Temporal Niche Modulates Species Interaction Under Thermal Fluctuations.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Biology

Background:

• Global environmental change is altering thermal environments, increasing mean temperatures and modifying diurnal temperature range (DTR).
• Effects of climate change, deforestation, and urbanization on DTR vary regionally, with largely unexplored consequences for species' temporal niches and interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical framework integrating thermal performance curves and temporal niche theory to understand species' responses to DTR changes.
• To investigate how altered DTRs affect interspecific competition, particularly between temporally segregated species.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of emerging evidence on species' responses to changing thermal environments.
• Development of a theoretical framework combining thermal performance curves with temporal niche theory.
• Analysis of how DTR variations influence optimal temperatures for diurnal and nocturnal species.

Main Results:

• Increased DTRs decrease optimal mean temperatures for diurnal species but increase them for nocturnal species.
• Changes in DTR alter exploitative competition between temporally segregated species, contrary to traditional views on temporal partitioning reducing competition.
• This mechanism was observed in diverse systems, including insect carrion competition and plant growth competition.

Conclusions:

• DTR alterations significantly impact biodiversity by modifying competitive interactions between species with different temporal niches.
• The findings necessitate incorporating DTR dynamics into biodiversity vulnerability assessments and conservation strategies in the Anthropocene.