Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Species across ecosystems are experiencing changing climatic conditions, including increasing average temperatures and extreme heat wave events. Understanding species responses to warming conditions is of central importance as the rates of extirpation are increasing for many ecologically important species and species not yet known to science. Understanding the variation in thermal tolerance between and within species, as well as the variation in rates of warming across space, can be a useful tool for predicting which populations may be most vulnerable to change. In addition, variation in thermal performance between interacting species can provide insight into how species interactions can shift as habitats warm, which can translate to broader scale changes in ecological community functioning. First, I use meta-analysis to investigate how the spatial scale of intraspecific variation in heat tolerance compares to projected rates of warming. Second, I develop experimental methods for testing how heat events can alter prey microhabitat use and vulnerability to predation. Finally, I integrate thermal performance metrics with environmental data to understand how variation in the thermal tolerance of different traits can reveal insights into predator-prey vulnerability to warming. Taken together, my dissertation demonstrates that variation in thermal sensitivity and exposure to thermal stress within and between species can shape estimates of species vulnerability.

Date

3-13-2026

Committee Chair

Kelly, Morgan W.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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Available for download on Saturday, March 13, 2027

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