School of Biological Sciences and UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.
J Anim Ecol. 2022 Aug;91(8):1666-1678. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.13739. Epub 2022 May 17.
Global warming is modifying the phenology, life-history traits and biogeography of species around the world. Evidence of these effects have increased over recent decades; however, we still have a poor understanding of the possible outcomes of their interplay across global climatic gradients, hindering our ability to accurately predict the consequences of climate change in populations and ecosystems. We examined the effect that changes in biogeography can have on the life-history traits of two of the most successful range-extending fish species in the world: the tropical rabbitfishes Siganus fuscescens and Siganus rivulatus. Both species have established abundant populations at higher latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres and have been identified as important ecological engineers with the potential to alter the community structure of seaweed forests (Laminariales and Fucales) in temperate regions. Life-history trait information from across their global distribution was compiled from the published literature and meta-analyses were conducted to assess changes in (i) the onset and duration of reproductive periods, (ii) size at maturity, (iii) fecundity, (iv) growth rates, (v) maximum body sizes and (vi) longevity in populations at the leading edge of range expansion in relation to sea surface temperature and primary productivity (a common proxy for nutritional resource levels). Populations at highest latitudes had shortened their reproductive periods and reduced growth rates, taking longer to reach sexual maturity and maximum sizes, but compensated this with higher fecundity per length class and longer lifespans than populations in warmer environments. Low primary productivity and temperature in the Mediterranean Sea resulted in lower growth rates and body sizes for S. rivulatus, but also lower length at maturity, increasing life-time reproductive output. The results suggest that plasticity in the phenology and life-history traits of range-expanding species would be important to enhance their fitness in high latitude environments, facilitating their persistence and possible further poleward expansions. Quantifying the magnitude and direction of these responses can improve our understanding and ability to forecast species redistributions and its repercussions in the functioning of temperate ecosystems.
全球变暖正在改变世界各地物种的物候学、生活史特征和生物地理学。近年来，这些影响的证据有所增加；然而，我们仍然对它们在全球气候梯度上相互作用的可能结果了解甚少，这阻碍了我们准确预测气候变化对种群和生态系统的后果的能力。我们研究了生物地理学的变化可能对世界上两种最成功的扩展范围的鱼类（热带兔鱼 Siganus fuscescens 和 Siganus rivulatus）的生活史特征产生的影响。这两个物种在北半球和南半球的高纬度地区都建立了丰富的种群，并被确定为重要的生态工程师，有可能改变温带地区海藻林（Laminariales 和 Fucales）的群落结构。我们从已发表的文献中汇编了它们全球分布的生活史特征信息，并进行了荟萃分析，以评估（i）繁殖期开始和持续时间、（ii）成熟大小、（iii）繁殖力、（iv）生长率、（v）最大体型和（vi）寿命在与海面温度和初级生产力（营养资源水平的常见代表）相关的范围扩展前沿的种群中的变化。在最高纬度的种群缩短了繁殖期并降低了生长率，需要更长的时间才能达到性成熟和最大体型，但通过每长度类别的更高繁殖力和比温暖环境中的种群更长的寿命来补偿。地中海的低初级生产力和温度导致 S. rivulatus 的生长率和体型较低，但成熟长度较低，增加了终生生殖输出。结果表明，扩展物种的物候学和生活史特征的可塑性对于提高它们在高纬度环境中的适应性很重要，有助于它们的生存和可能进一步向极地扩张。量化这些反应的幅度和方向可以提高我们对物种重新分布及其对温带生态系统功能影响的理解和预测能力。
