Many species are impacted by the changes caused by climate change. Phenotypic plasticity, or trait flexibility, could allow animals to more easily track these environmental changes from year to year, resulting in an increased ability to persist through climate change.
Sarah Ramirez of the University of Wisconsin-Madison led a Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center synthesis research project to explore the role of phenotypic plasticity in the adaptive capacity of midwestern fish and wildlife species. She completed a literature review and consulted with experts about management and conservation implications of plasticity. Her research highlights four case study species with a gradient of known or suspected phenotypic plasticity – walleye, cisco, snowshoe hare, and painted turtles. In this seminar on February 18, she will discuss her findings about phenotypic plasticity, adaptive capacity, and management implications.
This is a hybrid event. Join us on Zoom or in person at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Water Science and Engineering Lab Room 102. Reception to follow in the Hasler Lab FIKA Room (enter through the main door on the east side of the building, last room on the left).