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Ecophysiology and Conservation: the Contribution of Energetics—Introduction to the Symposium Robert D 1088 Ecophysiology and conservation: The contribution of energetics—introduction to the symposium Robert D. Stevenson1 Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts–Boston, Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA Synopsis Animal physiologists have begun making contributions to conservation biology based on their knowledge of endocrinology, immunology, and sensory biology. Contributions to this symposium use the perspective of energy and mass balance to examine questions about habitat usage, activity times, competition, foraging, reproduction, and body condition. Physiological constraints or requirements sculpt the behavioral and life history choices of individuals and provide mechanistic linkages with population processes and conservation policies. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/46/6/1088/719300 by guest on 27 September 2021 Introduction out of a pragmatic desire to stem the loss of our Preventing the loss of biodiversity is one of the great natural heritage. The Society for Conservation challenges facing humanity today (Wilson 2002). The Biology, now a worldwide organization with 10 000 earth is currently experiencing its sixth great mass members, was officially founded just 20 years ago. The extinction, but unlike the previous events this one is development of conservation science has focused at uniquely caused by human-related activities (Leakey the genetic, population, landscape, and ecosystem 1996). Overharvesting (Flannery 2002; Martin 2005) levels (Meffe and Carroll 1997; Hunter 2001; Soule was the initial driver, but today anthropogenic-induced and Orians 2001; Primack 2006). Curiously, con- climatic change, habitat loss, toxic substances, and servation practice has placed less emphasis on the invasive species (including novel diseases) all contribute individual organism and how it is affected by (Vitousek and others 1997; Lubchenco 1998; environmental change, despite the tools available McMichael and Kovats 2000; Wilson 2002). Cultures from decades of ecophysiological research. Recently, around the world have had complex relationships with however, physiologists, especially reproductive physi- nature, and no single cause is at the root of environ- ologists, have been making contributions (Clemmons mental degradation and loss (Diamond 2005). The and Buchholz 1997; Berger and others 1999; Gordon growth economy of present-day modern societies (Daly and Bartol 2004; Carey 2005; Stevenson and others 1996) shows that society as a whole does not value the 2005; Wikelski and Cooke 2006). For instance, in vital role of the environment, especially ecosystem the past 3 years the Society for Integrative and services (Daily 1997). However, across organizational Comparative Biology has sponsored 4 symposia that scales from the local to the global, individuals, NGOs, have related organismal level studies to conservation and governmental agencies are focusing on critical biology (2004—EcoPhysiology and Conservation: The environmental problems such as climatic change, Contribution of Endocrinology and Immunology; invasive species, habitat loss, water shortages, and 2005—Zoo-based Research and Conservation; 2006— pollution. Efforts by these organizations are underway Ecological Immunology: Recent Advances and to link scientific understanding to policy (Ludwig 2001; Applications for Conservation and Public Health; and Ludwig and others 2001; Folke and others 2005). this symposium) (for program listings see meetings link Scientists are key participants in these organizations and at the society Web site, www.sicb.org/). they have responded to the global environmental It is no surprise that an energetics perspective degradation with the creation of several new disciplines would be of help in conservation biology because including environmental toxicology, global change stud- energy is needed to sustain life and energetics is used ies, sustainable development, and conservation biology. as an organizing perspective in many areas of Conservation biology is a nascent, applied science, biological research. The study of energy flows, sources, born in the late 1960s (Carson 1962; Ehrenfeld 1970) and sinks, across levels of biological organization From the symposium “Ecophysiology and Conservation: The Contributions of Energetics” presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 4–8, 2006, at Orlando, Florida. 1 E-mail: [email protected] Integrative and Comparative Biology, volume 46, number 6, pp. 1088–1092 doi:10.1093/icb/icl053 Advance Access publication October 18, 2006 Ó The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: [email protected]. Ecophysiology, energetics, and conservation 1089 provides useful insights into organization and func- extended droughts frogs could dehydrate even under tion. An energetics approach allows scientists to leaf litter. rank the quality of habitats or to ask how individual Harrison and colleagues presented an integrative time and energy budgets translate into population overview of the invasion of the European and African changes. Studies may be focused—such as asking honeybees, summarizing genetic, behavioral, and phy- if there is sufficient energy for reproduction—or may siological data. There are several ecotones between the be more expansive—such as examining coupled Africanized races (which now are dominant through- material and energy flows to assess tradeoffs between out the neotropics) and the European bees (which are reproduction and survival. This symposium provided dominant in the temperate zone). The authors ask a diverse and rich set of examples. The articles cover what individual genetic, behavioral, and physiological topics about reproductive energetics, migration, traits contribute to the success of each group. They feeding ecology, metabolic rates, thermoregulation, suggest that bees of strictly European origin have an and water loss. In addition, presentations covered advantage in cooler climates because of a behavioral Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/46/6/1088/719300 by guest on 27 September 2021 a diverse range of taxa including fence lizards, wood preference for honey over pollen that enhances their frogs, Atlantic bluefin tuna, honeybees, Monarch energy stores and increases the probability of survival butterflies, the Hawaiian po’ouli, and desert tortoises. over winter. They also suggest that increased winter Most are case studies providing linkages between survival is linked to the higher hemolymph vitel- physiology and population processes, while contribu- logenin levels found in European bees. In warmer tions from McNab and from Stevenson and climates Africanized bees are the better competitors Woods are more comparative and synthetic. because of (1) a preference for pollen over nectar, Techniques span many levels of biological organiza- which increases nutrient uptake and brood produc- tion from genetic analysis to biogeography. The tion, and (2) their larger and more energetically following section provides more detail about costly flight relative to body size, which makes them each article. better fliers and thereby increases their foraging intake, mating success and dispersal. Using distribu- tional patterns and climatic data from South America, Symposium articles Harrison and colleagues forecast that hybrid bees will In the first article, O’Conner and colleagues apply invade about 200 km further north to where biophysical models at the landscape level. The maximum January temperatures are 15–16C. approach of biophysical ecology combines microme- For many years Lincoln Brower and his colleagues terological data with thermal properties and physio- have documented one of nature’s greatest spectacles— logical data of organisms, linked by mass and thermal the migration of Monarch butterflies from Mexico to balance equations, to predict locations of animals or the United States and Canada and back. They have sources of water and food in the environment (Gates unraveled much of the behavior and ecology of these 1980). O’Conner and colleagues present 2 case studies. migratory populations, and documented several of the In the first they address questions about the impacts threats to their continued survival, especially the loss of climatic change on the canyon lizard (Sceloperous of the high elevation forests in 12 or so overwintering merriami). They use extensive field data to show that sites in the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains of a site of intermediate elevation has the highest rate Mexico. We know that during their winter resting of reproductive success based on modeling balance period, butterflies do not feed but instead metabolize of thermal and chemical energy. The predicted fat reserves for their energy source. In this article, body temperatures of the lizards determine energy Brower and colleagues update the energetic aspects of expenditure and the thermal environment constrains migration and overwintering biology of the Monarchs, both the length of daily activity and foraging time and analyzing fat data from 17 published and unpublished thus access to food. Calculations suggest that the sources. They concluded that Monarchs are optimistic thermal sensitivity of digestive rates may be very fuelers during migration (fat levels between 0 and important. In the second example, O’Conner and 150 mg) and that they do not gain large amounts of colleagues
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