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Climate-mediated energetic constraints on the distribution of hibernating mammals

Nature volume 418, pages 313–316 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

To predict the consequences of human-induced global climate change, we need to understand how climate is linked to biogeography1. Energetic constraints are commonly invoked to explain animal distributions, and physiological parameters are known to vary along distributional gradients2. But the causal nature of the links between climate and animal biogeography remain largely obscure2,3. Here we develop a bioenergetic model that predicts the feasibility of mammalian hibernation under different climatic conditions. As an example, we use the well-quantified hibernation energetics of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) to parameterize the model4. Our model predicts pronounced effects of ambient temperature on total winter energy requirements, and a relatively narrow combination of hibernaculum temperatures and winter lengths permitting successful hibernation. Microhabitat and northern distribution limits of M. lucifugus are consistent with model predictions, suggesting that the thermal dependence of hibernation energetics constrains the biogeography of this species. Integrating projections of climate change into our model predicts a pronounced northward range expansion of hibernating bats within the next 80 years. Bioenergetics can provide the simple link between climate and biogeography needed to predict the consequences of climate change.

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Figure 1: The effect of hibernaculum temperature on total winter energy requirements of M. lucifugus (dashed line), based on a winter length of 193 days10.
Figure 2: Comparison of observed hibernaculum temperatures of M. lucifugus with those predicted to be suitable by the model.
Figure 3: Observed and predicted M. lucifugus range distributions in northern North America.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Umbanhowar for assistance with model sensitivity analysis as well as D. Kramer and K. McCann for comments on the presentation. This research was supported through a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) postdoctoral fellowship to M.M.H., and an NSERC research grant to D.W.T.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, AB24 3TZ, Aberdeen, UK

    Murray M. Humphries & John R. Speakman

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada

    Murray M. Humphries

  3. Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada

    Donald W. Thomas

  4. Rowett Research Institute, AB21 9BS, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK

    John R. Speakman

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  1. Murray M. Humphries
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Correspondence to Murray M. Humphries.

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Humphries, M., Thomas, D. & Speakman, J. Climate-mediated energetic constraints on the distribution of hibernating mammals. Nature 418, 313–316 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature00828

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