Journal
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
Volume 36, Issue 2, Pages 179-183Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2009.12.002
Keywords
Amphibian decline; Climate change; Fecundity; Global warming; Life-history trait; Proximate causes
Categories
Funding
- F.R.S. - FNRS [1.5.1999.07, 1.5.013.08, 1.5.010.09]
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Increases of global temperatures have resulted in measurable shifts in the distribution, phenology and survival of some plant and animal species. However, the mechanisms showing links between global warming and biodiversity declines remain unclear. The aim of this study was to examine whether a key parameter of fitness, i.e. offspring number, could be affected by a temperature increase. To this end, we compared egg-laying traits at naturally occurring temperatures (14 degrees C, 18 degrees C and 22 degrees C) in palmate newts, Lissotriton helveticus. Our study suggests that water temperature increase has a negative effect on the fecundity of female newts. Females lay half as many eggs at high temperatures as they do at low temperatures, which results in a lower number of hatchlings. This study shows that global warming would affect amphibian populations. It complements other studies in pointing out that changes in phenology may not be driven only by warmer earlier temperatures but also by counter-selection during late-breeding, particularly in long-term breeders such as newts. More experimental studies should be carried out to understand the complex consequences of global warming and the proximate mechanisms of amphibian decline. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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