Extending classical ecological theory to include spatial dynamics represents one of the most exciting areas of contemporary ecological research, potentially changing our fundamental understanding of many systems. This notion is particularly true with regard to how animals respond to variation in temperatures found within the environment, both at small spatial scales within an animal's home range or over large spatial scales across an animal's distributional range. Because many animals rely on environmental sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, when and where such heat sources are distributed in natural environments will determine whether an animal can persist in a particular area or how animals might disperse across different patches of habitat. Recently, computer modeling techniques have been developed to predict how animals should move through complex thermal landscapes based on physiological rates and thermal preferences. These models suggest that environments with more variable environmental temperatures, or with more isolated favorable habitat patches, should incur higher energetic costs for thermoregulating organisms because animals will have to move longer distances while searching for favorable habitat. This study will test such theoretical models with real data in living organisms.
Using Sphaerodactylus geckos (one of the smallest vertebrate organisms on Earth), behavioral data on temperature regulation and dispersal will be collected in a controlled laboratory setting where the complexity of environmental temperatures can be precisely manipulated. This experimental setup represents a model system whereby potential animal responses to changes in temperature can be evaluated. Results from this work will help researchers evaluate the influence of changing climates on animal populations in nature. Potential applications include predicting the suitability of altered habitats, predicting species ranges based on distributions of environmental temperature, or predicting potential impacts on migration routes due to changing environmental temperatures.
