vulnerable Tag

Insects have weak ability to adjust their thermal limits to high temperatures and are thus more susceptible to global warming than previously thought. As more frequent and intense heat waves expose animals to temperatures outside of their normal limits, an international team led by researchers at the University of Bristol studied over 100 species of insect to better understand how these changes will likely affect them. Insects -- which are as important as pollinators, crop pests and disease vectors -- are particularly vulnerable to extreme temperatures. One way insects can deal with such extremes is through acclimation, where previous thermal exposure extends their critical thermal limits. Acclimation can trigger physiological changes such as the upregulation of heat shock proteins, and result in...