Climate change is shifting environmental conditions. To respond to climate change, species have two options: disperse to more suitable habitat or adapt to new conditions.
Habitat connectivity is key for either option to succeed. Connecting habitat allows species to move to track their preferred environmental conditions for dispersal. It also increases gene flow between populations, which increases species’ ability to adapt to new conditions.
Fromm, E., Zinger, L., Pellerin, F., Di Gesu, L., Jacob, S., Winandy, L., Aguilée, R., Parthuisot, N., Iribar, A., White, J., Bestion, E., and Cote, J. 2024. Warming effects on lizard gut microbiome depend on habitat connectivity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 291:20240220.
One way species may adapt to climate change is through shifts in the gut microbiome. For many animals, the gut microbiome is significant for metabolism, immune function, and fitness, all of which could impact a species’ thermal tolerance and acclimation to novel climates. Because the gut microbiome can be impacted by environmental conditions and host dispersal, both connectivity and climate change could lead to significant changes in the gut microbiome.
Recent research tested how habitat connectivity and climate warming affects the gut microbiome of the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). Researchers manipulated connectivity and temperature in semi-natural mesocosms in the Metatron, a corridor experiment in France composed of enclosed mesocosms that are either connected or isolated. For three years, these mesocosms were kept at either a present-day climate or warmed by 2°C. Lizards in warmed, connected mesocosms were able to move between warmed and present-day climates, while lizards in warmed, isolated mesocosms were not able to move between climate treatments.
The study found that climate warming decreased gut microbiome diversity in isolated mesocosms. However, connectivity mitigated the negative effects of warming: when warmed mesocosms were connected to present-day mesocosms, warming did not significantly impact gut microbiome diversity. In other words, although climate warming negatively impacts gut microbiomes, habitat connectivity can mitigate or even reverse warming effects.
This result can be explained by lizard dispersal between connected mesocosms. Lizards dispersing from present-day climates had a higher microbiome diversity compared to lizards dispersing from warm climates. Connectivity allowed lizards to move between these climate conditions, which may have introduced them to more diverse habitats and gut microbes.
Importantly, the effects of warming and connectivity on gut microbiome diversity became stronger over time. This suggests that even if the lizard gut microbiome is resilient to climate warming in the short term, the long-term impacts of climate change may be detrimental. However, maintaining habitat corridors can offset these negative effects over multiple years.
For species that are vulnerable to climate change, adaption to warming is key for persistence under future climate conditions. This study provides evidence that the negative effects of warming on one aspect of a species’ physiology, the gut microbiome, is mitigated by habitat connectivity. Understanding the interplay between global change stressors and connectivity will advance conservation strategies in fragmented habitat.
Related Posts
Climate warming disrupts connectivity for terrestrial vertebrates
A global assessment projects that nearly 80% of the world's land area will experience reduced climate connectivity under future warming.
Hybrid zones expand plant resilience in fragmented landscapes
Genetic analysis of plant hybrids in western North America reveals how hybrid zones can bridge fragmented landscapes and boost ecosystem resilience under climate change.
Climate warming disproportionately impacts deep-sea connectivity
A global assessment of range shifts in the ocean under climate change shows that the deepest zones are likely to lose the highest amount of connectivity.
