Altitudinal variation in thermal vulnerability of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lizards under climate warming

Abstract

The survival of ectotherms worldwide is threatened by climate change. Whether increasing temperatures increase the vulnerability of ectotherms inhabiting temperate plateau areas remains unclear. To understand altitudinal variation in the vulnerability of plateau ectotherms to climate warming, Qinghai toad-headed lizards (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) were subjected to semi-natural enclosure experiments with simulated warming at high (2,600 m) and superhigh (3,600 m) elevations of the Dangjin Mountain, China. Our results revealed that the thermoregulatory effectiveness and warming tolerance (WT) of the toad-headed lizards were significantly affected by climate warming at both elevations, but their thermal sensitivity remained unchanged. After warming, the thermoregulatory effectiveness of lizards at superhigh elevations decreased because of the improved environmental thermal quality, whereas that of lizards at high-elevation conditions increased. Although the body temperature selected by high-elevation lizards was also significantly increased, the proportion of their active body temperature falling within the set-point temperature range decreased. This indicates that it is difficult for high-elevation lizards to adjust their body temperatures within a comfortable range under climate warming. Variations in the WT and thermal safety margin (TSM) under climate warming revealed that lizards at the superhigh elevation benefited from improved environmental thermal quality, whereas those at the high elevation originally on the edge of the TSM faced more severe threats and became more vulnerable. Our study highlights the importance of thermal biological traits in evaluating the vulnerability of ectotherms in temperate plateau regions.