NECROTIC FRUIT - A NOVEL MODEL SYSTEM FOR THERMAL ECOLOGISTS

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 s unlight for 1-2 h. 2. Fruit color, integument, water loss and size eac h influenced the kinetics and magnitude of solar heating of Fruit. 3. Within-fruit spatial variation in temperature was < 5 degrees C at a g iven time, and often much less. 4. These findings suggest that organis ms inhabiting isolated fruit experience stressful if not lethal temper atures. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.