Trade-offs between microhabitat selection and physiological plasticity in the Antarctic springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus (Willem)

Hawes, T.C.; Bale, J.S.; Worland, M. Roger; Convey, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8497-9903. 2008 Trade-offs between microhabitat selection and physiological plasticity in the Antarctic springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus (Willem). Polar Biology, 31 (6). 681-689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0406-3

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Abstract/Summary

In the maritime Antarctic, terrestrial arthropods have recourse to two strategies to mitigate low summer temperatures: (1) physiological plasticity and (2) avoidance via microhabitat insulation. This study investigated the interaction between these strategies in the springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus, established in situ within contrasting microcosms (buffered vs. exposed) and within two sets of habitat simulations (wet vs. dry) over diurnal scales through the Antarctic summer. Significant differences were found in the cold hardiness of springtails sampled simultaneously from each microcosm. Exposed animals showed greater plasticity in the "true" austral summer, but as field temperatures declined preceding the onset of winter, buffered animals showed greater resilience. Overall, water was found to inhibit the buffering effect of moss and there was a significantly greater discrimination between buffered and exposed microcosms in the dry treatment. Analysis of microhabitat temperatures indicate that it is thermal variability not lower temperature that is responsible for the greater plasticity of exposed animals.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0406-3
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Funding Initiative Projects
ISSN:	0722-4060
Additional Keywords:	phenotypic plasticity; collembola; acclimatization; rapid cold hardening; thermal variability
NORA Subject Terms:	Zoology Biology and Microbiology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	13 Jan 2011 14:23 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/11509

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0406-3

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Antarctic Funding Initiative Projects

ISSN:

0722-4060

Additional Keywords:

phenotypic plasticity; collembola; acclimatization; rapid cold hardening; thermal variability

NORA Subject Terms:

Zoology
Biology and Microbiology
Ecology and Environment