Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics Laboratory, Cadi Ayyad University, PO Box: 2390, Marrakech 40 000, Morocco.
Zoological Institute. Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
J Therm Biol. 2020 Dec;94:102743. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102743. Epub 2020 Oct 1.
Lizard species may differ in their ecophysiology due to adaptation, plasticity and/or phylogeny. In restrictive environments, ecophysiological differences of species living in sympatry are expected to reveal long-term evolutionary responses to the abiotic environment while competitive interactions should be limited. These influences can be disentangled by combining field monitoring with experimental tests. Here, three lacertid lizard species, Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, Scelarcis perspicillata and Podarcis vaucheri sharing high mountain habitats in Oukaimeden (High Atlas, Morocco), were studied. In the field, spatiotemporal variation of the thermal and hydric environment used by the lizards was monitored using data-loggers. In the lab, thermal and hydric ecophysiology was estimated through assessments of preferred temperatures (Tp) and water loss (WL) rates. Species differed in microhabitat use and, hence, in their exposure to variations in temperature and humidity. However, they only differed in their WL (A. andreanskyi > S. perspicillata > P. vaucheri) while their Tp were similar. Such partial differences of species in in the fundamental niche, likely derived from their long-term independent phylogenetic trajectories, can be used to predict their responses to climate and habitat shifts in this and other parts of their respective ranges. Results also confirm previous suggestions that, together with thermal physiology, hydric physiology plays a prominent role in the organisation of lizard communities in the temperate region.
蜥蜴物种由于适应、可塑性和/或系统发育的不同，其生态生理学可能有所不同。在限制环境中，生活在同域的物种的生态生理学差异预计将揭示它们对非生物环境的长期进化反应，而竞争相互作用应该受到限制。通过将野外监测与实验测试相结合，可以将这些影响分开。在这里，三种蜥蜴物种——Andreansky's 石龙子（Atlantolacerta andreanskyi）、丽纹石龙子（Scelarcis perspicillata）和普通石龙子（Podarcis vaucheri），在摩洛哥高阿特拉斯山脉的 Oukaimeden 共享高山栖息地。在野外，使用数据记录器监测蜥蜴使用的热和水环境的时空变化。在实验室中，通过评估最佳温度（Tp）和水分损失（WL）率来估计热和水生态生理学。物种在微生境的使用上存在差异，因此它们暴露于温度和湿度变化的程度也不同。然而，它们仅在 WL 上存在差异（A. andreanskyi>S.perspicillata>P.vaucheri），而 Tp 相似。这种物种在基础生态位上的部分差异，可能源于它们长期独立的系统发育轨迹，可以用来预测它们在气候和栖息地变化时的反应，这在它们各自的分布区的其他部分也适用。研究结果还证实了之前的一些观点，即与热生理学一起，水生理学在温带蜥蜴群落的组织中起着重要作用。
