Heat tolerance limits of Mediterranean songbirds and their current and future vulnerabilities to temperature extremes.

ABSTRACT: Songbirds are one of the groups most vulnerable to extreme heat events. Although several recent studies have assessed their physiological responses to heat, most of them have focused solely on arid-zone species. We investigated thermoregulatory responses to heat in eight small-sized songbirds occurring in the Mediterranean Basin, where heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense. Specifically, we determined their heat tolerance limits (HTLs) and evaporative cooling efficiency, and evaluated their current and future vulnerabilities to heat in southwestern Iberia, a Mediterranean climate warming hotspot. To do this, we exposed birds to an increasing profile of air temperatures (Ta) and measured resting metabolic rate (RMR), evaporative water loss (EWL), evaporative cooling efficiency (t

SUBMITTER: Cabello-Vergel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9789400 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature