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THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ENERGETICS OF AN ENDANGERED DESERT PUPFISH
Author(s) -
Hillyard Stanley D.,
Lopez Eshani,
Harris Sean,
Breukelen Frank
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.lb529
Subject(s) - population , endangered species , energetics , population decline , climate change , ecology , range (aeronautics) , biology , demography , materials science , sociology , composite material , habitat
When Pleistocene waters receded from the Death Valley region, once continuous pupfish populations became stranded in isolated warm springs. One of these springs, Devils Hole, maintains a temperature of 33–34° C year round except on a shallow ledge where temperatures may range from 28 to 39° C on a seasonal basis. Between 1995 and 2006 population estimates declined from a maximum of over 500 to only 38 individuals. Supplemental feeding, beginning in 2007, resulted in recovery to approximately 120 fish. We have estimated energetic requirements from oxygen consumption measurements with hybrids between Devils Hole and Ash Meadows Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis x C. nevadensis mionectes) and found the population decline and subsequent recovery to be consistent with the decline in primary production and the energetic value of the supplemental diet. We have also found that oxygen consumption increases as predicted between 28 and 31° C, with Q10 values between 2 and 3 but does not further increase between 31 and 34° C indicating an inability to sustain oxidative metabolism at temperatures normally encountered in Devils Hole. We contend that although these fish inhabit warm springs, they are poorly adapted to thrive at warm temperatures. Modest temperature increases associated with global climate change may be applying an energetic stress that will result in the extirpation of these and other desert pupfish populations.