[MCN] Farmer's Union: Heat and body size: Cattle can hit thermal limit

[Lance Olsen]

Chris Christiaens, legislative director of the 
Montana Farmers Union, noted that the report 
warns that rangeland cattle production could drop 
20 percent.

"When it gets to be 95 degrees, cattle do not 
gain as fast; they don't gain as much," he said, 
"and so, the potential losses to the livestock 
industry are pretty significant."

The report is online at
http://montanafarmersunion.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FINAL_Impact_Climate_Change_MT_Ag_Econ_Power_Consulting_2-24-2016.pdf


I have the pdfs of the trio below. Lance

"  ...   organisms have a physiological response 
to temperature, and these responses have 
important consequences  ....  biological rates 
and times (e.g. metabolic rate, growth, 
reproduction, mortality and activity) vary with 
temperature."

Anthony I. Dell, Samraat Pawar and Van M. Savage. 
Temperature dependence of trophic interactions 
are driven by asymmetry of species responses and 
foraging strategy. Journal of Animal Ecology 
2013       


"Direct effects of climatic warming can be 
understood through fatal decrements in an 
organism's performance in growth, reproduction, 
foraging, immune competence, behaviors and 
competitiveness. Performance in animals is 
supported by aerobic scope, the increase in 
oxygen consumption rate from resting to maximal 
(9). Performance falls below its optimum during 
cooling and warming. At both upper and lower 
pejus temperatures, performance decrements result 
as the limiting capacity for oxygen supply causes 
hypoxemia (4, 8) (see the figure, left). Beyond 
low and high critical temperatures, only a 
passive, anaerobic existence is possible."

Hans O. Pörtner and Anthony P. Farrell. 
Physiology and Climate Change. SCIENCE 31 OCTOBER 
2008    VOL 322


"Between 1C and 2C increases in global mean 
temperatures most species, ecosystems and 
landscapes will be impacted and adaptive capacity 
will become limited."

Rik Leemans and Bas Eickhout. Another reason for 
concern: regional and global impacts on 
ecosystems for different levels of climate 
change. Global Environmental Change 14 (2004) 
219-228
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