How sensitive are temperate tadpoles to climate change? The use of thermal physiology and niche model tools to assess vulnerability

PEROTTI, MARÍA GABRIELA; BONINO, MARCELO FABIÁN; FERRARO, DAIANA; CRUZ, FÉLIX BENJAMÍN

ZOOLOGY

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2018

0944-2006

Ectotherms are vulnerable to climate change, given their dependence on temperature, and amphibians areparticularly interesting because of their complex life cycle. Tadpoles may regulate their body temperature byusing suitable thermal microhabitats. Thus, their physiological responses are the result of adjustment to the localthermal limits experienced in their ponds. We studied three anuran tadpole species present in Argentina andChile: Pleurodema thaul and Pleurodema bufoninum that are seasonal and have broad geographic ranges, andBatrachyla taeniata, a geographically restricted species with overwintering tadpoles. Species with restricteddistribution are more susceptible to climate change than species with broader distribution that may cope withpotential climatic changes in the environments in which they occur. We aim to test whether these species canbuffer the potential effects of climate warming. We used ecological niche models and the outcomes of theirthermal attributes (critical thermal limits, optimal temperature, and locomotor performance breadth) as empiricalevidence of their capacity. We found that Pleurodema species show broader performance curves, related totheir occurrence, while the geographically restricted B. taeniata shows a narrower thermal breadth, but is fasterin warmer conditions. The modeled distributions and empirical physiological results suggest no severe threatsfor these three anurans. However, the risk level is increasing and a retraction of their distribution range might bepossible for Pleurodema species, and some local population extinctions may happen, particularly for the narrowlydistributed B. taeniata.