Coping with Temperature Increase Induced by Climate Warming: Trends in Ectothermic Species—2nd Edition
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 339
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biological control of pest species; acarology; arthropod ecology and behavior; climate change and pest control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ectothermic species constitute the vast majority of global biodiversity, but they are likely to be vulnerable to temperature increases caused by climate warming because of their limited thermoregulation abilities. Increased mean temperatures mean more mild winter periods, elongated vegetation periods, and more frequent heat waves and dry periods for ectotherms, which may respond through acclimation, adaptation, dispersal, and behavioral plasticity to cope with climate warming. The aim of this Special Issue is to complement our knowledge and deepen our understanding of the responses of ectotherms to thermal shifts caused by climate warming. Documenting shifts in phenology, behavior, life history traits, and their consequences at the population level will be critical for understanding how ectotherms will adapt, or not, to temperature increase.
Temperatures have increased in the last few decades due to climate warming at a global scale, which has resulted in milder winter periods, elongated vegetation periods, and more frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves and dry periods. Continuing climate warming poses a great challenge for ectotherms with their restricted thermoregulation because their vital functions are strongly dependent on ambient temperature conditions. In fact, the impact of ongoing temperature increase is likely to impact on all levels of the biological organization of ectotherms, from the genome, biochemical and physiological functions, organism performance, and species interactions to the maintenance of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Ectotherms may respond to changing thermal conditions via acclimation, adaptation, dispersal, and behavioral plasticity, which can mitigate the adverse impacts of climate warming. Such thermally induced changes in ectotherms may avoid demographic reductions or even extinction. These adaptations can result in modifications of vital processes such as survival, growth, development, mating, reproduction, and locomotion, and their consequences may also affect ectotherms at population and community levels.
The goal of this Special Issue is to complement our knowledge and deepen our understanding of the responses of ectotherms to thermal shifts caused by climate warming. Documenting shifts in phenology, behavior, life history traits, and their consequences at the population level will be critical for understanding how ectotherms will adapt, or not, to temperature increase.
This Special Issue will include reviews and research articles focusing on the topic “Coping with Temperature Increase Induced by Climate Warming: Trends in Ectothermic Species”. Please send the abstract of your paper prior to submission to ensure that your work falls within the scope of this Special Issue. I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Andreas Walzer
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- biodiversity
- climate warming
- ectothermic species
- geographic ranges
- heat waves
- evolutionary adaptations
- phenotypic plasticity
- species interactions
- thermal acclimation
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