Termites in a World of Climate Change: An Ecological, Functional, and Molecular Approach

Abstract

Climate change is affecting biodiversity on the planet, especially in the case of termites, as these organisms cannot quickly move to more suitable locations, affecting the distribution of species and their ecosystem functions. Considering the projected increase in temperature and the intensity of extreme weather events, the general objective of this proposal will be to investigate how neotropical termite species respond to rising temperatures and reduced humidity in different types of environments and which functional attributes are related to the climatic tolerance of these insects. The proposal will be divided into two sub-projects, where the following will be investigated: 1) the thermal tolerance of a savanna termite species, evaluating which sets of morphological and functional attributes of this termite species are most influenced by the climatic conditions of the nest collection site, and 2) how termites from forests and savannas respond to increased temperature and desiccation, and whether this response is related to morphological and/or functional attributes. According to the climate variation hypothesis, the climatic tolerance of organisms is related to the magnitude of changes in environmental variables. Therefore, it is expected that: i) termites from regions with higher average ambient temperatures will have higher levels of thermal tolerance, and ii) termites from savannas will exhibit greater tolerance to high temperatures and desiccation than species inhabiting the interior of forests where temperature and humidity conditions are more stable. A better understanding of termite responses to rising temperatures will have significant implications for ecosystem conservation in the context of climate change. (AU)