Warming increases survival and asexual fitness in a facultatively sexual
freshwater cnidarian with winter diapause
Abstract
Temperature is a key abiotic factor controlling population dynamics. In
facultatively sexual animals inhabiting the temperate zone, temperature
regulates the switch between asexual and sexual modes of reproduction,
initiates growth or dormancy and acts together with photoperiod to
mediate seasonal physiological transitions. Increasing temperature due
to recent global warming are likely to disrupt population dynamics of
facultatively sexual animals because of the strong
temperature-dependence of multiple fitness components. However, the
fitness consequences of warming in these animals are still poorly
understood. This is unfortunate, since facultatively sexual animals –
through their ability for asexual reproduction resulting in quick
population growth and sexual reproduction enabling long-term persistence
– are key components of freshwater ecosystems. Here, I studied the
fitness effects of warming in Hydra oligactis, a freshwater cnidarian
that reproduces asexually throughout most of the year but switches to
sexual reproduction under decreasing temperatures. I exposed hydra
polyps to simulated short summer heatwaves or long-term elevated winter
temperatures. Since sexual development in this species is dependent on
low temperature, I predicted reduced sexual investment (gonad
production) and elevated asexual fitness (budding) in polyps exposed to
higher temperatures. The results show a complex effect of warming on
sexual fitness: while gonad number decreased in response to warming,
polyps exposed to high winter temperature were capable of multiple
rounds of gamete production. Asexual reproduction and survival rate, on
the other hand, clearly increased in response to higher temperatures,
especially in males. These results predict increased population growth
of H. oligactis in temperate freshwater habitats, which will likely
affect the population dynamics of its’ main prey (freshwater
zooplankton), and through that, the whole food web.