formed near ?1 C in the rhizomes cooled at 1 C h^?1, but at variable temperatures at cooling rates of 3  and 5 C h^?1. Rhizome temperature followed chamber temperature at a cooling rate of 1 C h^?1, whereas at faster cooling rates, there was a lag in rhizome temperature that affected treatment exposure time. A 1 C h^?1 cooling rate is thus suitable. In rhizomes incubated for <4 h at the treatment temperature, EL values were variable, while there was no change in EL when samples were incubated 4–20 h. A continuous, steady rate of cooling at 1 C h^?1 demonstrated the Miscanthus and lowland switchgrass varieties exhibited lethal levels of electrolyte leakage below ?6 C. Continuous cooling does not allow for subzero acclimation and reflects thermal tolerances of sampled tissue in situ. To allow for maximum acclimation at subzero temperatures, a prolonged, staged‐cooling procedure was adopted. This procedure showed diploid Miscanthus rhizomes could acclimate and adjust their tolerance limit to ?12 C, while a triploid Illinois line showed little acclimation and was still killed below ?6 C.     

Basking behavior predicts the evolution of heat tolerance in Australian rainforest lizards

There is pressing urgency to understand how tropical ectotherms can behaviorally and physiologically respond to climate warming. We examine how basking behavior and thermal environment interact to influence evolutionary variation in thermal physiology of multiple species of lygosomine rainforest skinks from the Wet Tropics of northeastern Queensland, Australia (AWT). These tropical lizards are behaviorally specialized to exploit canopy or sun, and are distributed across marked thermal clines in the AWT. Using phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate that physiological parameters are either associated with changes in local thermal habitat or to basking behavior, but not both. Cold tolerance, the optimal sprint speed, and performance breadth are primarily influenced by local thermal environment. Specifically, montane lizards are more cool tolerant, have broader performance breadths, and higher optimum sprinting temperatures than their lowland counterparts. Heat tolerance, in contrast, is strongly affected by basking behavior: there are two evolutionary optima, with basking species having considerably higher heat tolerance than shade skinks, with no effect of elevation. These distinct responses among traits indicate the multiple selective pressures and constraints that shape the evolution of thermal performance. We discuss how behavior and physiology interact to shape organisms’ vulnerability and potential resilience to climate change.     

Acclimation of Russian forests to recent changes in climate

Assessments made over the past few decades have suggested that boreal forests may act as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, the fate of the newly accumulated carbon in the living forest biomass is not well understood, and the estimates of carbon sinks vary greatly from one assessment to another. Analysis of remote sensing data has indicated that the carbon sinks in the Russian forests are larger than what has been estimated from forest inventories. In this study, we show that over the past four decades, the allometric relationships among various plant parts have changed in the Russian forests. To this end, we employ two approaches: (1) analysis of the database, which contains 3196 sample plots; and (2) application of developed models to forest inventory data. Within the forests as a whole, when assessed at the continental scale, we detect a pronounced increase in the share of green parts (leaves and needles). However, there is a large geographical variation. The shift has been largest within the European Russia, where summer temperatures and precipitation have increased. In the Northern Taiga of Siberia, where the climate has become warmer but drier, the fraction of the green parts has decreased while the fractions of aboveground wood and roots have increased. These changes are consistent with experiments and mathematical models that predict a shift of carbon allocation to transpiring foliage with increasing temperature and lower allocation with increasing soil drought. In light of this, our results are a possible demonstration of the acclimation of trees to ongoing warming and changes in the surface water balance. Independent of the nature of the observed changes in allometric ratios, the increase in the share of green parts may have caused a misinterpretation of the satellite data and a systematic overestimation by remote sensing methods of the carbon sink for living biomass of the Russian forest.