Ecophysiology of Woodland Salamanders

Linking metabolism, water balance, dormancy, and tissue regeneration.

Woodland salamanders are one of the most unique and ecologically important vertebrates in North America. We study how physiology links environment to fitness and how those links shape vulnerability, range limits, and evolutionary trajectories.

Metabolic rate and water loss illustration

Section 1

Physiology and climate vulnerability

We quantify how metabolic rate and water loss interact to shape organismal performance across thermal and hydric gradients. Because salamanders rely heavily on cutaneous respiration, changes in skin resistance directly influence oxygen uptake, activity capacity, and dehydration risk.

Metabolic rate: energy demand under variable temperature
Water loss: evaporative constraint on activity and survival
Integration: linking physiology to performance and climate exposure

Goal

Connect physiological traits to fitness-relevant outcomes to improve predictions of climate vulnerability across species and landscapes.

Winter warming and salamander habitat loss

Figure 2

Figure 2. Winter warming threatens the global hotspot of salamander diversity. By estimating seasonal energy reserves across winter months, we show that salamanders deplete a substantial fraction of stored energy under warmer conditions. When winter metabolic rate is incorporated into projections of future climate warming, large portions of currently suitable habitat become energetically unsuitable (panel F).

Winter dormancy, energetics, and species ranges

Winter is a dominant selective force for temperate salamanders. We investigate how metabolic regulation, tissue structure, and energy storage strategies during dormancy influence survival, overwinter performance, and geographic range limits.

Metabolic physiology: rates during dormancy and warming
Histology: tissue organization and structural changes
Energetics: stored fuels and seasonal constraints

Big question

How do winter metabolic constraints set the boundaries of where species can persist?

Tail regeneration and metabolic rate illustration

Section 3

Ecology and evolution of tissue regeneration

Salamanders are renowned for their regenerative capacity, yet rates of regeneration vary across environments. We examine how metabolic rate, temperature, and elevation shape regeneration rates and mechanisms.

Tail-tip regeneration: standardized assays across populations
Metabolic rates: energetic costs of tail regeneration
Elevational gradients: regeneration rates across elevation and populations

Current focus

We are quantifying tail-tip regeneration rates to test how energy availability shapes regenerative investment.