BRS Enrico Rezende: Thermal tolerance limits in a warming world

Host: Michaletz Lab

Title: Thermal tolerance limits in a warming world

Abstract: Ecological systems are under increased strain due to global warming and the rise in average temperatures and thermal extremes. Predictive models are urgently needed to forecast which organisms, communities, and ecosystems might be more vulnerable. While many heuristic approaches are currently employed, few mechanistic models predict vulnerability based on physiological knowledge. My seminar will focus on how thermal tolerance landscapes, which describe survival probability affected by temperature and exposure time in the laboratory, can be used to predict heat mortality in the field. This approach allows for predictions of the impact of thermally variable regimes without relying on arbitrary temperature indices. Originally developed for animals, thermal landscapes are now applied to other lineages, including plants. I will discuss the implications of these findings and ways to combine this approach with other stressors, microclimatic data, and ecological interactions to predict future scenarios more accurately.

Zoom recording:

https://ubc.zoom.us/rec/share/s-CYn198Hzhf3PhonpVWE-71JOnNchiKXusd_c90_kLM11QzuXHFRieSozqG5tym.06Bc7sXRz2YuT2xX

Passcode: THYUt*K3