Fragmentation mediates thermal habitat choice in ciliate microcosms.

ABSTRACT: Habitat fragmentation is expected to reduce dispersal movements among patches as a result of increased inter-patch distances. Furthermore, since habitat fragmentation is expected to raise the costs of moving among patches in the landscape, it should hamper the ability or tendency of organisms to perform informed dispersal decisions. Here, we used microcosms of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila to test experimentally whether habitat fragmentation, manipulated through the length of corridors connecting patches differing in temperature, affects habitat choice. We showed that a twofold increase of inter-patch distance can as expected hamper the ability of organisms to choose their habitat at immigration. Interestingly, it also increased their habitat choice at emigration, suggesting t

SUBMITTER: Laurent E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7015339 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature