scholarly journals Intraspecific variation in flight metabolic rate in the bumblebee Bombus impatiens: repeatability and functional determinants in workers and drones

2013 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-A. Darveau ◽  
F. Billardon ◽  
K. Belanger
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Bombus Impatiens

scholarly journals Metabolic traits in brown trout (Salmo trutta) vary in response to food restriction and intrinsic factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise C Archer ◽  
Stephen A Hutton ◽  
Luke Harman ◽  
W Russell Poole ◽  
Patrick Gargan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Brown Trout ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Intrinsic Factors ◽  
Metabolic Traits ◽  
Food Conditions

Abstract Metabolic rates vary hugely within and between populations, yet we know relatively little about factors causing intraspecific variation. Since metabolic rate determines the energetic cost of life, uncovering these sources of variation is important to understand and forecast responses to environmental change. Moreover, few studies have examined factors causing intraspecific variation in metabolic flexibility. We explore how extrinsic environmental conditions and intrinsic factors contribute to variation in metabolic traits in brown trout, an iconic and polymorphic species that is threatened across much of its native range. We measured metabolic traits in offspring from two wild populations that naturally show life-history variation in migratory tactics (one anadromous, i.e. sea-migratory, one non-anadromous) that we reared under either optimal food or experimental conditions of long-term food restriction (lasting between 7 and 17 months). Both populations showed decreased standard metabolic rates (SMR—baseline energy requirements) under low food conditions. The anadromous population had higher maximum metabolic rate (MMR) than the non-anadromous population, and marginally higher SMR. The MMR difference was greater than SMR and consequently aerobic scope (AS) was higher in the anadromous population. MMR and AS were both higher in males than females. The anadromous population also had higher AS under low food compared to optimal food conditions, consistent with population-specific effects of food restriction on AS. Our results suggest different components of metabolic rate can vary in their response to environmental conditions, and according to intrinsic (population-background/sex) effects. Populations might further differ in their flexibility of metabolic traits, potentially due to intrinsic factors related to life history (e.g. migratory tactics). More comparisons of populations/individuals with divergent life histories will help to reveal this. Overall, our study suggests that incorporating an understanding of metabolic trait variation and flexibility and linking this to life history and demography will improve our ability to conserve populations experiencing global change.

scholarly journals Metabolic rate predicts the lifespan of workers in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens

Apidologie ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan P. Kelemen ◽  
Nhi Cao ◽  
Tuan Cao ◽  
Goggy Davidowitz ◽  
Anna Dornhaus
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Bumble Bee

scholarly journals Kinematic flexibility allows bumblebees to increase energetic efficiency when carrying heavy loads

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. eaay3115
Author(s):  
Stacey A. Combes ◽  
Susan F. Gagliardi ◽  
Callin M. Switzer ◽  
Michael E. Dillon
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Bombus Impatiens ◽  
Energetic Efficiency ◽  
Loading History ◽  
Energetic Costs ◽  
Additional Loading ◽  
Heavy Loads ◽  
Load Size ◽  
Stroke Amplitude

Foraging bees fly with heavy loads of nectar and pollen, incurring energetic costs that are typically assumed to depend on load size. Insects can produce more force by increasing stroke amplitude and/or flapping frequency, but the kinematic response of a given species is thought to be consistent. We examined bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) carrying both light and heavy loads and found that stroke amplitude increased in proportion to load size, but did not predict metabolic rate. Rather, metabolic rate was strongly tied to frequency, which was determined not by load size but by the bee’s average loading state and loading history, with heavily loaded bees displaying smaller changes in frequency and smaller increases in metabolic rate to support additional loading. This implies that bees can increase force production through alternative mechanisms; yet, they often choose the energetically costly option of elevating frequency, suggesting associated performance benefits that merit further investigation.

scholarly journals Ecological and evolutionary consequences of metabolic rate plasticity in response to environmental change

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1768) ◽  
pp. 20180180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Norin ◽  
Neil B. Metcalfe
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Standard Metabolic Rate ◽  
Metabolic Rates ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Organ Tissue ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences ◽  
Response To Environmental Change

Basal or standard metabolic rate reflects the minimum amount of energy required to maintain body processes, while the maximum metabolic rate sets the ceiling for aerobic work. There is typically up to three-fold intraspecific variation in both minimal and maximal rates of metabolism, even after controlling for size, sex and age; these differences are consistent over time within a given context, but both minimal and maximal metabolic rates are plastic and can vary in response to changing environments. Here we explore the causes of intraspecific and phenotypic variation at the organ, tissue and mitochondrial levels. We highlight the growing evidence that individuals differ predictably in the flexibility of their metabolic rates and in the extent to which they can suppress minimal metabolism when food is limiting but increase the capacity for aerobic metabolism when a high work rate is beneficial. It is unclear why this intraspecific variation in metabolic flexibility persists—possibly because of trade-offs with the flexibility of other traits—but it has consequences for the ability of populations to respond to a changing world. It is clear that metabolic rates are targets of selection, but more research is needed on the fitness consequences of rates of metabolism and their plasticity at different life stages, especially in natural conditions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change’.

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