Ecophysiological consequences of environmental variability

Environmental variability is a fundamental component of adaptation; it is usually associated with modifications in the organism’s observable traits, particularly for those with limited plasticity. We will use a bioenergetic model as a framework to understand this variance in the organism’s traits. We will focus on the effect of individual physiological differences, which are represented by the parameters of the model, on the variance and covariance of life-history traits, such as growth and size, or reproductive output. First, we will show which are the consequences of inter-individual physiological differences, in constant and also different environments. Second, we will elucidate the effect of individual differences when there is environmental variability (in temperature and resource abundance). Our results will provide a theoretical approach to distinguish between the sources of variance in the organism’s observable traits. Furthermore, our findings will contribute to understanding how different species adapt to changing environments.

Faculty Supervisor:

Amy Hurford

Student:

Partner:

Institut national de la recherche agronomique (Paris)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program: