Meeting Abstract
Previous work has shown that among species of terrestrial salamanders, thermal performance metrics are correlated with average environmental conditions. Species with large ranges usually encompass a wide range of environmental gradients as a result of variations in elevation or latitude. Given a large range of environmental conditions, we could expect to see population level adaptations to local environmental conditions. We explored the thermal sensitivity of energy assimilation within two species of Plethodon to answer: are there local adaptations to environmental conditions and are these consistent with theoretical predictions? We examined populations at the extremes for each species, with respect to latitude, populations that were separated by 500km and with respect to elevation, populations that were separated by 900m. Controlled feeding trials were conducted at ecologically relevant temperatures to produce thermal performance curves for each population. Preliminary work suggests that elevation and latitude affects thermal sensitivity of energy assimilation. Specifically, populations from warmer environments, low elevation or low latitude, may have higher assimilation rates than populations from cooler environments, high elevation and high latitudes. These preliminary observations are consistent with a pattern of co-gradient variation.
