Conservation Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Sea butterflies in a pickle: reliable biomarkers and seasonal sensitivity of <i>Limacina retroversa</i> to ocean acidification in the Gulf of Maine.","authors":"Amy E Maas, Gareth L Lawson, Alexander J Bergan, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Ann M Tarrant","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae040","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The passive dissolution of anthropogenically produced CO₂ into the ocean system is reducing ocean pH and changing a suite of chemical equilibria, with negative consequences for some marine organisms, in particular those that bear calcium carbonate shells. Although our monitoring of these chemical changes has improved, we have not developed effective tools to translate observations, which are typically of the pH and carbonate saturation state, into ecologically relevant predictions of biological risks. One potential solution is to develop bioindicators: biological variables with a clear relationship to environmental risk factors that can be used for assessment and management. Thecosomatous pteropods are a group of pelagic shelled marine gastropods, whose biological responses to CO₂ have been suggested as potential bioindicators of ocean acidification owing to their sensitivity to acidification in both the laboratory and the natural environment. Using five CO₂ exposure experiments, occurring across four seasons and running for up to 15 days, we describe a consistent relationship between saturation state, shell transparency and duration of exposure, as well as identify a suite of genes that could be used for biological monitoring with further study. We clarify variations in thecosome responses due to seasonality, resolving prior uncertainties and demonstrating the range of their phenotypic plasticity. These biomarkers of acidification stress can be implemented into ecosystem models and monitoring programmes in regions where pteropods are found, whilst the approach will serve as an example for other regions on how to bridge the gap between point-based chemical monitoring and biologically relevant assessments of ecosystem health.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae040"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11194183/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141447608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographic and physiological signals of reproductive events in humpback whales on a southwest pacific breeding ground.","authors":"Logan J Pallin, Claire Garrigue, Nicholas M Kellar, C Scott Baker, Claire D Bonneville, Solène Derville, Ellen C Garland, Debbie Steel, Ari S Friedlaender","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae038","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The field of marine mammal conservation has dramatically benefited from the rapid advancement of methods to assess the reproductive physiology of individuals and populations from steroid hormones isolated from minimally invasive skin-blubber biopsy samples. Historically, this vital information was only available from complete anatomical and physiological investigations of samples collected during commercial or indigenous whaling. Humpback whales (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>) are a migratory, cosmopolitan species that reproduce in warm, low-latitude breeding grounds. New Caledonia is seasonally visited by a small breeding sub-stock of humpback whales, forming part of the endangered Oceania subpopulation. To better understand the demographic and seasonal patterns of reproductive physiology in humpback whales, we quantified baseline measurements of reproductive hormones (progesterone-P4, testosterone-T and 17β-estradiol-E2) using an extensive archive of skin-blubber biopsy samples collected from female humpback whales in New Caledonia waters between 2016 and 2019 (<i>n</i> = 194). We observed significant differences in the P4, T and E2 concentrations across different demographic groups of female humpback whales, and we described some of the first evidence of the endocrine patterns of estrous in live free-ranging baleen whales. This study is fundamental in its methodological approach to a wild species that has a global distribution, with seasonally distinct life histories. This information will assist in monitoring, managing and conserving this population as global ecological changes continue to occur unhindered.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae038"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11184982/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141421891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limited efficacy of a commercial microbial inoculant for improving growth and physiological performance of native plant species.","authors":"Wei San Wong, Jaume Ruscalleda-Alvarez, Jean W H Yong, Jason C Stevens, Justin M Valliere, Erik J Veneklaas","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae037","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil microbial inoculants are increasingly being explored as means to improve soil conditions to facilitate ecological restoration. In southwestern Western Australia, highly biodiverse <i>Banksia</i> woodland plant communities are increasingly threatened by various factors including climate change, land development and mining. <i>Banksia</i> woodland restoration is necessary to conserve this plant community. The use of microbial inoculation in <i>Banksia</i> woodland restoration has not yet been investigated. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a commercial microbial inoculant (GOGO Juice, Neutrog Australia Pty Ltd) for improving the performance of 10 ecologically diverse <i>Banksia</i> woodland plant species in a pot experiment. Plants were subjected to one of two watering regimes (well-watered and drought) in combination with microbial inoculation treatments (non-inoculated and inoculated). Plants were maintained under these two watering treatments for 10 weeks, at which point plants in all treatments were subjected to a final drought period lasting 8 weeks. Plant performance was evaluated by plant biomass and allocation, gas exchange parameters, foliar carbon and nitrogen and stable isotope (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) compositions. Plant xylem sap phytohormones were analysed to investigate the effect of microbial inoculation on plant phytohormone profiles and potential relationships with other observed physiological parameters. Across all investigated plant species, inoculation treatments had small effects on plant growth. Further analysis within each species revealed that inoculation treatments did not result in significant biomass gain under well-watered or drought-stressed conditions, and effects on nitrogen nutrition and photosynthesis were variable and minimal. This suggests that the selected commercial microbial inoculant had limited benefits for the tested plant species. Further investigations on the compatibility between the microorganisms (present in the inoculant) and plants, timing of inoculation, viability of the microorganisms and concentration(s) required to achieve effectiveness, under controlled conditions, and field trials are required to test the feasibility and efficacy in actual restoration environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae037"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11184453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141421892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of temperature in vitality and survival assessments of beam-trawled and discarded European plaice <i>(Pleuronectes platessa)</i>.","authors":"Sven Sebastian Uhlmann, Silvia Paoletti, Bart Ampe, Konstantinos Theodoridis, Marc Kochzius, Barbara Koeck","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae036","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thermal stress can influence the recovery of fish released after capture. Vitality assessments using reflex and behavioural responses require that responses can be observed reliably, independent of temperature. Here, we tested whether reflex and behavioural impairment and survival of beam-trawled and discarded European plaice (<i>Pleuronectes platessa</i>) are independent from seasonal air and water temperature deviations. In total, 324 beam-trawled plaice (<i>n</i> = 196 in summer and <i>n</i> = 128 in winter) were exposed to two air temperature treatments and two water treatments (i.e. modified and ambient temperatures for both). The modified treatments (i.e. cooled in summer, warmed in winter) represent the thermal shock a fish may experience when being returned to the water. All reflexes and tested behaviours were affected by ambient temperature, with high impairment noted in summer. None of the reflexes were affected by temperature shocks alone, only body flex was. Body flex was highly impaired under every exposure combination. Fish size and duration of air exposure further influenced impairment of reflexes such as head complex and tail grab. More generally, post-release survival was assessed as 21% [95% CI: 16-28%] in summer and 99% [97-100%] in winter. Beam trawling in summer is likely to induce high reflex impairment and mortality in discarded plaice, and therefore spatial-temporal mitigation approaches should be prioritized over control of on-board temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae036"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11170488/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141318999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monitoring the stress physiology of free-ranging mugger crocodiles (<i>Crocodylus palustris</i>) across diverse habitats within Central Gujarat, India.","authors":"Brinky Desai, Tathagata Bhowmik, Rohith Srinivasan, Nikhil Whitaker, Ratna Ghosal","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae035","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animals face several challenges in their natural environment, and to cope with such conditions, they may exhibit contrasting physiological responses that directly affect their overall well-being and survival. In this study, we assessed physiological responses via faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) measurements in free-ranging mugger crocodiles inhabiting diverse habitats in Gujarat, India. We sampled muggers within Charotar, a rural area (Zone A) with local people having high tolerance towards the presence of muggers, and Vadodara, a region having both urban (Zone B) and rural (Zone C) areas with high levels of human-mugger conflict (HMC). Further, muggers in Vadodara live in water bodies that are mostly polluted due to sewage disposal from adjoining chemical industries. To measure fGCM (mean ± SEM, ng/g dry faeces) levels in muggers, scats were collected during both breeding (<i>N</i> = 107 scats) and non-breeding (<i>N</i> = 22 scats) seasons from all three zones. We used captive muggers (a focal enclosure) to biologically validate (via capture and restraint) the selected fGCM assay (11-oxoetiocholanolone assay). We showed a significant (<i>P</i> < 0.05) 11-fold increase in fGCM levels between pre-capture (540.9 ± 149.2, <i>N</i> = 11) and post-capture (6259.7 ± 1150.5, <i>N</i> = 11) samples. The validated assay was applied to free-ranging muggers during the breeding season, and Zone A showed significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.05) lower fGCM levels (542.03 ± 71.3) compared to muggers of Zone B (1699.9 ± 180.8) and Zone C (1806.4 ± 243.2), both zones having high levels of HMC with polluted water bodies. A similar contrast in fGCM levels was also observed during the non-breeding season. Overall, the study demonstrated that fGCM levels in muggers varied across habitats, and such variation could be due to a multitude of ecological factors that the species experience in their immediate local environment. Moreover, high fGCM levels in muggers of Vadodara during both breeding and non-breeding seasons may indicate a condition of chronic stress, which could be maladaptive for the species.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae035"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11151695/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141263213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using vitality indicators to predict survival of aquatic animals released from fisheries","authors":"R J Lennox, M R Donaldson, G D Raby, K V Cook, L LaRochelle, J C Madden, S J Cooke, D A Patterson, S G Hinch","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae034","url":null,"abstract":"Estimating the survival probability of animals released from fisheries can improve the overall understanding of animal biology with implications for fisheries management, conservation and animal welfare. Vitality indicators are simple visual measures of animal condition that change in response to stressors (like fisheries capture) and can be assessed to predict post-release survival. These indicators typically include immediate reflex responses which are typically combined into a score. Vitality indicators are straight-forward and non-invasive metrics that allow users to quantify how close (or far) an animal is from a normal, ‘healthy’ or baseline state, which in turn can be correlated with outcomes such as survival probability, given appropriate calibration. The literature on using vitality indicators to predict post-release survival of animals has grown rapidly over the past decade. We identified 136 papers that used vitality indicators in a fisheries context. These studies were primarily focused on marine and freshwater fishes, with a few examples using herptiles and crustaceans. The types of vitality indicators are diverse and sometimes taxa-specific (e.g. pinching leg of turtles, spraying water at nictitating membrane of sharks) with the most commonly used indicators being those that assess escape response or righting response given the vulnerability of animals when those reflexes are impaired. By presenting Pacific salmon fisheries as a case study, we propose a framework for using vitality indicators to predict survival across taxa and fisheries.","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141196746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heat exposure limits pentose phosphate pathway activity in bumblebees.","authors":"Giulia S Rossi, Alaa Elbassiouny, Jerrica Jamison, Kenneth C Welch","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bumblebee populations across the globe are experiencing substantial declines due to climate change, with major consequences for pollination services in both natural and agricultural settings. Using an economically important species, <i>Bombus impatiens</i>, we explored the physiological mechanisms that may cause susceptibility to extreme heat events. We tested the hypothesis that heat exposure limits the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)-a parallel pathway to glycolysis that can use nectar sugar to generate antioxidant potential and combat oxidative stress. Using isotopically labelled glucose, we tracked PPP activity in <i>B. impatiens</i> at rest, during exercise and during a post-exercise recovery period under two different temperature regimes (22°C and 32°C). We found that the PPP is routinely used by <i>B. impatiens</i> at moderate temperatures, but that its activity is markedly reduced when ATP demands are high, such as during periods of exercise and heat exposure. We also exposed <i>B. impatiens</i> to either 22°C or 32°C for 5 hours and assessed levels of oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls) and antioxidant potential [reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione concentrations]. Interestingly, bees exhibited little oxidative damage after the thermal exposure, but we found a lower GSH:GSSG ratio in 32°C-exposed bees, reflecting lower antioxidant potential. Overall, our study demonstrates that acute heat stress severely limits PPP activity and may constrain antioxidant potential in <i>B. impatiens</i>. The repeated attenuation of this pathway in a warming climate may have more severe physiological consequences for this species, with potential implications for pollination services across North America.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae031"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11134105/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141176484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal diet influences fecundity in a freshwater turtle undergoing population decline.","authors":"Kristen Petrov, James U Van Dyke, Arthur Georges, Claudia Keitel, Ricky-John Spencer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae033","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food availability determines the amount of energy animals can acquire and allocate to reproduction and other necessary functions. Female animals that are food limited thus experience reduced energy available for reproduction. When this occurs, females may reduce frequency of reproductive events or the number or size of offspring per reproductive bout. We assessed how maternal diet affects reproductive output in adult female Murray River short-necked turtles, <i>Emydura macquarii,</i> from four wetlands in Victoria. We previously found that turtle diets differ in the composition of plants and animals between our study wetlands. In this study, we tested whether differences in turtle diet composition (i.e. plants and animals) at these wetlands were associated with differences in clutch mass, individual egg mass, bulk egg composition and hatching success. We found total clutch mass increased with maternal body size at each site. At sites where filamentous green algae were scarce and <i>E. macquarii</i> were carnivorous, females produced smaller clutches relative to body size compared to females from sites where algae were abundant, and turtles were more herbivorous. Individual egg mass, bulk egg composition and hatching success did not differ across wetlands. Isotopic analysis revealed significant positive relationships between the carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) of the eggs and those of the mothers, indicating that mothers allocated ratios of carbon and nitrogen isotopes to their eggs similar to those present in their tissues. Our study suggests that at sites where females are more carnivorous due to a relative absence of algae, females produce smaller clutches, but other aspects of their reproduction are not significantly impacted. The reduction in clutch size associated with differences in the availability of dietary plants and animals may have long-term consequences for <i>E. macquarii</i> and other freshwater turtle species that are experiencing population declines.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae033"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11129712/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141159167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hot climate, hot koalas: the role of weather, behaviour and disease on thermoregulation.","authors":"Valentina S A Mella, Christine E Cooper, Madeline Karr, Andrew Krockenberger, George Madani, Elliot B Webb, Mark B Krockenberger","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae032","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coae032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thermoregulation is critical for endotherms living in hot, dry conditions, and maintaining optimal core body temperature (<i>T</i>_b) in a changing climate is an increasingly challenging task for mammals. Koalas (<i>Phascolarctos cinereus</i>) have evolved physiological and behavioural strategies to maintain homeostasis and regulate their <i>T</i>_b but are thought to be vulnerable to prolonged heat. We investigated how weather, behaviour and disease influence <i>T</i>_b for wild, free-living koalas during summer in north-west New South Wales. We matched <i>T</i>_b with daily behavioural observations in an ageing population where chlamydial disease is prevalent. Each individual koala had similar <i>T</i>_b rhythms (average <i>T</i>_b = 36.4 ± 0.05°C), but male koalas had higher <i>T</i>_b amplitude and more pronounced daily rhythm than females. Disease disrupted the 24-hr circadian pattern of <i>T</i>_b. Koala <i>T</i>_b increased with ambient temperature (<i>T</i>_a). On the hottest day of the study (maximum <i>T</i>_a = 40.8°C), we recorded the highest (<i>T</i>_b = 40.8°C) but also the lowest (<i>T</i>_b = 32.4°C) <i>T</i>_b ever documented for wild koalas, suggesting that they are more heterothermic than previously recognized. This requires individuals to predict days of extreme <i>T</i>_a from overnight and early morning conditions, adjusting <i>T</i>_b regulation accordingly, and it has never been reported before for koalas. The large diel amplitude and low minimum <i>T</i>_b observed suggest that koalas at our study site are energetically and nutritionally compromised, likely due to their age. Behaviour (i.e. tree hugging and drinking water) was not effective in moderating <i>T</i>_b. These results indicate that <i>T</i>_a and koala <i>T</i>_b are strongly interconnected and reinforce the importance of climate projections for predicting the future persistence of koalas throughout their current distribution. Global climate models forecast that dry, hot weather will continue to escalate and drought events will increase in frequency, duration and severity. This is likely to push koalas and other arboreal folivores towards their thermal limit.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"12 1","pages":"coae032"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11129715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141159147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal variation in ecophysiological traits align with high resolution niche modelling in the short-range banded ironstone endemic Aluta quadrata","authors":"Wolfgang Lewandrowski, Emily P Tudor, Hayden Ajduk, Sean Tomlinson, Jason C Stevens","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coae030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae030","url":null,"abstract":"Defining plant ecophysiological responses across natural distributions enables a greater understanding of the niche that plants occupy. Much of the foundational knowledge of species’ ecology and responses to environmental change across their distribution is often lacking, particularly for rare and threatened species, exacerbating management and conservation challenges. Combining high-resolution species distribution models (SDMs) with ecophysiological monitoring characterized the spatiotemporal variation in both plant traits and their interactions with their surrounding environment for the range-restricted Aluta quadrata Rye &amp; Trudgen, and a common, co-occurring generalist, Eremophila latrobei subsp. glabra (L.S.Sm.) Chinnock., from the semi-arid Pilbara and Gascoyne region in northwest Western Australia. The plants reflected differences in gas exchange, plant health and plant water relations at sites with contrasting suitability from the SDM, with higher performance measured in the SDM-predicted high-suitability site. Seasonal differences demonstrated the highest variation across ecophysiological traits in both species, with higher performance in the austral wet season across all levels of habitat suitability. The results of this study allow us to effectively describe how plant performance in A. quadrata is distributed across the landscape in contrast to a common, widespread co-occurring species and demonstrate a level of confidence in the habitat suitability modelling derived from the SDM in predicting plant function determined through intensive ecophysiology monitoring programmes. In addition, the findings also provide a baseline approach for future conservation actions, as well as to explore the mechanisms underpinning the short-range endemism arid zone systems.","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141151848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}