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Food quality shapes gradual phenotypic plasticity in ectotherms facing temperature variability
Marine Van Baelen1, Alexandre Bec1, Erik Sperfeld2
1Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome Environnement, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Ecology
|February 22, 2024
Summary
Organisms adjust to changing environments, but diet significantly impacts this phenotypic plasticity. Essential lipids from food influence how well ectotherms like Daphnia magna cope with fluctuating temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Physiology
Background:
- Organisms adapt to environmental changes through phenotypic plasticity.
- This adaptation can be gradual and may lag behind rapid environmental fluctuations.
- Dietary components, such as lipids, play a crucial role in supporting tissue building and influencing the rate of phenotypic change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how dietary lipid supply affects the phenotypic plasticity of Daphnia magna in fluctuating thermal environments.
- To understand the temporal dynamics of gradual plasticity and its impact on long-term performance.
- To determine the role of diet in modulating the organism's response to environmental variability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three phytoplankton strains to create varying levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and sterols.
- Exposed Daphnia magna to constant and fluctuating temperature conditions with different periodicities.
- Measured juvenile somatic growth rate as an indicator of organismal performance.
Main Results:
- Phenotypic plasticity in Daphnia magna showed a lag behind environmental fluctuations, as predicted by theory.
- The periodicity of temperature fluctuations influenced the difference between observed and expected growth rates.
- Diet composition significantly modulated both the magnitude and direction of this growth rate difference.
Conclusions:
- Dietary context is critical for predicting ectotherm performance in variable thermal environments.
- Nutritional quality influences the capacity for and outcome of phenotypic plasticity.
- Understanding diet-environment interactions is essential for ecological forecasting.
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