Predators like it hot: Thermal mismatch in a predator-prey system across an elevational tropical gradient

Climate change may have dramatic consequences for communities through both direct effects of peak temperatures upon individual species and through interspecific mismatches in thermal sensitivities of interacting organisms which mediate changes in interspecific interactions (i.e. predation). Despite this, there is a paucity of information upon the patterns of spatial physiological sensitivity of interacting species (at both landscape and local scales) which could ultimately influence geographical variation in the effects of climate change upon community processes. In order to assess where these impacts may occur, we first need to evaluate the spatial heterogeneity in the degree of mismatch in thermal tolerances between interacting organisms.

We experimentally quantify the magnitude of interspecific mismatch in maximum (CTmax) and minimum (CTmin) thermal tolerances among a predator-prey system of dragonfly and anuran larvae in tropical montane (242-3631 m) and habitat (ponds and stream...