Surviving in a warmer world: environmental and genetic responses

There are numerous reports in the literature of advancing trends in phenophases of plants, insects and birds attributed to rising temperature resulting from human-driven climate warming. One mechanism that enables a population to respond rapidly to changes in the environ- ment is termed phenotypic plasticity. This plasticity grants a degree of flexibility to enable the tim- ing of developmental stages to coincide with resource availability. If, however, environmental con- ditions exceed the plastic limits of an organism, evolutionary change may be necessary in order to ensure continued survival of their populations. We review evidence for phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation in phen…