Physiology 9: Changing environments Flashcards

1
Q

What are the consequences of changing environs to animals?

A

Physiological adaptations under past environs may not be beneficial under future climates

They may lack appropriate physiological adaptations for new conditions

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2
Q

What is the Topt on a thermal performance curve?

A

optimum temp at which organisms have optimum performance

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3
Q

What is the CTmin / CTmax on a thermal optimum curve?

A

range of temps an organism can tolerate (performance drops to these points)

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4
Q

What happens to an organisms performance below their thermal optimum?

A

can survive below thermal optimum, but expending energy to warm themselves = performance decreases

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5
Q

What happens to an organisms performance above their thermal optimum?

A

Really energetically costly, esp at high temps where sweating etc. aren’t particularly effective, so performance declines readily

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6
Q

Why do endotherms have a wider performance optima than ectotherms?

A

Bc endotherms can regulate their body temps

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7
Q

Describe the study into calculating the upper thermal neutral zone of birds and mammals.

A

Looked at maximum environ temps
Plotted difference between these Currently 15% of birds species and 16% of mammals are experiencing max ambient temps above upper thermal tolerance
Predicted to rise 36% of birds and 47% of mammals by 2080

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8
Q

How can pop.s respond to changing environs?

A
  • Can move either North or South to stay within temp ranges they are adapted for
  • Can move towards higher altitudes
  • Temporal changes
  • Phenotypic change
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9
Q

What are the barriers to organisms moveming in response to changing environs?

A
  • Dispersal ability
    Might not be able to physically make the journey e.g wings too small
  • Habitat availability
    Food availability
    Issues with competition
    Experience new selection pressures (species dynamics)
  • Connectivity
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10
Q

What are temporal changes?

A

Changes in the timing of biological events
e.g
Butterfly emergence
Egg laying
Migration

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11
Q

Describe the thermal melaninism hypothesis in Springboks

A

Black individuals increased absorption of solar radiation
= advantageous in cooler temps
In warmer temps this is not advantageous - decrease in black individuals

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12
Q

What do increasing temps mean for ocean O2 conc.?

A

decreasing O2 levels

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13
Q

What are fishes responses to increasing global temps?

A

They must increase their metabolic rate increases as environ temp increases = O2 requirements increase, but decreasing O2 levels in the ocean

= decreasing body size

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14
Q

Why are tropical species most affected by chaning environs?

A

Closer to thermal tolerance limits
Evolved under relatively stable environ conditions

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15
Q

What is one way to mediate the impacts of environ change?

A

Heterogeneous habitats

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