Insects in Fluctuating Thermal Environments

All climate change scenarios predict an increase in both global temperature means and the magnitude of seasonal and diel temperature variation. The nonlinear relationship between temperature and biological processes means that fluctuating temperatures lead to physiological, life history, and ecological consequences for ectothermic insects that diverge from those predicted from constant temperatures. Fluctuating temperatures that remain within permissive temperature ranges generally improve performance. By contrast, those which extend to stressful temperatures may have either positive impacts, allowing repair of damage accrued during exposure to thermal extremes, or negative impacts from cumulative damage…

• CN
  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• UD
  Université de Rennes 1
• NS
  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• IÉ
  Institut écologie et environnement