(12) Effects of Temperature on Intraspecific Salamander Aggression Along an Elevation Gradient

Species may respond to climate change by shifting distributions, changing phenology, or reducing body size. Mismatches in the rates of ecological change could disrupt well-established ecological and evolutionary patterns.... [ view full abstract ]

Species may respond to climate change by shifting distributions, changing phenology, or reducing body size. Mismatches in the rates of ecological change could disrupt well-established ecological and evolutionary patterns. Distributions of terrestrial lungless salamanders are often dependent on climate regimes specific to elevational ranges. This adaptation to different temperature regimes could impact how individuals interact at future temperatures. We evaluated behavioral interactions within a species at high and low elevations to determine if individuals at either elevation are more sensitive to warming than the other. Aggression between individuals tended to increase with warmer temperatures, but adaption to different climate regimes could vary the rate with which individuals become more aggressive at elevated temperatures. Because species can exhibit variability in responses to temperature increases, predicting how a species will respond to climate change throughout their range requires understanding how biotic processes including demography and species interactions are linked to local climate.