Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology
Faculty of AgriSciences
Stellenbosch University
Private Bag X1
Matieland
7602
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Biography
My
personal research interests span a range of environmental and evolutionary
physiology topics. Recently, my research has focused on understanding the
factors affecting climatic stress resistance in insects and the potential
implications for climate change. A large amount of this work has been
undertaken on tsetse flies (Diptera, Glossinidae) as a model
for vectors of disease in Africa while I was
based at the Centre
for Invasion Biology. The type of questions that we tackled
included: How do animals adjust their tolerance to a particular situation
within remarkably short time spans? Does an animal’s tolerance to environmental
extremes make a difference to their geographic distribution and survival in the
long term? I continue to work on similar questions across a range of organisms
of either agricultural, evolutionary or health importance. If these sorts of
questions interest you, then read on!
The
evolution of different gas exchange patterns in insects as a form of
environmental adaptation has also captured my attention. One such noteworthy
pattern is discontinuous gas exchange (DGE). It has been
argued that modulating spiracle opening during DGE can save respiratory water
although this idea is contentious for several reasons, e.g. animals abandon DGE
under conditions when it should be most useful. A host of potential
explanations for DGE exist and we are actively involved in pursuing these from
experimental and comparative physiology perspectives. Understanding gas
exchange also has significant applications to other research fields (e.g.
modified atmosphere treatments for post-harvest pest control).
Central
to my research is physiological variation and its causes and consequences at
different hierarchical levels (individuals, populations and species). The
evolutionary significance of within-individual variation has long been
recognized and forms the foundation for several of my previous research
projects. I am not particularly fussy about which animals I work with, and we
prefer to focus on questions and suitable species which could be used to answer
the theoretical questions raised. In consequence, a wide range of animals are
used and include insects, collembola, whip-spiders (Amblypygids), scorpions and
even lizards. If you are only interested in reptiles and do NOT want to tough
goggas in my lab I suggest you go here.
We have
had some of our work on insect metabolic rate-temperature and development
rate-temperature relationships published in a leading journal, The American
Naturalist. This work shows that the controversial Metabolic Theory of
Ecology does not fully account for variation in rate-temperature relationships,
and therefore, that other theories should be given due consideration. For the
paper, go
here.
Postgraduate
opportunities:
We do
interdisciplinary research including global climate change, physiological
responses to environmental conditions, mechanisms underlying environmental
tolerance, and principles and applications of insect physiology to broader
issues (e.g. conservation, pest management). I am currently in the process of
building up my research laboratory. Highly motivated students interested
in undertaking postgraduate research degrees should email me to discuss
available projects and funding opportunities. A number of projects are
available which span a wide range of disciplines and involve varying levels of
field and lab-work. There are also opportunities for undergraduates to gain
research experience and interested students should contact me directly.
Intellect,
an interest in acquiring new skills, independence and creativity are key
characteristics I seek in potential students. Broad interests, someone who
likes a challenge, an open mind, and the ability to synthesize different
research areas are all useful for a post-graduate degree in my lab.
Key
research areas:
Phenotypic
plasticity in insects
Thermal
tolerance of insects
Water balance
of insects
Energy
metabolism and gas exchange patterns of insects
Evolutionary
and ecological physiology of insects
Integrated
and area-wide pest management
Committees
and editorial boards:
Editorial
board member - The Open Entomology Journal
Committee
member - Macrophysiology Meeting 2008, Plymouth, U.K.
ACGMO
Sub-committee Department of Agriculture
INTECOL 2009
– ‘Insect responses to climate change’ session organizer
1)A
simple breathing circuit to maintain isocapnia during measurements of the
hypoxic ventilatory response. A. Fahlman, S. Jackson, J. Terblanche, J.A. Fisher, A. Vesely,
H. Sasano, K. H. Myburgh. 2002. Respiration Physiology and Neurobiology, 133:
259-70.
2)Diurnal
variation in supercooling points of three species of Collembola from CapeHallett,
Antarctica. B.J. Sinclair,
C.J. Klok, M.B. Scott, J.S. Terblanche,
S.L. Chown. 2003. Journal of Insect Physiology, 49: 1049–1061.
3)A
familial comparison of hypoxic sensitivity in two South African populations.J.S. Terblanche. 2003. M.Sc. thesis. StellenboschUniversity
Printers, South Africa.
4)Metabolic
rate variation in Glossina pallidipes (Diptera:
Glossinidae): gender, ageing and repeatability. J.S. Terblanche, C.J.
Klok, S.L. Chown. 2004. Journal of Insect Physiology,
50: 419-428.
5)Metabolic rate in the whip spider, Damon annulatipes
(Arachnida: Amblypygi). J.S. Terblanche, C.J. Klok, E. Marais, S.L. Chown. 2004. Journal
of Insect Physiology, 50: 637-645.
6)Measurement
reliability of highly variable physiological responses to
experimentally-manipulated gas fractions.J. Terblanche, A. Fahlman, K.H.
Myburgh, S. Jackson. 2004. Physiological
Measurement, 25: 1189-1198.
7)Inter-population
variation in the acute hypoxic ventilatory response: testing the adaptive
significance in humans. J.S. Terblanche, K.A. Tolley, A.
Fahlman, K.H. Myburgh, S. Jackson. 2005.
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A, 140: 349-362.
8)Temperature-dependence
of metabolic rate in Glossina morsitans
morsitans (Diptera, Glossinidae) does not vary with gender, age, feeding,
pregnancy or acclimation. J.S. Terblanche, C.J. Klok, S.L.
Chown. 2005. Journal of Insect Physiology, 51: 861-870.
9)The
effects of acclimation on thermal tolerance, desiccation resistance and
metabolic rate in Chirodica chalcoptera
(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J.S. Terblanche, B.J. Sinclair,
C.J. Klok, M.L. McFarlane, S.L. Chown. 2005. Journal of Insect Physiology, 51:
1013-1023.
10)Insect
gas exchange patterns: a phylogenetic perspective. E. Marais, C.J.
Klok, J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown.
2005. Journal of Experimental Biology,
208: 4495-4507.
11)Environmental physiology of three species of
Collembola at CapeHallett, North Victoria Land, Antarctica.B.J. Sinclair, J.S. Terblanche, M.B.
Scott, G. Blatch, C.J. Klok, S.L. Chown. 2006. Journal
of Insect Physiology, 52: 29-50.
12)The
relative contributions of developmental plasticity and adult acclimation to
physiological variation in the tsetse fly, Glossina
pallidipes (Diptera, Glossinidae). J.S. Terblanche, S.L.
Chown. 2006. Journal of Experimental Biology, 209: 1064-1073.
13)Phenotypic
flexibility and geographic variation in thermal tolerance and water loss of the
tsetse fly Glossina pallidipes (Diptera:
Glossinidae): implications for distribution modeling. J.S. Terblanche, C.J.
Klok, E.S. Krafsur, S.L. Chown. 2006. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene, 74: 786-794.
15)Gas
exchange characteristics, metabolic rate and water loss of the African Rock
Crawler, Karoophasma biedouwensis
(Mantophasmatodea: Mantophasmatidae). S.L. Chown, E.
Marais, M.D. Picker, J.S. Terblanche.
2006. Journal of Insect Physiology, 52: 442-449.
16)Determinants
of the terrestrial arthropod community composition at CapeHallett, Antarctica.
B.J. Sinclair, M.B. Scott, C.J. Klok, J.S. Terblanche, D.J. Marshall, B. Reyers, S.L. Chown. 2006.
Antarctic Science, 18: 303-312.
17)Low
repeatability of preferred body temperature in four species of Cordylid
lizards:temporal
variation and implications for adaptive significance. S. Clusella Trullas, J.S. Terblanche, J.H. van Wyk, J.R.
Spotila. 2007. Evolutionary Ecology, 21: 63-79.
18)Physiological
diversity in insects: ecological and evolutionary contexts. S.L.
Chown, J.S. Terblanche. 2007.
Advances in Insect Physiology, 33: 50-152.
19)Scaling
of insect metabolic rate is inconsistent with the nutrient supply network
model. S.L. Chown, E. Marais, J.S.
Terblanche, C.J. Klok, J.R.B. Lighton, T.M. Blackburn. 2007. Functional
Ecology, 21: 282-290.
20)The
effects of temperature, body mass and feeding on metabolic rate in the tsetse
fly Glossina morsitans centralis.
J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown. 2007. Physiological Entomology, 32:
175-180.
21)Evolutionary
responses of discontinuous gas exchange in insects. C.R. White, T.M.
Blackburn, J.S. Terblanche, E.
Marais, M. Gibernau, S.L. Chown. 2007. Proceedings of the National Academy of ScienceUSA, 104: 8357-8361.
22)Stage-related
variation in rapid cold-hardening as a test of the environmental predictability
hypothesis. J.S. Terblanche, E. Marais, S.L. Chown. 2007. Journal of
Insect Physiology, 53: 455-462.
23)Variation
in scorpion metabolic rate and rate-temperature relationships: implications for
the fundamental equation of the metabolic theory of ecology. J.S. Terblanche, C.
Janion, S.L. Chown. 2007. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 20: 1602-1612.
24)Cuticular
lipid mass and desiccation rates in Glossina
pallidipes: interpopulation variation. R. Jurenka, J.S. Terblanche, C.J. Klok, S.L. Chown,
E.S. Krafsur. 2007. Physiological Entomology, 32: 287-293.
25)Critical
thermal limits depend on methodological context. J.S. Terblanche, J.A.
Deere, S. Clusella-Trullas, C. Janion, S.L. Chown. 2007. Proceedings of the
Royal Society of London
B, 274: 2935-2942.
26)Critical
thermal limits and their responses to acclimation in two sub-Antarctic spiders:
Myro kerguelenensis and Prinerigone vegans. K.R.
Jumbam, J.S. Terblanche, J.A. Deere,
M. Somers, S.L. Chown. 2008. Polar Biology, 31-215-220.
27)Scaling
of gas exchange cycle frequency in insects. J.S. Terblanche, C.R.
White, T.M. Blackburn, E. Marais, S.L. Chown. 2008. Biology Letters, 4:
127-129.
28)Thermal
tolerance in a south-east African population of the tsetse fly Glossina pallidipes (Diptera,
Glossinidae): implications for forecasting climate-change impacts. J.S.
Terblanche, S. Clusella-Trullas, J.A. Deere, S.L. Chown.
2008. Journal of Insect Physiology, 54: 114-127.
29)Testing
the thermal melanism hypothesis: a macro-physiological approach. S.
Clusella Trullas, J.S. Terblanche,
T.M. Blackburn, S.L. Chown. 2008. Functional Ecology, 22: 232-238.
30)Acclimation
effects on critical and lethal thermal limits of workers of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. K.
Jumbam, S. Jackson, J.S. Terblanche, M.A. McGeoch, S.L. Chown. 2008. Journal of Insect
Physiology, 54: 1008-1014.
31)Allometric
scaling of maximum metabolic rate: the influence of temperature. C.R.
White, J.S. Terblanche, A.P. Kabat,
T.M. Blackburn, S.L. Chown, P.J. Butler. 2008. Functional Ecology, 22: 616-623.
32)Insect
thermal tolerance: what is the role of ontogeny, ageing and senescence? K.
Bowler, J.S. Terblanche. 2008.
Biological Reviews, 83: 339-355.
33)Control
of discontinuous gas exchange in Samia
cynthia: effects of atmospheric oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture.J.S. Terblanche, E. Marais, S.K. Hetz, S.L. Chown. 2008. Journal of
Experimental Biology, 211: 3272-3280.
34)The
evolution of water balance physiology in Glossina
(Diptera: Glossinidae): correlations with climate. E. Kleynhans, J.S. Terblanche. 2009. Biology Letters,
5: 93-96.
35)Phenotypic
variance, plasticity and heritability estimates of critical thermal limits
depend on methodological context. S.L. Chown, K. Jumbam, J.G. Sørensen, J.S. Terblanche. 2009. Functional
Ecology, 23: 133-140.
36)Life
stage-related differences in hardening and acclimation of thermal tolerance
traits in the kelp fly, Paractora dreuxi
(Diptera, Helcomyzidae). E. Marais, J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown. 2009. Journal of Insect Physiology,
55: 336-343.
37)Phenotypic
plasticity of desiccation resistance in Glossina
puparia: are there ecotype constraints on acclimation responses? J.S.
Terblanche, E. Kleynhans. 2009. Journal of Evolutionary
Biology, 22: 1636-1648.
38)Low
temperature tolerance of false codling moth Thaumatotibia
leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in South Africa. R.S.
Stotter, J.S. Terblanche. 2009.
Journal of Thermal Biology, 34: 320-325.
39)Directional
evolution of the slope of the metabolic rate-temperature relationship is
correlated with climate. J.S.
Terblanche, S. Clusella-Trullas, J.A. Deere, B.J. Van Vuuren, S.L. Chown.
2009. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 82: 495-503.
40)Macrophysiology:
A conceptual re-unification. K.J. Gaston, S.L. Chown, P. Calosi, J.
Barnardo, D.T. Bilton, A. Clarke, S. Clusella-Trullas, C.K. Ghalambor, M.
Konarzewski, L.S. Peck, W.P. Porter, H.O. Pörtner, E.L. Rezende, P.M. Schulte,
J. Stillman, J.S. Terblanche, M. van
Kleunen. 2009. The American Naturalist, 174: 595-612.
41)Insect
rate-temperature relationships: environmental variation and the metabolic
theory of ecology. U.M. Irlich,
J.S. Terblanche, T.M. Blackburn, S.L. Chown. 2009. The American Naturalist,
174: 819-835.
42)Thermal
tolerance in adult Mediterranean and Natal
fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata and Ceratitis rosa): effects of age, gender
and feeding status. C. Nyamukondiwa, J.S. Terblanche. 2009. Journal of Thermal Biology, 34: 406-414.
In Press
43)Effects
of flow rate and temperature on cyclic gas exchange in tsetse flies (Diptera,
Glossinidae). J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown. Journal of Insect Physiology.
44)Parameter
landscapes unveil the bias in allometric prediction. C.
Hui, J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown,
M.A. McGeoch. Methods in Ecology and Evolution.
45)Phenotypic plasticity of locomotion
performance in the seed harvester, Messor capensis (Formicidae). S.
Clusella-Trullas, J.S. Terblanche, S.L. Chown. Physiological and
Biochemical Zoology.
Review, Commentary
and News Articles (not peer-reviewed)
46)Big
dinosaurs: hot or not? J.S. Terblanche. 2007. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 210, Issue 1, January, p. vi.
47)Limits
of insect muscle function. J.S. Terblanche. 2007. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 210, Issue 7, April, p. v.
48)Can
heating suffocate insects? J.S. Terblanche. 2007. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 210, Issue 15, August, p. vi.
49)Hungry
for air. J.S. Terblanche. 2007. Journal of Experimental Biology,
Outside JEB, Vol. 210, Issue 21, November, p. vi.
50)Do city
ants really have higher heat tolerance? A journal club critique. S.
Clusella-Trullas, J.S. Terblanche,
K. Jumbam, M. Stevens, S. Jackson. 2007. PLoS
One.
51)Factory
flies are not equal to wild flies.J.S.
Terblanche, Chown, S.L. 2007. Science 317: 1678-1678.
52)Flashdance.J.S. Terblanche. 2008. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 211, Issue 1, January, p. v.
53)Cool,
captured flies. J.S. Terblanche. 2008. Journal of Experimental Biology,
Outside JEB, Vol. 211, Issue 7, April, p. iii.
54)Winter
hibernation for Antarctic fish. J.S. Terblanche. 2008. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 211, Issue 13, June, p. v.
55)Calcium:
a key player in rapid cold-hardening. J.S. Terblanche. 2008.
Journal of Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 211, Issue 18, September, p.
iv-v.
56)How
flies keep their cool. J.S. Terblanche. 2009. Journal of
Experimental Biology, Outside JEB, Vol. 212, Issue 1, January, p. vi.
Popular Science
(not peer-reviewed)
57)Life on
Ice.Brent Sinclair and John Terblanche. Men’s Health magazine
(Touchline Media), April 2004 pp. 180-6.
58)Postcards
from Zambia:
ramblings of an ecological physiologist. J.S. Terblanche. Akkerdier,
Botany and Zoology Department, StellenboschUniversity November 2006
pp. 3-4.
Published
Conference Abstracts (not peer-reviewed)
Physiological
constraints on the small-scale distribution of three species of Antarctic
Collembola. 2005. Sinclair, B.J., Klok,
C.J., Terblanche, J.S., Scott, M.B., Chown, S.L. 2005. Integrative and
Comparative Biology 45, 1073.
The
relative contributions of developmental plasticity and adult acclimation to
physiological variation in the tsetse fly, Glossina
pallidipes. Terblanche, J.S., Chown, S.L.
2007. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 146A, S205.
Biodiversity responses to earth system
variability. Janion, C., Marais, E., Lee, J.E., Terblanche, J.S., S.L. Chown. 2007.
South African National Programme Principal Investigator Symposium, Stellenbosch, South Africa, October 2007.
