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High-Throughput Assays of Critical Thermal Limits in Insects
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Critical thermal limits in ants and their implications under climate change
Geraldo Nascimento1,2, Talita Câmara1,2, Xavier Arnan1,2,3
1Universidade de Pernambuco - Campus Garanhuns, Rua Capitão Pedro Rodrigues, 105 - São José, Garanhuns, 55294-902, Brazil.
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|February 17, 2022
Summary
Ant critical thermal limits (CTLs) impact species distribution and ecosystem services. Understanding these thermal limits is crucial for conserving ant diversity and their ecological roles in a changing climate.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Physiology
- Climate Change Biology
Background:
- Critical thermal limits (CTLs) are key physiological constraints influencing organismal performance, distribution, and vulnerability to climate change.
- Ants, as ubiquitous terrestrial animals, play vital ecological roles, yet research on their CTLs is geographically and taxonomically limited.
- Understanding ant CTLs is essential for predicting ecosystem service provision and organismal/ecosystem responses to climate change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze factors influencing ant critical thermal limits (CTLs).
- To examine the effects of CTLs on current and future ant species distributions and ecosystem processes.
- To identify knowledge gaps and propose a research roadmap for ant thermal physiology.
Main Methods:
- Compilation, quantification, and categorization of existing studies on ant CTLs.
- Analysis of abiotic and biotic factors shaping ant CTLs using a comprehensive database.
- Assessment of the implications of CTLs for ant diversity and ecosystem services under climate change.
Main Results:
- CTLs significantly influence the ecological performance and future distribution patterns of ant species.
- The study highlights existing biases in ant CTL research, focusing on specific species and regions.
- Identified key abiotic and biotic factors that determine ant thermal tolerance.
Conclusions:
- Ant CTLs are critical determinants of their ecological roles and vulnerability to climate change.
- Expanding research on ant CTLs across diverse taxa and regions is necessary for effective conservation.
- A research roadmap is proposed to address knowledge gaps and advance understanding of thermal physiology in ants.
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