Necrotic fruit: a novel model system for thermal ecologists

Feder, M.E.

Necrotic fruit: a novel model system for thermal ecologists

1997

Feder, M.E.

1. Necrotic fruits, which a diversity of small organisms (e.g. larval Drosophila melanogaster) can inhabit, routinely attained temperatures greater than 35 degrees C and as high as 52 degrees C when in direct sunlight for 1-2 h. 2. Fruit color, integument, water loss and size each influenced the kinetics and magnitude of solar heating of fruit. 3. Within-fruit spatial variation in temperature was < 5 degrees C at a given time, and often much less. 4 These findings suggest that organisms inhabiting isolated fruit experience stressful if not lethal temperatures.

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