Modelling the sensitivity of life history traits to climate change in a temporary pool crustacean.

ABSTRACT: Temporary pool inhabitants face altered inundation regimes under climate change. While their exposure to these changes has received considerable attention, few studies have investigated their sensitivity or adaptability. Here, we use zooplankton as a model to explore how decreasing hydroperiods affect extinction risks and assess whether changes in life history traits could promote persistence. For this, we construct a three-stage matrix population model parameterised with realistic life-history values for the fairy shrimp Branchipodopsis wolfi from pools with varying hydroperiods. Our results suggest that extinction risks increase drastically once the median hydroperiod drops below a critical threshold. Although changes in life-history parameters could potentially compensate for this risk,

SUBMITTER: Pinceel T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4941417 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature