Description
Climate change causes unpredictable fluctuations in weather patterns; this includes unseasonably warm and cold water temperatures across the globe. Many aquatic taxa have adaptations to minimize the effects of changes in temperature, including seeking thermal refuge by burying. Previous studies have tested the individual effects of changes in temperature and other climate variables on the behaviors of aquatic taxa. However, in many of these studies, the different water quality parameters are not isolated from one. To better understand the independent and interactive effects of climate variables, we created a factorial experiment manipulating temperature and water level and recording the behavioral responses in aquatic beetles in the family Haliplidae. We combined three temperatures (8, 16, and 24 degrees Celsius) and three water level treatments (damp sediment, 0.5cm, and 2.0cm), to create a total of nine climate change conditions and recorded beetle behavior. We hypothesized that as water level decreased, the number of animals buried would increase. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that at 8 Celsius, as water level decreased, burial also decreased (ANOVA: f=40.738, d.f.=2, p<0.001). A follow up analysis suggested that the unexpected results were not due to the time the experiment ran (Linear Regression: f=0.299, d.f.=1, p=0.589). Analysis focused on the lowest temperature because of lack of data for the medium (16 Celsius) and high (24 Celsius) temperatures. Our findings suggest that climate change may impact the behavior of Haliplidae, particularly burial behavior in cold weather. It is unknown how changes in behavior, especially burial, will impact freshwater ecosystems.
The Effect of Water Level on Burial in Beetle Family Haliplidae
Climate change causes unpredictable fluctuations in weather patterns; this includes unseasonably warm and cold water temperatures across the globe. Many aquatic taxa have adaptations to minimize the effects of changes in temperature, including seeking thermal refuge by burying. Previous studies have tested the individual effects of changes in temperature and other climate variables on the behaviors of aquatic taxa. However, in many of these studies, the different water quality parameters are not isolated from one. To better understand the independent and interactive effects of climate variables, we created a factorial experiment manipulating temperature and water level and recording the behavioral responses in aquatic beetles in the family Haliplidae. We combined three temperatures (8, 16, and 24 degrees Celsius) and three water level treatments (damp sediment, 0.5cm, and 2.0cm), to create a total of nine climate change conditions and recorded beetle behavior. We hypothesized that as water level decreased, the number of animals buried would increase. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that at 8 Celsius, as water level decreased, burial also decreased (ANOVA: f=40.738, d.f.=2, p<0.001). A follow up analysis suggested that the unexpected results were not due to the time the experiment ran (Linear Regression: f=0.299, d.f.=1, p=0.589). Analysis focused on the lowest temperature because of lack of data for the medium (16 Celsius) and high (24 Celsius) temperatures. Our findings suggest that climate change may impact the behavior of Haliplidae, particularly burial behavior in cold weather. It is unknown how changes in behavior, especially burial, will impact freshwater ecosystems.