Final answer:
Ectotherms are sensitive to environmental temperatures and climate change can have various impacts on them, such as decreased diversity in cooler regions, changes in daily activity patterns due to higher tropic temperatures, and increased energetic costs for cooling. Some might expand into new habitats, and behavioral adaptations will be crucial for temperature regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ectotherms are organisms whose body temperature is heavily influenced by their environment, as opposed to endotherms, which regulate their body temperature internally. With the increasing global temperatures due to climate change, ectotherms may face several impacts. Their diversity could decrease in cool regions because they may not be able to cope with the warmer temperatures. In the tropics, the constant high temperatures may limit the times when ectotherms can be active, leading to changes in their daily activity patterns. Additionally, ectotherms could expend more energy trying to cool their bodies down, as they rely on external conditions to regulate their temperature.
Moreover, some ectotherms might actually benefit in certain ways, such as expanding into new habitats that were previously too cold for them. Behavioral adaptations are also essential for ectotherms in managing their body temperature. These can include seeking shade during the hottest parts of the day or basking on rocks during colder nights, as well as grouping behaviors like bees warming their hive.
Overall, ectotherms have to rely on the environment and their behavior to maintain their body temperature, making them sensitive indicators of changes in their habitats due to climate change. They use external heat sources to regulate their temperatures, while endotherms utilize metabolically generated heat to maintain a more constant internal temperature regardless of environmental conditions.