DOES MICROCLIMATE EXPLAIN PATTERNS OF VARIATION IN LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF UINTA GROUND SQUIRRELS (SPERMOPHILUS ARMATUS)?
Kim B. O’Keefe and Elizabeth A. Hadly. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, California. ABSTRACT- Organisms can respond to changes in climatic conditions in a myriad of ways, ranging from shifts in species distribution to in situ evolution. However, for many species, particularly those that have low dispersal ability, adjustments in life history may be the first-order response to a changing environment. Previous studies of ground squirrels in the genus Spermophilus demonstrate intraspecific variation in life history that co-varies with elevation implying the strong influence of abiotic conditions. The objective of our study was to assess how microclimate influences life history strategies in ground squirrels and what implications those differences in life history have on the local population dynamics. To better understand how life history relates with aspects of the abiotic environment, we examined spatial patterns of life history variation
