Meeting Abstract
Current mechanistic approaches use physiological traits to predict a species’ response to climate change. In response to warming environments, some organisms modify physiology to attenuate stressful environmental conditions. By incorporating capacities of organisms to modify physiology, these mechanistic approaches may produce more realistic predictions. For terrestrial salamanders, warming temperatures may reduce activity due to an increased risk of desiccation. To counter the negative effects of desiccation, salamanders might acclimatize by reducing rates of cutaneous water loss (CWL). To determine the capacity of Southern grey-cheeked salamanders (Plethodon metcalfi) to acclimatize, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment along an elevational gradient. We collected salamanders from high, mid, and low elevations along a mountain and transplanted them to a high, mid, or low elevation site in a balanced experimental design. We measured CWL of individual salamanders throughout the summer in the lab under temperatures and humidities that salamanders experience during activity. Over the summer, we uncovered variation in CWL within treatments, suggesting acclimatization; however, individuals collected from low elevations exhibited a greater capacity to reduce CWL at low and mid sites compared to individuals collected from mid and high elevations. These results suggest that the ability to acclimatize to changing conditions might be limited by adaptation to local conditions. By incorporating limitations of acclimatization, mechanistic models may identify populations that are susceptible to warming temperatures. Future studies on the genetic basis of acclimatization may reveal potential mechanisms used to modify CWL and whether CWL has the potential to adapt in response to climate change.
