Cited by 259Physiological and biochemical adaptationsInsect and Arachnid Ecology and BehaviorSpecies Distribution and Climate Change

Who likes it hot? A global analysis of the climatic, ecological, and evolutionary determinants of warming tolerance in ants

Diamond, Sarah E., Sorger, D. Magdalena, Hulcr, Jiri, Pelini, Shannon L., Toro, Israel Del, Hirsch, Christopher, Oberg, Erik, Dunn, Robert R.·2012·Global Change Biology

Abstract

Effects of climate warming on wild populations of organisms are expected to be greatest at higher latitudes, paralleling greater anticipated increases in temperature in these regions. Yet, these expectations assume that populations in different regions are equally susceptible to the effects of warming. This is unlikely to be the case. Here, we develop a series of predictive models for physiological thermal tolerances in ants based on current and future climates. We found that tropical ants have lower warming tolerances, a metric of susceptibility to climate warming, than temperate ants despite greater increases in temperature at higher latitudes. Using climatic, ecological and phylogenetic data, we refine our predictions of which ants (across all regions) were most susceptible to climate warming. We found that ants occupying warmer and more mesic forested habitats at lower elevations are the most physiologically susceptible to deleterious effects of climate warming. Phylogenetic history was also a strong indicator of physiological susceptibility. In short, we find that ants that live in the canopies of hot, tropical forest are the most at risk, globally, from climate warming. Unfortunately this is where many, perhaps most, ant and other species on Earth live.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02542.x

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52 of 52 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The analyses are in keeping with predictions of Deutsch et al. that tropical insects should be especially vulnerable to climate warming.

    “Fourth, our analyses are in keeping with predictions of Deutsch et al. (5) that tropical insects should be especially vulnerable to climate warming, adding to field and laboratory studies over the past several years that have consistently supported the predicted sensitivity (8, 48–53).”

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Authors
Diamond, S. E., Sorger, D. M., Hulcr, J., Pelini, S. L., Toro, I. D., Hirsch, C., Oberg, E., & Dunn, R. R.
Affiliations
  • North Carolina State University (US)
  • Department of Biology North Carolina State University Raleigh NC 27695‐7617 USA
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
  • Texas A&M University (US)
Corresponding author
Diamond, Sarah E.
Venue
Global Change Biology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-10-09
Volume
18
Issue
2
Pages
448-456
ISSN
  • 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2486
OpenAlex
W2141603736
Cited by
259
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 8
FWCI
11.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
Funders
U.S. Department of Energy
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Physiological and biochemical adaptations
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
Keywords
ants, warming tolerance, heat tolerance, global warming, latitudinal gradient, tropical forest canopy, habitat moisture, altitude, phylogeny, climate change vulnerability

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