Data from: Intraspecific variation in climate-relevant traits in a tropical rainforest lizard

Aim

The exceptionally rich biodiversity found in tropical rainforest is under threat from anthropogenic climate change. We recognize the threat, yet we have little knowledge of the capacity of tropical species to adjust their climate sensitivity in response to it. One indicator of a species’ capacity to adjust to different climates is the amount of intraspecific variation observed in its climate-relevant traits; if a climate-relevant trait varies, and this variation is correlated with local climates, it suggests the species can adjust the trait to different conditions through either phenotypic plasticity or evolutionary adaptation. Here, we test for intraspecific variation in climate-relevant traits in a rainforest specialist to shed light on the capacity of such species to adjust to different climates.
Location

The Wet Tropics Bioregion, Australia.
Methods

We studied 12 populations of a lizard that is a tropical rainforest specialist, the rainforest sunskink (Lampropholis coggeri), testing for intraspecific variation in four traits that are potentially important in determining a species’ climate sensitivity. The measured traits were as follows: critical thermal minimum, critical thermal maximum, thermal optimum for sprinting, and desiccation rate.
Results

We found substantial variation both through time and across space in the measured traits, suggesting both strong plasticity and substantial geographic variation. Moreover, trait variation was correlated with local climate variables, suggesting variation reflects adjustment to local conditions.
Main conclusions

If physiological lability similar to that observed in rainforest sunskinks occurs in tropical rainforest species more generally, these taxa may not be as climatically specialized, and so not as vulnerable to climate change, as previously thought.

研究目标
热带雨林拥有极为丰富的生物多样性，但其正遭受人为气候变化的威胁。尽管我们已认识到这一威胁，但对于热带物种调整自身气候敏感性以应对变化的能力，目前仍知之甚少。衡量物种适应不同气候能力的一项关键指标，是其与气候相关性状中观测到的种内变异（intraspecific variation）；若某一与气候相关的性状存在变异，且该变异与当地气候条件相关联，则表明该物种可通过表型可塑性（phenotypic plasticity）或进化适应（evolutionary adaptation），针对不同环境调整该性状。本研究以热带雨林特化物种为对象，检测其与气候相关性状的种内变异，以期阐明此类物种适应不同气候的能力。
研究区域
澳大利亚湿热带生物区（Wet Tropics Bioregion）。
研究方法
本研究以热带雨林特化的石龙子物种——雨林阳光石龙子（Lampropholis coggeri）的12个种群为研究对象，检测4项可能影响物种气候敏感性的性状的种内变异。所测定的性状包括：临界低温（critical thermal minimum）、临界高温（critical thermal maximum）、疾跑热最适温度（thermal optimum for sprinting）以及脱水速率（desiccation rate）。
研究结果
本研究发现，所测定的性状在时间和空间尺度上均存在显著变异，表明其既存在较强的表型可塑性，也存在显著的地理变异。此外，性状变异与当地气候变量显著相关，提示该变异反映了物种对当地环境的适应性调整。
主要结论
若热带雨林物种普遍存在与雨林阳光石龙子相似的生理可塑性，则此类类群的气候特化程度可能不如此前所认为的那般高，因此其对气候变化的脆弱性也可能更低。