Putting physiology on a landscape scale

• Warren P. Porter

Abstract
In the summer of 2001 I will be making first principles calculations of how specific species use specific landscapes to maximize their potential for survival, growth, and reproduction. I will be testing these predictions against experimental data available on these specific species from my collaborators, Dr. John Sabo, Dr. Leah Gerber, and Dr. Eric Seabloom, postdoctoral fellows at NCEAS. I will make the calculations using my new high-resolution, spatially explicit combination of our microclimate, ectotherm, and endotherm biophysical/energetics/physiology/behavior models. They now predict landscape scale habitat utilization and distribution for specific ectotherm and endotherm species. These predictions will be based in part on topographic data from digital elevation maps that include latitude, longitude, elevation, slope, and aspect at 30 m by 30 m resolution. Climate data from specific reference locations will be applied to each quadrat using adiabatic principles to estimate temperature differences with elevation. Locally available microclimates in each quadrat will be used to drive animal energetics/behavior animal models. Results will be displayed in GIS format using ArcView. Optimal landscape locations that maximize activity time, discretionary energy for growth or reproduction, and minimal activity time and costs for maintenance metabolic rates and water loss rates can be identified on specific quadrangles where empirical test data are available. The work on lizards will be on the genus Sceloporus in collaboration with Dr. John Sabo. Predictions of activity time, food and water requirements and growth and reproductive potential of dusky footed woodrats on the Los Olivos quadrangle will be done in collaboration with Drs. Leah Gerber and Eric Seabloom, who have collected experimental data on these animals.