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Physiological response of fucoid algae to environmental stress: comparing range centre and southern populations

Physiological response of fucoid algae to environmental stress: comparing range centre and southern populations
Physiological response of fucoid algae to environmental stress: comparing range centre and southern populations
Climate change has led to alterations in assemblage composition. Species of temperate macroalgae at their southern limits in the Iberian Peninsula have shown shifts in geographical range and a decline in abundance ultimately related to climate, but with the proximate factors largely unknown.

We performed manipulative experiments to compare physiological responses of Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus spiralis from Portugal and Wales (UK), representing, respectively, southern and central areas of their distribution, to different intensities of solar radiation and different air temperatures.

Following exposure to stressful emerged conditions, Portuguese and Welsh individuals of both fucoid species showed increased frond temperature, high desiccation levels and reduced photophysiological performance that was evident even after a 16 h recovery period, with light and temperature acting in an additive, not an interactive, manner. The level of physiological decline was influenced by geographical origin of populations and species identity, with algae from the south and those living higher on the shore coping better with stressful conditions.

The negative effect of summer conditions on photophysiology may contribute to changes in fucoid abundance and distribution in southern Europe. Our results emphasise how physiological performance of geographically distinct populations can differ, which is particularly relevant when predicting responses to climate change.
abiotic, air temperature, fucus spiralis, fucus vesiculosus, photosynthesis, physiological limit, range edge, solar radiation
0028-646X
1157-1172
Ferreira, João G.
276015ea-9cdf-4942-9f65-34c12b40c769
Arenas, Francisco
7e1e9cbe-ecbf-4a3b-97fc-f6d2084f6bfa
Martínez, Brezo
65ceedb4-bdd2-4ac1-bff4-58af60213416
Hawkins, Stephen J.
758fe1c1-30cd-4ed1-bb65-2471dc7c11fa
Jenkins, Stuart R.
63f5521f-fe3a-4dae-b582-4a6a8d3aa936
Ferreira, João G.
276015ea-9cdf-4942-9f65-34c12b40c769
Arenas, Francisco
7e1e9cbe-ecbf-4a3b-97fc-f6d2084f6bfa
Martínez, Brezo
65ceedb4-bdd2-4ac1-bff4-58af60213416
Hawkins, Stephen J.
758fe1c1-30cd-4ed1-bb65-2471dc7c11fa
Jenkins, Stuart R.
63f5521f-fe3a-4dae-b582-4a6a8d3aa936

Ferreira, João G., Arenas, Francisco, Martínez, Brezo, Hawkins, Stephen J. and Jenkins, Stuart R. (2014) Physiological response of fucoid algae to environmental stress: comparing range centre and southern populations. New Phytologist, 202 (4), 1157-1172. (doi:10.1111/nph.12749). (PMID:24580117)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Climate change has led to alterations in assemblage composition. Species of temperate macroalgae at their southern limits in the Iberian Peninsula have shown shifts in geographical range and a decline in abundance ultimately related to climate, but with the proximate factors largely unknown.

We performed manipulative experiments to compare physiological responses of Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus spiralis from Portugal and Wales (UK), representing, respectively, southern and central areas of their distribution, to different intensities of solar radiation and different air temperatures.

Following exposure to stressful emerged conditions, Portuguese and Welsh individuals of both fucoid species showed increased frond temperature, high desiccation levels and reduced photophysiological performance that was evident even after a 16 h recovery period, with light and temperature acting in an additive, not an interactive, manner. The level of physiological decline was influenced by geographical origin of populations and species identity, with algae from the south and those living higher on the shore coping better with stressful conditions.

The negative effect of summer conditions on photophysiology may contribute to changes in fucoid abundance and distribution in southern Europe. Our results emphasise how physiological performance of geographically distinct populations can differ, which is particularly relevant when predicting responses to climate change.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 3 March 2014
Published date: June 2014
Keywords: abiotic, air temperature, fucus spiralis, fucus vesiculosus, photosynthesis, physiological limit, range edge, solar radiation
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 363209
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/363209
ISSN: 0028-646X
PURE UUID: 530843aa-366d-4dc3-a4f0-1b371c766f7d

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Mar 2014 15:28
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:20

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Contributors

Author: João G. Ferreira
Author: Francisco Arenas
Author: Brezo Martínez
Author: Stuart R. Jenkins

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