Meeting Abstract

P2.31  Friday, Jan. 4  Evaluating the costs of thermoregulation: simulating animal movements through spatially-structured environments define cost curves for small lizards SEARS, Michael W*; ANGILLETTA, Michael J; Southern Illinois University; Indiana State University msears@zoology.siu.edu

Quantifying the costs of thermoregulation is a difficult task because the spatial complexity of the thermal environment largely determines magnitude of such costs. Because we know little about the spatial configuration of environmental temperatures in nature, much insight can be gained from simulating thermoregulatory behavior in silico. Previous simulations of movement through spatially-structured environments revealed that the configuration of environmental temperatures influences the accuracy of thermoregulation, even when the frequencies of environmental temperatures remained constant. Using a similar approach, we modeled the cost of thermoregulation under specific configurations of environmental temperatures. Individuals were given thermal preferences and biophysical properties similar to those of small lizards. These virtual lizards were then allowed to search for patches that could be exploited to maintain their preferred body temperature. These simulations were performed over a range of spatial complexities, from extremely homogeneous to extremely heterogeneous. For each spatial arrangement, we recorded the length of movement required to attain the preferred body temperature. Consistent with earlier results, the relationship between environmental temperature and the cost of thermoregulation depends on the spatial complexity of the environment. These results further support the notion that the costs of thermoregulation can only be understood within a specific spatial context, emphasizing the need for spatially-explicit studies of thermoregulation.