Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world
Abstract Arctic animals inhabit some of the coldest environments on the planet and have evolved physiological mechanisms for minimizing heat loss under extreme cold. However, the Arctic is warming faster than the global average and how well Arctic animals tolerate even moderately high air temperatur...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:06f450437a274e409c74e31b47d159d0 2023-05-15T14:41:19+02:00 Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world Ryan S. O'Connor Audrey Le Pogam Kevin G. Young Francis Robitaille Emily S. Choy Oliver P. Love Kyle H. Elliott Anna L. Hargreaves Dominique Berteaux Andrew Tam François Vézina 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/article/06f450437a274e409c74e31b47d159d0 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/article/06f450437a274e409c74e31b47d159d0 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 4, Pp 1609-1619 (2021) Arctic climate change evaporative cooling efficiency evaporative water loss heat dissipation snow bunting thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 2022-12-31T15:30:04Z Abstract Arctic animals inhabit some of the coldest environments on the planet and have evolved physiological mechanisms for minimizing heat loss under extreme cold. However, the Arctic is warming faster than the global average and how well Arctic animals tolerate even moderately high air temperatures (Ta) is unknown. Using flow‐through respirometry, we investigated the heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity of snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis; ≈31 g, N = 42), a cold specialist, Arctic songbird. We exposed buntings to increasing Ta and measured body temperature (Tb), resting metabolic rate (RMR), rates of evaporative water loss (EWL), and evaporative cooling efficiency (the ratio of evaporative heat loss to metabolic heat production). Buntings had an average (±SD) Tb of 41.3 ± 0.2°C at thermoneutral Ta and increased Tb to a maximum of 43.5 ± 0.3°C. Buntings started panting at Ta of 33.2 ± 1.7°C, with rapid increases in EWL starting at Ta = 34.6°C, meaning they experienced heat stress when air temperatures were well below their body temperature. Maximum rates of EWL were only 2.9× baseline rates at thermoneutral Ta, a markedly lower increase than seen in more heat‐tolerant arid‐zone species (e.g., ≥4.7× baseline rates). Heat‐stressed buntings also had low evaporative cooling efficiencies, with 95% of individuals unable to evaporatively dissipate an amount of heat equivalent to their own metabolic heat production. Our results suggest that buntings’ well‐developed cold tolerance may come at the cost of reduced heat tolerance. As the Arctic warms, and this and other species experience increased periods of heat stress, a limited capacity for evaporative cooling may force birds to increasingly rely on behavioral thermoregulation, such as minimizing activity, at the expense of diminished performance or reproductive investment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Plectrophenax nivalis Snow Bunting Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Ecology and Evolution 11 4 1609 1619 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic climate change evaporative cooling efficiency evaporative water loss heat dissipation snow bunting thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Arctic climate change evaporative cooling efficiency evaporative water loss heat dissipation snow bunting thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 Ryan S. O'Connor Audrey Le Pogam Kevin G. Young Francis Robitaille Emily S. Choy Oliver P. Love Kyle H. Elliott Anna L. Hargreaves Dominique Berteaux Andrew Tam François Vézina Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
topic_facet |
Arctic climate change evaporative cooling efficiency evaporative water loss heat dissipation snow bunting thermal physiology Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Arctic animals inhabit some of the coldest environments on the planet and have evolved physiological mechanisms for minimizing heat loss under extreme cold. However, the Arctic is warming faster than the global average and how well Arctic animals tolerate even moderately high air temperatures (Ta) is unknown. Using flow‐through respirometry, we investigated the heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity of snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis; ≈31 g, N = 42), a cold specialist, Arctic songbird. We exposed buntings to increasing Ta and measured body temperature (Tb), resting metabolic rate (RMR), rates of evaporative water loss (EWL), and evaporative cooling efficiency (the ratio of evaporative heat loss to metabolic heat production). Buntings had an average (±SD) Tb of 41.3 ± 0.2°C at thermoneutral Ta and increased Tb to a maximum of 43.5 ± 0.3°C. Buntings started panting at Ta of 33.2 ± 1.7°C, with rapid increases in EWL starting at Ta = 34.6°C, meaning they experienced heat stress when air temperatures were well below their body temperature. Maximum rates of EWL were only 2.9× baseline rates at thermoneutral Ta, a markedly lower increase than seen in more heat‐tolerant arid‐zone species (e.g., ≥4.7× baseline rates). Heat‐stressed buntings also had low evaporative cooling efficiencies, with 95% of individuals unable to evaporatively dissipate an amount of heat equivalent to their own metabolic heat production. Our results suggest that buntings’ well‐developed cold tolerance may come at the cost of reduced heat tolerance. As the Arctic warms, and this and other species experience increased periods of heat stress, a limited capacity for evaporative cooling may force birds to increasingly rely on behavioral thermoregulation, such as minimizing activity, at the expense of diminished performance or reproductive investment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ryan S. O'Connor Audrey Le Pogam Kevin G. Young Francis Robitaille Emily S. Choy Oliver P. Love Kyle H. Elliott Anna L. Hargreaves Dominique Berteaux Andrew Tam François Vézina |
author_facet |
Ryan S. O'Connor Audrey Le Pogam Kevin G. Young Francis Robitaille Emily S. Choy Oliver P. Love Kyle H. Elliott Anna L. Hargreaves Dominique Berteaux Andrew Tam François Vézina |
author_sort |
Ryan S. O'Connor |
title |
Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
title_short |
Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
title_full |
Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
title_fullStr |
Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
title_full_unstemmed |
Limited heat tolerance in an Arctic passerine: Thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
title_sort |
limited heat tolerance in an arctic passerine: thermoregulatory implications for cold‐specialized birds in a rapidly warming world |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/article/06f450437a274e409c74e31b47d159d0 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Plectrophenax nivalis Snow Bunting |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Plectrophenax nivalis Snow Bunting |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 4, Pp 1609-1619 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.7141 https://doaj.org/article/06f450437a274e409c74e31b47d159d0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7141 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
1609 |
op_container_end_page |
1619 |
_version_ |
1766313115051360256 |