Physiological thermal limits predict differential responses of bees to urban heat-island effects.

ABSTRACT: Changes in community composition are an important, but hard to predict, effect of climate change. Here, we use a wild-bee study system to test the ability of critical thermal maxima (CT_max, a measure of heat tolerance) to predict community responses to urban heat-island effects in Raleigh, NC, USA. Among 15 focal species, CT_max ranged from 44.6 to 51.3°C, and was strongly predictive of population responses to urban warming across 18 study sites (r² = 0.44). Species with low CT_max declined the most. After phylogenetic correction, solitary species and cavity-nesting species (bumblebees) had the lowest CT_max, suggesting that these groups may be most sensitive to climate change. Community responses to urban and global warming will l

SUBMITTER: Hamblin AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5493736 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature