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Metabolic plasticity can amplify ecosystem responses to global warming

Author

Listed:
  • Rebecca L. Kordas

    (Imperial College London)

  • Samraat Pawar

    (Imperial College London)

  • Dimitrios-Georgios Kontopoulos

    (LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics
    Senckenberg Research Institute)

  • Guy Woodward

    (Imperial College London)

  • Eoin J. O’Gorman

    (University of Essex)

Abstract

Organisms have the capacity to alter their physiological response to warming through acclimation or adaptation, but the consequence of this metabolic plasticity for energy flow through food webs is currently unknown, and a generalisable framework does not exist for modelling its ecosystem-level effects. Here, using temperature-controlled experiments on stream invertebrates from a natural thermal gradient, we show that the ability of organisms to raise their metabolic rate following chronic exposure to warming decreases with increasing body size. Chronic exposure to higher temperatures also increases the acute thermal sensitivity of whole-organismal metabolic rate, independent of body size. A mathematical model parameterised with these findings shows that metabolic plasticity could account for 60% higher ecosystem energy flux with just +2 °C of warming than a traditional model based on ecological metabolic theory. This could explain why long-term warming amplifies ecosystem respiration rates through time in recent mesocosm experiments, and highlights the need to embed metabolic plasticity in predictive models of global warming impacts on ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca L. Kordas & Samraat Pawar & Dimitrios-Georgios Kontopoulos & Guy Woodward & Eoin J. O’Gorman, 2022. "Metabolic plasticity can amplify ecosystem responses to global warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29808-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29808-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexia M. González-Ferreras & Jose Barquín & Penelope S. A. Blyth & Jack Hawksley & Hugh Kinsella & Rasmus Lauridsen & Olivia F. Morris & Francisco J. Peñas & Gareth E. Thomas & Guy Woodward & Lei Zha, 2023. "Chronic exposure to environmental temperature attenuates the thermal sensitivity of salmonids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Angus Atkinson & Axel G. Rossberg & Ursula Gaedke & Gary Sprules & Ryan F. Heneghan & Stratos Batziakas & Maria Grigoratou & Elaine Fileman & Katrin Schmidt & Constantin Frangoulis, 2024. "Steeper size spectra with decreasing phytoplankton biomass indicate strong trophic amplification and future fish declines," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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