title: The potential effects of climate-change-associated temperature increases on the metabolic rate of a small Afrotropical bird.
abstract: Studies have only recently begun to underline the importance of including data on the physiological flexibility of a species when modelling its vulnerability to extinction from climate change. We investigated the effects of a 4°C increase in ambient temperature (Ta), similar to that predicted for southern Africa by the year 2080, on certain physiological variables of a 10-12 g passerine bird endemic to southern Africa, the Cape white-eye Zosterops virens. There was no significant difference in resting metabolism, body mass and intraperitoneal body temperature between birds housed indoors at 4°C above outside ambient temperature and those housed indoors at outside ambient temperature. We conclude that the physiological flexibility of Cape white-eyes will aid them in coping with the 4°C increase predicted for their range by 2080.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3201, South Africa lindojano@yahoo.com downs@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: Lindy J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3201, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3201, South Africa lindojano@yahoo.com downs@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: Colleen T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Downs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001831:Body Temperature; D001835:Body Weight; D057231:Climate Change; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013019:South Africa; D013696:Temperature
keywords: Avian resting metabolic rate; Cape white-eye; Climate change; Evaporative water loss; Thermal PIT tags; Zosterops virens