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Lecture 2: Climate & biomes; ranges;

introduction to physiological ecology
1. Climatic factors and geographic distribution of biomes
2. Sources of climate variation beyond the basic latitudinal
belts
3. Example of one environmental challenge to physiology:
Heat balance/thermal ecology of animals
a. Modes of heat gain and loss; homeostasis
b. Size, shape, insulation, evaporative cooling
c. Tradeoff principle and adaptive compromises (example
of weasel body shape)

Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
General trends of terrestrial
vegetation with climatic variables
Vegetation growth (primary productivity)
increases with moisture and temperature
Vegetation stature also increases!
!so regions with certain combinations of
moisture and temperature develop
predictable, characteristic types of
vegetation = biomes
Seasonality is secondarily important
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Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Biome types depend on combination of
temperature and precipitation

From Krebs after R.H. Whittaker
Highest productivity












Lowest productivity
My examples from:

Central America,
Vietnam

Ontario

Colorado

Arizona
Compare version in text
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Latitude mostly determines major terrestrial
biomes; learn classification in SFE
Deserts near 30 deg N & S
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Additional climate patchiness
overlaid on basic latitudinal belts
Temperature: land changes temperature more readily
than water; maritime climates are moderate, continental
climates are extreme; oceans provide thermal inertia
Precipitation: where does atmosphere get laden with
moisture; where does it condense?
Evaporation high from warm bodies of water, low from cold
Prevailing winds
Orogenic precipitation: air forced up mountainsides undergoes
adiabatic cooling, precipitates on upper windward slopes
Rain shadows created on leeward slopes of mountain ranges
Seasonality of moisture also important
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Earths tilt (23.5 !" produces
seasonality

Ricklefs Fig. 4.2
Latitudinal patterns
complicated by
distribution of
landmasses
Width of red ribbon shows
annual variation in temp.
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Where are grapes and cherries grown
in cold climates? Maritime pockets
Door Co.,
Wisc.
Niagara
& Pelee,
Ontario
North Fork,
Long Island
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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The driest deserts occur inland of cold-water
upwellings: cold water => dry air
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Montane rain shadows: Sierras and Rockies
Yellow = grassland (drier), east of Rockies
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Biomes across elevational gradient:
Arizona mountains
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
South-facing side of
Round Mountain, western Colorado
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Valley floor = irrigated hay pasture
Dry sagebrush scrub
Forest only at higher elevations & eastern flank
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
North-facing side of
Round Mountain, western Colorado
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Forest across entire face
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect, AZ: Elevation correlated
with both temperature and precipitation; change of
100 m in elevation equals ~ 150 km of latitude
More info: http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/san_pedro/ecoregions/desert_to_skyisland.htm
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Sonoran desert, 712 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Oak grassland, 1338 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Pinyon pine-oak woodland,
1612 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Ponderosa pine, 1916 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Aspen, 2402 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Spruce-fir forest, 2750 m
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Mt. Lemmon transect: Spruce-fir forest, 2750 m
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Core ideas in physiological ecology
Ranges of tolerance (Lecture 1) ultimately limit
distribution
Organisms are complex chemical reactions
Reactions occur (enzymes function) best at
optimum temperature and osmotic conditions,
where fitness is maximized
Many mechanisms for homeostasis have
evolved to challenge hostile environments
Maintenance of homeostasis requires energy
and is often limited by constraints & tradeoffs
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Two types of range: ranges of
tolerance and geographical ranges
Animals geographical ranges often correspond to
biomes, i.e., limited by climate and/or vegetation!
!but sometimes not. Possibilities include:
Limited to special habitats (behavioural habitat
selection)
Limited by other organisms (enemies, friends)
Transcend biomes (ecological versatility, super
generalists)
Not at limits because of recent history (e.g.,
limited dispersal)
Next slides: a sample of ranges
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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Limited by habitat: Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana):
broad climate tolerance, narrow habitat range (short-
grass prairie biome, American High Plains)
South Park, Colorado April 2012
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
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www.ownbyphotography.com
Yellow-rumped warbler
Dendroica coronata

Kirtlands warbler
Dendroica kirtlandii

www.birds.cornell.edu/
Idiosyncratic, species-specific habitat selection behaviour can
greatly influence distributions
Extreme
habitat
generalist
Paradoxically
extreme
habitat
specialist
(cognitive
limitation?)
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Transcending
biomes: broad
temperature
tolerance,
broad habitat
range
Tropical
rainforest,
Sumatra
Boreal forest, Siberia
Tiger,
Panthera tigris
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Range limited not by climate or habitat type but by
other animals: recent coyote expansion due to
humans, extirpation of wolves?
Coyote,
Canis latrans
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson
Animals, size, heat budgets
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Rufous hummingbird Merriam shrew
Coypright 2014 James D Thomson