Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

01 Aug, 06 AM - 30 Sep, 10 AM

Climate change is an increasing source of environmental challenge for wildlife. While many studies have demonstrated a clear connection between climate change and shifts in wildlife phenology/biogeography, the mechanisms of these changes are largely unknown. In particular, the physiological components of range shifts have been explored only in a small subset of mainly aquatic and ectothermic animals. Elucidating these physiological mechanisms for mammalian species would allow for improved forecasting of mammalian response to projected future climate change. I will work in collaboration with the Grinnell Resurvey Project (GRSP), a UC Berkeley initiative working to monitor California vertebrates? response to climate change. The GRSP has documented range shifts for many species, including the alpine chipmunk (Tamias alpinus), which is undergoing range collapse, and the sometimes sympatric lodgepole chipmunk (Tamias specious), which has experienced no significant range changes. My research will examine how stress physiology varies along an elevational gradient, both intraspecifically along a species? range and interspecifically for co-occurring animals. To examine stress physiology, I first need to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit and to take preliminary immune condition measures during my first field season.

Visit #27097 @Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Approved

Under Project # 24672 | Research

Physiological Correlates of Response to Climate Change in Two Species of Sierran Chipmunks

graduate_student - University of California, Berkeley

Reservation Members(s)

Tali Hammond Aug 1 - Sep 30, 2012 (61 days)
Tali Hammond Aug 1 - Sep 30, 2012 (61 days)

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