Research Projects

Climate change is causing unprecedented fluctuations in temperature, profoundly impacting species survival and ecosystem functioning. Amphibians, being ectothermic organisms with permeable skin, are particularly vulnerable to temperature extremes and are known to be incredibly threatened globally. This proposal aims to identify which species may be most vulnerable to climate change in the Western Ghats. I will achieve this by determining the thermal limits, quantifying temperature ranges in microhabitats, and assessing the ability of anurans to move to avoid extreme temperatures in the Western Ghats. Despite their ecological importance, there is limited understanding of how amphibians respond to thermal stress, particularly in regions like the Western Ghats, where nearly 90% of species are endemic and presumably have narrow climatic tolerances. Understanding these responses is critical for predicting how climate change may impact anurans. I hypothesize that there will be significant differences in thermal tolerance measured as Critical Temperature Maxima (CTMax) and Critical Temperature Minima (CTMin), between species of different genera. Specifically, I expect species that have greater phylogenetic relatedness will share similar thermal traits. However, within-group variation would be related to ontogeny, body size, sex, and microhabitat preference. A predictive model integrating species-specific thermal limits and climate projections will be developed to identify vulnerable populations and priority conservation areas in combination with information about the ability of anurans to move. I expect species with low mobility and narrow distribution to have a greater risk of extinction. To address my questions, I will conduct extensive fieldwork across the Western Ghats to sample anurans and determine their thermal limits using laboratory-based experiments. I will also use techniques of radio-telemetry to determine the ability of anurans to move within and across landscapes. My proposed research is the first of its kind study in India and will fill a large knowledge gap about anuran thermal tolerance as well as shed light on the evolutionary history of how thermal tolerance has evolved across families and genera of several endemic anurans. Knowledge of the physiological and ecological responses of amphibians to thermal stress will contribute to a fundamental understanding of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. The findings could inform conservation strategies, such as habitat restoration to provide thermal refugia, and policy recommendations for mitigating climate-related biodiversity loss. Furthermore, the study will advance the scientific understanding of thermal ecology and foster integrative research at the intersection of physiology, ecology, and climate science.