Responses of Terrestrial Animals to Environmental Change 

In this module we will examine the ways in which terrestrial animals respond to environmental change.

In the first topic, we will explore animal responses to seasonal changes in the environment. These responses range from spectacular migrations to subtle changes in metabolism that require detailed laboratory studies to detect. There are behavioural responses, physiological responses, and responses that combine behaviour with physiology. We will then integrate these different responses by exploring seasonal energy budgets of some animals, and this allows us to understand the relative importance of each of these adaptations.

In the second topic, we will consider the consequences of climate change, in particular global warming, on animals.

Frillneck lizard

Readings

Please read the following articles in Reading List. Read them to understand the main points rather than the fine detail. For example, in the article by Dayananda et al. (2021), I am more interested in you reading the first part of the paper that reviews the different types of impacts of climate change on reptiles, rather than concentrating on the specifics about Sri Lanka.