Extreme Heat: A new driver of desert mammal assemblages

热浪造成的死亡人数比任何其他恶劣天气事件都多，而且正在变得更长、更频繁、更强烈。因此，极端高温可能很快就会与捕食和降雨相匹敌，成为沙漠哺乳动物聚集的主要驱动力。该项目将调查热浪属性(持续时间、强度、频率)、物种属性(生理、行为、可塑性)和景观特征(避难所、火灾、放牧)如何相互作用，并促成极端高温对沙漠哺乳动物的致命和亚致命影响。建模将预测不同气候和土地管理情景下沙漠哺乳动物群落的变化。结果将为火灾和放牧管理、受威胁物种恢复计划和干旱区恢复提供信息。

Heat waves cause more deaths than any other severe weather event and are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense. Consequently, extreme heat may soon rival predation and rainfall as a major driver of desert mammal assemblages. This project will investigate how heat wave attributes (duration, intensity, frequency), species attributes (physiology, behaviour, plasticity) and landscape features (refuges, fire, grazing) interact and contribute to lethal and sublethal effects of extreme heat on desert mammals. Modelling will predict changes in desert mammal assemblages under different climatic and land management scenarios. Results will inform fire and grazing management, threatened species recovery programs and arid zone restoration.