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Moisture relationships of the high arctic collembolan Onychiurus arcticus
Author(s) -
HODKINSON I. D.,
HEALEY V.,
COULSON S.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1994.tb01083.x
Subject(s) - desiccation , biology , relative humidity , arctic , moisture , ecology , water content , humidity , atmospheric sciences , climate change , desiccation tolerance , range (aeronautics) , dry weight , context (archaeology) , zoology , botany , chemistry , meteorology , paleontology , physics , materials science , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , composite material , geology
. Rates of desiccation, rehydration and survival, under conditions of 0 and 100% relative humidity, were investigated in the high arctic collembolan Onychiurus arcticus (Tullberg) over a range of temperatures from ‐3 to 10d̀C. Desiccation, measured over 4h in a dry environment, was rapid and highly significantly correlated with saturated vapour pressure deficit (SVPD). At 10d̀C animals lost over 60% of body moisture in under 1h. Under moist conditions body weight remained constant. Survival, measured over 4h under dry conditions, showed a highly significant negative correlation with SVPD across the range of temperatures. Survival in moist controls was 100%. Partially desiccated animals were able to rehydrate using free water or moisture from a saturated atmosphere, but uptake of the former was faster. Rates of water uptake were around 30 times slower than rates of loss through desiccation. Animals given free water regained initial weights in 24‐144h, dependent on temperature. Uptake rates of free water, measured over the time necessary fully to rehydrate, were highly significantly correlated with temperature, whereas those for atmospheric moisture were not. Over the time scales used in the experiments, three linear regression equations accurately predict rates of desiccation, rehydration and survival from SVPD or temperature. Ecological adaptation by O.arcticus to the highly contrasting climatic environments of the arctic summer and winter seasons is discussed in the context of climate change.