Effects of acute and chronic environmental disturbances on lizards of Patagonia

IBARGÜENGOYTÍA, NORA RUTH; KUBISCH, ERIKA LETICIA; CABEZAS-CARTES, FACUNDO; FERNANDEZ, JIMENA BEATRIZ; DURAN, F; PIANTONI, C.; MEDINA, MARLIN; SINERVO, BARRY

Lizards of Patagonia: Diversity, Systematics, Biogeography and Biology of the Reptiles at the End of the World

Springer International Publishing AG

Año: 2020; p. 373 - 405

The extent of stress caused by acute and chronic environmental disturbances depends on the adaptive ability of organisms to behaviorally and physiologically adjust to change and on the timing and magnitude of the disturbances. This resilience is a result of numerous exposures to perturbations throughout the evolution of the species. In Patagonia, volcanic eruptions cause great and variable perturbation in populations and communities. The 2011 eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano dispersed 100 M tons of pyroclastic material accumulating ash layers of 30 cm. At the same time, a gradual but chronic increase in temperature intensified by the ozone depletion affected especially taxa sensitive to thermal fluctuations. Nevertheless, species from cold-temperate environments like Patagonia and the Andean mountains could benefit from warming as their body temperatures are commonly below preferred and optimum temperatures for performance. Eventually, cold temperate environments may provide refuge for northern or lowland species that while shifting their geographic ranges will potentially impact local populations by competing for resources and transporting novel pathogens. In this chapter we summarize studies on physiological traits of Patagonian lizards and discuss the biotic and abiotic factors involved in the evolution of these species. We integrate concepts of thermal biology, analyzing the relationship between the immune system and body temperature, and examining the thermal sensitivity and plasticity of locomotion, development and growth rates using different geographic and temporal scales. The complex interplay of the ecophysiological strategies in Patagonian lizards is discussed based on their legacy of survival, having withstood and recovered from the extreme thermal fluctuations and catastrophic events for over ~140Mya.