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Fernandes TV, Parr CL, Campos RI, Neves FDS, Solar R. Scavenging in two mountain ecosystems: Distinctive contribution of ants in grassland and non-ant invertebrates in forest. Ecology 2024; 105:e4365. [PMID: 38895926 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Scavenging is a key process for the cycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is still neglected in the ecological literature. Apart from the importance of specific groups of animals in scavenging, there have been few ecological studies that compare them. Furthermore, the ecological studies on scavenging have mainly focused on vertebrates despite the crucial importance of invertebrates in this process. Here, we performed a large-scale ant suppression and vertebrate exclusion experiment to quantify the relative contribution of ants, non-ant invertebrates and vertebrates in scavenging nitrogen-rich (insect carcasses) and carbon-rich (seeds) baits in two contrasting mountainous habitats in Brazil (grasslands and forests). Overall, bait removal was 23.2% higher in forests than in grasslands. Ants were the primary scavengers in grasslands, responsible for more than 57% of dead insect larvae and seed removal, while, in forests, non-ant invertebrates dominated, removing nearly 65% of all baits. Vertebrates had a minor role in scavenging dead insect larvae and seeds in both habitats, with <4% of removals. Furthermore, our results show that animal-based baits were more consumed in forests than seeds, and both resources were equally consumed in grasslands. Therefore, we demonstrate the superiority of invertebrates in this process, with a particular emphasis on the irreplaceable role of ants, especially in this grassland ecosystem. As such, we further advance our knowledge of a key ecosystem process, showing the relative importance of three major groups in scavenging and the differences in ecosystems functioning between two contrasting tropical habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Vinícius Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Ricardo Solar
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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2
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Stell E, Bommarco R, Laubmeier AN, Meiss H, Therond O. From a local descriptive to a generic predictive model of cereal aphid regulation by predators. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:943-957. [PMID: 38801060 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The temporal dynamics of insect populations in agroecosystems are influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic interactions, including trophic interactions in complex food webs. Predicting the regulation of herbivorous insect pests by arthropod predators and parasitoids would allow for rendering crop production less dependent on chemical pesticides. Curtsdotter et al. (2019) developed a food-web model simulating the influences of naturally occurring arthropod predators on aphid population dynamics in cereal crop fields. The use of an allometric hypothesis based on the relative body masses of the prey and various predator guilds reduced the number of estimated parameters to just five, albeit field-specific. Here, we extend this model and test its applicability and predictive capacity. We first parameterized the original model with a dataset with the dynamic arthropod community compositions in 54 fields in six regions in France. We then integrated three additional biological functions to the model: parasitism, aphid carrying capacity and suboptimal high temperatures that reduce aphid growth rates. We developed a multi-field calibration approach to estimate a single set of generic allometric parameters for a given group of fields, which would increase model generality needed for predictions. The original and revised models, when using field-specific parameterization, achieved quantitatively good fits to observed aphid population dynamics for 59% and 53% of the fields, respectively, with pseudo-R2 up to 0.99. But the multi-field calibration showed that increased model generality came at the cost of reduced model reliability (goodness-of-fit). Our study highlights the need to further improve our understanding of how body size and other traits affect trophic interactions in food webs. It also points up the need to acquire high-resolution data to use this type of modelling approach. We propose that a hypothesis-driven strategy of model improvement based on the integration of additional biological functions and additional functional traits beyond body size (e.g., predator space search or prey defences) into the food-web matrix can improve model reliability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Stell
- LAE, Université de Lorraine, INRAE, Colmar, France
- LAE, Université de Lorraine, INRAE, Nancy, France
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda N Laubmeier
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Helmut Meiss
- LAE, Université de Lorraine, INRAE, Nancy, France
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3
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Braun J, Lortie CJ. Environmental filtering mediates desert ant community assembly at two spatial scales. Oecologia 2024; 205:231-244. [PMID: 38761196 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05559-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that maintain species coexistence and determine patterns of community assembly are fundamental goals of ecology. Quantifying the relationship between species traits and stress gradients is a necessary step to disentangle assembly processes and to be able to predict the outcome of environmental change. We examined the hypothesis that desert ant communities are assembled by niche-based processes i.e., environmental filtering and limiting similarity. First, we used population-level morphological trait measurements to study the functional structure of ant communities along a dryland environmental stress gradient. Second, we developed species distribution models for each species to quantify large-scale climatic niche overlap between species. Body, femur, antennal scape, and head lengths were correlated with environmental gradients. Regionally, the ant community was significantly and functionally overdispersed in terms of morphological traits which suggests the importance of competition to ant community structure. Ant community assembly was also strongly influenced by environmental factors as the degree of functional trait divergence, but not phylogenetic divergence, decreased with increasing environmental stress. Thus, environmental stress likely mediates limiting similarity in these desert ecosystems. Species with lower climatic niche overlap were more dissimilar in morphological traits. This suggests that environmental filtering on ant functional traits is important at the scale of species distributions in addition to regional scales. This study shows that environmental and biotic filtering (i.e., niche-based assembly mechanisms) are jointly and non-independently structuring the ant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Braun
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - C J Lortie
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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4
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Huang X, Li Q, Xu Y, Li A, Wang S, Chen Y, Zhang C, Zhang X, Wang H, Lv C, Sun B, Li S, Kang L, Chen B. A neural m 6A pathway regulates behavioral aggregation in migratory locusts. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1242-1254. [PMID: 38478296 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2476-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant modification of messenger RNA, can modulate insect behaviors, but its specific roles in aggregation behaviors remain unexplored. Here, we conducted a comprehensive molecular and physiological characterization of the individual components of the methyltransferase and demethylase in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Our results demonstrated that METTL3, METTL14 and ALKBH5 were dominantly expressed in the brain and exhibited remarkable responses to crowding or isolation. The individual knockdown of methyltransferases (i.e., METTL3 and METTL14) promoted locust movement and conspecific attraction, whereas ALKBH5 knockdown induced a behavioral shift toward the solitary phase. Furthermore, global transcriptome profiles revealed that m6A modification could regulate the orchestration of gene expression to fine tune the behavioral aggregation of locusts. In summary, our in vivo characterization of the m6A functions in migratory locusts clearly demonstrated the crucial roles of the m6A pathway in effectively modulating aggregation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianliang Huang
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Qing Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanan Xu
- Institute of Health Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Ang Li
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shanzheng Wang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yusheng Chen
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Chunrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hailin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Cong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Baofa Sun
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shaoqin Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Le Kang
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Bing Chen
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
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5
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Paraskevopoulos AW, Sanders NJ, Resasco J. Temperature-driven homogenization of an ant community over 60 years in a montane ecosystem. Ecology 2024; 105:e4302. [PMID: 38594213 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the mechanisms underlying the changes in the distribution of species is critical to accurately predict how species have responded and will respond to climate change. Here, we take advantage of a late-1950s study on ant assemblages in a canyon near Boulder, Colorado, USA, to understand how and why species distributions have changed over a 60-year period. Community composition changed over 60 years with increasing compositional similarity among ant assemblages. Community composition differed significantly between the periods, with aspect and tree cover influencing composition. Species that foraged in broader temperature ranges became more widespread over the 60-year period. Our work highlights that shifts in community composition and biotic homogenization can occur even in undisturbed areas without strong habitat degradation. We also show the power of pairing historical and contemporary data and encourage more mechanistic studies to predict species changes under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna W Paraskevopoulos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julian Resasco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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6
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García Ibarra F, Jouquet P, Bottinelli N, Bultelle A, Monnin T. Experimental evidence that increased surface temperature affects bioturbation by ants. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:319-332. [PMID: 38155266 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Ants are important bioturbators that actively produce biopores and move soil particles. They could be particularly affected by global warming as they are ectotherms. Nevertheless, they can indirectly regulate their temperature, through changes in their circadian cycles and the architecture of their nests (e.g. digging deep nests or using insulating materials). Nest architecture has been considered an expanded functional trait of ant colonies and thus sensitive to environmental changes such as increasing temperatures. This work aimed to study the nest architecture of ants as a functional trait and its effects on soil bioturbation. We hypothesized that, when exposed to increased surface temperatures, ants would increase their excavation activities, build deeper nests and alter the layout of chambers to maintain their preferred temperature and humidity, thus enhancing soil porosity. We allowed 17 young Lasius niger ant colonies to excavate nests in soil columns exposed to three surface temperatures (mild, n = 5; medium, n = 6; and high, n = 6) for 100 days. We measured the amount of soil excavated weekly and took X-ray scans of the soil column on Days 7, 14, 28, and 88 to characterize the three-dimensional structure of the nests (depth, shape, volume of chambers and tunnels). We then collected the colonies and measured their growth during the experiment, and the size and weight of workers. Ants reacted to surface temperature. Colonies exposed to medium and high temperatures excavated larger and deeper nests than those exposed to mild temperature. Nests excavated under high and medium temperatures had the same maximal depth, but chambers were located deeper in the former, which were further characterized by the refiling of some of the upper chambers. Colonies grew well in all treatments, although less under mild temperature. They produced normal-sized workers despite differences in surface temperature. Overall, these results suggest that ants exposed to higher temperatures live in deeper chambers. This study shows that surface temperature affects ant nest architecture, confirming its status as extended phenotype and highlighting its flexibility over time, which has in turn consequences on soil porosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima García Ibarra
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Jouquet
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
- Institut de Technologie du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Nicolas Bottinelli
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
- Department of Soil Sciences, Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI), Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Angélique Bultelle
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (UMR7618), Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Est Créteil, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Paris, France
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7
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Gonzalez VH, Herbison N, Robles Perez G, Panganiban T, Haefner L, Tscheulin T, Petanidou T, Hranitz J. Bees display limited acclimation capacity for heat tolerance. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060179. [PMID: 38427330 PMCID: PMC10979511 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Bees are essential pollinators and understanding their ability to cope with extreme temperature changes is crucial for predicting their resilience to climate change, but studies are limited. We measured the response of the critical thermal maximum (CTMax) to short-term acclimation in foragers of six bee species from the Greek island of Lesvos, which differ in body size, nesting habit, and level of sociality. We calculated the acclimation response ratio as a metric to assess acclimation capacity and tested whether bees' acclimation capacity was influenced by body size and/or CTMax. We also assessed whether CTMax increases following acute heat exposure simulating a heat wave. Average estimate of CTMax varied among species and increased with body size but did not significantly shift in response to acclimation treatment except in the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum. Acclimation capacity averaged 9% among species and it was not significantly associated with body size or CTMax. Similarly, the average CTMax did not increase following acute heat exposure. These results indicate that bees might have limited capacity to enhance heat tolerance via acclimation or in response to prior heat exposure, rendering them physiologically sensitive to rapid temperature changes during extreme weather events. These findings reinforce the idea that insects, like other ectotherms, generally express weak plasticity in CTMax, underscoring the critical role of behavioral thermoregulation for avoidance of extreme temperatures. Conserving and restoring native vegetation can provide bees temporary thermal refuges during extreme weather events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H. Gonzalez
- Undergraduate Biology Program and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Natalie Herbison
- Undergraduate Biology Program and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | | | - Trisha Panganiban
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 35229, USA
| | - Laura Haefner
- Biology Department, Waynesburg University, PA, 47243, USA
| | - Thomas Tscheulin
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
| | - Theodora Petanidou
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece
| | - John Hranitz
- Department of Biology, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, 17815 PA, USA
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8
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Gonzalez VH, Manweiler R, Smith AR, Oyen K, Cardona D, Wcislo WT. Low heat tolerance and high desiccation resistance in nocturnal bees and the implications for nocturnal pollination under climate change. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22320. [PMID: 38102400 PMCID: PMC10724170 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49815-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting insect responses to climate change is essential for preserving ecosystem services and biodiversity. Due to high daytime temperatures and low humidity levels, nocturnal insects are expected to have lower heat and desiccation tolerance compared to diurnal species. We estimated the lower (CTMin) and upper (CTMax) thermal limits of Megalopta, a group of neotropical, forest-dwelling bees. We calculated warming tolerance (WT) as a metric to assess vulnerability to global warming and measured survival rates during simulated heatwaves and desiccation stress events. We also assessed the impact of body size and reproductive status (ovary area) on bees' thermal limits. Megalopta displayed lower CTMin, CTMax, and WTs than diurnal bees (stingless bees, orchid bees, and carpenter bees), but exhibited similar mortality during simulated heatwave and higher desiccation tolerance. CTMin increased with increasing body size across all bees but decreased with increasing body size and ovary area in Megalopta, suggesting a reproductive cost or differences in thermal environments. CTMax did not increase with increasing body size or ovary area. These results indicate a greater sensitivity of Megalopta to temperature than humidity and reinforce the idea that nocturnal insects are thermally constrained, which might threaten pollination services in nocturnal contexts during global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H Gonzalez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.
| | - Rachel Manweiler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Adam R Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kennan Oyen
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - David Cardona
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - William T Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
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9
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Ramos Aguila LC, Li X, Akutse KS, Bamisile BS, Sánchez Moreano JP, Lie Z, Liu J. Host-Parasitoid Phenology, Distribution, and Biological Control under Climate Change. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2290. [PMID: 38137891 PMCID: PMC10744521 DOI: 10.3390/life13122290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change raises a serious threat to global entomofauna-the foundation of many ecosystems-by threatening species preservation and the ecosystem services they provide. Already, changes in climate-warming-are causing (i) sharp phenological mismatches among host-parasitoid systems by reducing the window of host susceptibility, leading to early emergence of either the host or its associated parasitoid and affecting mismatched species' fitness and abundance; (ii) shifting arthropods' expansion range towards higher altitudes, and therefore migratory pest infestations are more likely; and (iii) reducing biological control effectiveness by natural enemies, leading to potential pest outbreaks. Here, we provided an overview of the warming consequences on biodiversity and functionality of agroecosystems, highlighting the vital role that phenology plays in ecology. Also, we discussed how phenological mismatches would affect biological control efficacy, since an accurate description of stage differentiation (metamorphosis) of a pest and its associated natural enemy is crucial in order to know the exact time of the host susceptibility/suitability or stage when the parasitoids are able to optimize their parasitization or performance. Campaigns regarding landscape structure/heterogeneity, reduction of pesticides, and modelling approaches are urgently needed in order to safeguard populations of natural enemies in a future warmer world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Carlos Ramos Aguila
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Xu Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Komivi Senyo Akutse
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya;
- Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | | | - Jessica Paola Sánchez Moreano
- Grupo Traslacional en Plantas, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Parroquia Muyuna km 7 vía Alto Tena, Tena 150150, Napo, Ecuador;
| | - Zhiyang Lie
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Juxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.L.); (Z.L.); (J.L.)
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10
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Wu B, Jiao X, Sun A, Li F, He JZ, Hu HW. Precipitation seasonality and soil pH drive the large-scale distribution of soil invertebrate communities in agricultural ecosystems. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad131. [PMID: 37838473 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil invertebrates contribute significantly to vital ecosystem functions such as the breakdown of organic matter and cycling of essential nutrients, but our knowledge of their large-scale distribution in agricultural systems is limited, which hinders our ability to robustly predict how they will respond to future global change scenarios. Here, we employed metabarcoding analysis of eukaryotic 18S rRNA genes to examine the diversity and community composition of invertebrates in 528 sorghum rhizosphere and bulk soils, collected from 53 experimental field sites across China. Our results revealed that Nematoda, Arthropoda and Annelida were the dominant soil invertebrate groups in agroecosystems. Among all the climatic and soil parameters we examined, precipitation seasonality (i.e. the irregular distribution of precipitation during a normal year) had the strongest relationship with the richness of soil invertebrates, with an increase in soil invertebrate richness predicted with increasing precipitation seasonality. Mean annual precipitation and soil pH were the most important predictors of soil invertebrate community structure, with numerous invertebrate phylotypes showing either significantly positive or negative relationships with these two variables. Our findings suggest that shifts in precipitation patterns and soil pH, induced by future climate change and agricultural practices, will have important consequences for the distribution of soil invertebrate communities, with implications for agricultural ecosystem sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxue Wu
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Xiaoyan Jiao
- College of Resource and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 03003, China
| | - Anqi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Fangfang Li
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Ji-Zheng He
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hang-Wei Hu
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia
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11
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Porto GF, Pezzonia JH, Del-Claro K. Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants Recover Ant Association Benefits Faster and More Effectively after Frost-Fire Events Than Frost. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3592. [PMID: 37896055 PMCID: PMC10610396 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The Cerrado confronts threats such as fire and frost due to natural or human-induced factors. These disturbances trigger attribute changes that impact biodiversity. Given escalating climate extremes, understanding the effects of these phenomena on ecological relationships is crucial for biodiversity conservation. To understand how fire and frost affect interactions and influence biological communities in the Cerrado, our study aimed to comprehend the effects of these two disturbances on extrafloral nectar (EFN)-bearing plants (Ouratea spectabilis, Ochnaceae) and their interactions. Our main hypothesis was that plants affected by fire would grow again more quickly than those affected only by frost due to the better adaptation of Cerrado flora to fire. The results showed that fire accelerated the regrowth of O. spectabilis. Regrowth in plants with EFNs attracted ants that proved to be efficient in removing herbivores, significantly reducing foliar herbivory rates in this species, when compared to the species without EFNs, or when ant access was prevented through experimental manipulation. Post-disturbance ant and herbivore populations were low, with frost leading to greater reductions. Ant richness and diversity are higher where frost precedes fire, suggesting that fire restores Cerrado ecological interactions better than frost, with less impact on plants, ants, and herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Fraga Porto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil;
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - José Henrique Pezzonia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
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12
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Hallam J, Harris NC. What's going to be on the menu with global environmental changes? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5744-5759. [PMID: 37458101 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing anthropogenic change is altering the planet at an unprecedented rate, threatening biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Species are responding to abiotic pressures at both individual and population levels, with changes affecting trophic interactions through consumptive pathways. Collectively, these impacts alter the goods and services that natural ecosystems will provide to society, as well as the persistence of all species. Here, we describe the physiological and behavioral responses of species to global changes on individual and population levels that result in detectable changes in diet across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We illustrate shifts in the dynamics of food webs with implications for animal communities. Additionally, we highlight the myriad of tools available for researchers to investigate the dynamics of consumption patterns and trophic interactions, arguing that diet data are a crucial component of ecological studies on global change. We suggest that a holistic approach integrating the complexities of diet choice and trophic interactions with environmental drivers may be more robust at resolving trends in biodiversity, predicting food web responses, and potentially identifying early warning signs of diversity loss. Ultimately, despite the growing body of long-term ecological datasets, there remains a dearth of diet ecology studies across temporal scales, a shortcoming that must be resolved to elucidate vulnerabilities to changing biophysical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Hallam
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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13
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Gómez-Díaz JA, Baena ML, González-Zamora A, Delfín-Alfonso CA. Potential present and future distributions of the genus Atta of Mexico. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292072. [PMID: 37751423 PMCID: PMC10522027 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature and precipitation influence insect distribution locally and drive large-scale biogeographical patterns. We used current and future climate data from the CHELSA database to create ensemble species distribution models for three Atta leaf-cutting ant species (Atta cephalotes, A. mexicana, and A. texana) found in Mexico. These models were used to estimate the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of these species in the future. Our results show that bioclimatic variables influence the distribution of each Atta species occupying a unique climatic niche: A. cephalotes is affected by temperature seasonality, A. mexicana by isothermality, and A. texana by the minimum temperature of the coldest month. Atta texana and A. mexicana are expected to decline their range by 80% and 60%, respectively, due to rising temperatures, decreased rainfall, and increased drought. Due to rising temperatures and increased humidity, Atta cephalotes is expected to expand its range by 30%. Since Atta species are important pests, our coexistence with them requires knowledge of their ecological functions and potential future distribution changes. In addition, these insects serve as bioindicators of habitat quality, and they can contribute to the local economy in rural areas since they are eaten as food for the nutritional value of the queens. In this sense, presenting a future perspective of these species' distribution is important for forest and crop management. Education programs also are necessary to raise awareness of the importance of these ants and the challenges they face because of climate change. Our results offer a perspective of climate change studies to define conservation and adaptation strategies for protecting vulnerable areas such as high-elevation remnant forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A. Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Martha L. Baena
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Arturo González-Zamora
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Christian A. Delfín-Alfonso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Zoología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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14
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Willot Q, Ørsted M, Malte H, Overgaard J. Cold comfort: metabolic rate and tolerance to low temperatures predict latitudinal distribution in ants. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230985. [PMID: 37670587 PMCID: PMC10510448 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic compensation has been proposed as a mean for ectotherms to cope with colder climates. For example, under the metabolic cold adaptation and the metabolic homeostasis hypotheses (MCA and MHH), it has been formulated that cold-adapted ectotherms should display both higher (MCA) and more thermally sensitive (MHH) metabolic rates (MRs) at lower temperatures. However, whether such compensation can truly be associated with distribution, and whether it interplays with cold tolerance to predict species' climatic niches, remains largely unclear despite broad ecological implications thereof. Here, we teased apart the relationship between MRs, cold tolerance and distribution, to test the MCA/MHH among 13 European ant species. We report clear metabolic compensation effects, consistent with the MCA and MHH, where MR parameters strongly correlated with latitude and climatic factors across species' distributions. The combination of both cold tolerance and MRs further upheld the best predictions of species' environmental temperatures and limits of northernmost distribution. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that the association of metabolic data with cold tolerance supports better predictive models of species' climate and distribution in social insects than models including cold tolerance alone. These results also highlight that adaptation to higher latitudes in ants involved adjustments of both cold tolerance and MRs, to allow this extremely successful group of insects to thrive under colder climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Willot
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Michael Ørsted
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg E, Denmark
| | - Hans Malte
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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15
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Seymour CL, Korb J, Joseph GS, Hassall R, Coetzee BWT. Need for shared internal mound conditions by fungus-growing Macrotermes does not predict their species distributions, in current or future climates. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220152. [PMID: 37427467 PMCID: PMC10331903 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The large, iconic nests constructed by social species are engineered to create internal conditions buffered from external climatic extremes, to allow reproduction and/or food production. Nest-inhabiting eusocial Macrotermitinae (Blattodea: Isoptera) are outstanding palaeo-tropical ecosystem engineers that evolved fungus-growing to break down plant matter ca 62 Mya; the termites feed on the fungus and plant matter. Fungus-growing ensures a constant food supply, but the fungi need temperature-buffered, high humidity conditions, created in architecturally complex, often tall, nest-structures (mounds). Given the need for constant and similar internal nest conditions by fungi farmed by different Macrotermes species, we assessed whether current distributions of six African Macrotermes correlate with similar variables, and whether this would reflect in expected species' distribution shifts with climate change. The primary variables explaining species' distributions were not the same for the different species. Distributionally, three of the six species are predicted to see declines in highly suitable climate. For two species, range increases should be small (less than 9%), and for a single species, M. vitrialatus, 'very suitable' climate could increase by 64%. Mismatches in vegetation requirements and anthropogenic habitat transformation may preclude range expansion, however, presaging disruption to ecosystem patterns and processes that will cascade through systems at both landscape and continental scales. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen L. Seymour
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Judith Korb
- Faculty of Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Grant S. Joseph
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Richard Hassall
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Bernard W. T. Coetzee
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Hatfield, 002, South Africa
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16
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Luo B, Huang M, Wang W, Niu J, Shrestha M, Zeng H, Ma L, Degen AA, Liao J, Zhang T, Bai Y, Zhao J, Fraser LH, Shang Z. Ant nests increase litter decomposition to mitigate the negative effect of warming in an alpine grassland ecosystem. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230613. [PMID: 37369352 PMCID: PMC10299860 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Warming can decrease feeding activity of soil organisms and affect biogeochemical cycles. The ant Formica manchu is active on the nest surface and prefers a hot, dry environment; therefore, warming may provide a favourable environment for its activities. We hypothesized that F. manchu benefit from warming and mitigate the negative effects of warming on litter decomposition. We examined the effects of ant nests (nest absence versus nest presence) and warming (+1.3 and +2.3°C) on litter decomposition, soil properties and the plant community in alpine grassland. Decomposition stations with two mesh sizes were used to differentiate effects of microorganisms (0.05 mm) and macroinvertebrates (1 cm) on decomposition. Ant nests increased litter decomposition with and without macroinvertebrates accessing the decomposition station when compared to plots without ant nests. Only litter decomposition in ant nests with macroinvertebrates having access to the decomposition station was not affected negatively by warming. Plots with ant nests had greater soil carbon, nutrient contents and plant growth than plots without ant nests, regardless of warming. Our results suggest that ant nests maintain ecosystem processes and functions under warming. Consequently, a management strategy in alpine grasslands should include the protection of these ants and ant nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiahuan Niu
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Haijun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - A. Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel
| | - Jingkang Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingxue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lauchlan H. Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada V2C 0C8
| | - Zhanhuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China
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17
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Roeder DV, Remy S, Roeder KA. Temperature influences lipid content in the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:7193723. [PMID: 37300537 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is one of the most important environmental conditions affecting physiological processes in ectothermic organisms like ants. Yet, we often lack information on how certain physiological traits covary with temperature across time. Here, we test predictions on how one trait-lipid content-covaries with temperature using a conspicuous, ground-dwelling harvester ant. We focus on lipid content as fat bodies are metabolically active tissues that are important for storing and releasing energy in response to demand, which could be vital for survival under variable temperatures. From March to November, we extracted lipids from surface workers of 14 colonies while simultaneously recording ground temperature. We first assessed if lipid content was highest during cooler temperatures when ants were less active and less metabolically stressed. In doing so, we found that lipid content of ants declined almost 70% from cool months (November lipid content = 14.6%) to hot months (August lipid content = 4.6%). We next assessed if lipid levels from a group of ants collected at a single time point could change by placing individuals into environmental chambers set at 10, 20, and 30°C (i.e., the approximate span of average temperatures from March to November). Temperature again had a significant impact such that after 10 days, lipid content of ants in the hottest chamber (30°C) had decreased by more than 75%. While intraspecific variation in physiological traits often follows seasonal patterns, our results suggest fluctuations in temperature may account for a portion of the variance observed in traits like lipid content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane V Roeder
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
| | - Samantha Remy
- Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences, Cameron University, Lawton, OK 73505, USA
| | - Karl A Roeder
- Agricultural Research Service, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, USDA, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
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18
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Hernandez JO, Naeem M, Zaman W. How Does Changing Environment Influence Plant Seed Movements as Populations of Dispersal Vectors Decline? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1462. [PMID: 37050088 PMCID: PMC10097094 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants differ widely in their ability to find tolerable climatic ranges through seed dispersal, depending on their life-history traits and habitat characteristics. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review on seed dispersal mechanisms was conducted to elucidate plant seed movements amid changing environments. Here, the highest relative count of studies was found in Spain (16.47%), followed by Brazil (14.12%), and the USA (14.12%). The megadiverse, hotspot countries (e.g., Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, and Indonesia) and Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) have very low to no data about the reviewed topic. The effects of land use changes, habitat degradation/disturbances, climate, and extreme weather conditions on seed dispersal mechanisms and agents had the highest share of studies across topics and countries. Plant diversity and distribution of anemochorous, endozoochorous, epizoochorous, hydrochorous, myrmecochorous, and ornithochorous species are seriously affected by changing environments due to altered long-distance seed dispersal. The fruit types commonly associated with endozoochory and ornithochory are species with achene, capsule, drupe, fleshy, and nut fruits/seeds, whereas achene, capsule, samara/winged seeds are associated with anemochory. The present review provides a summary of evidence on how plants are affected by climate change as populations of dispersal vectors decline. Finally, recommendations for further study were made based on the identified knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan O. Hernandez
- Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wajid Zaman
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
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19
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Krapf P, Arthofer W, Ayasse M, Steiner FM, Schlick-Steiner BC. Global change may make hostile - Higher ambient temperature and nitrogen availability increase ant aggression. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160443. [PMID: 36436655 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Behaviour is a response of organisms to internal and external stimuli and comprises various activities such as searching for food. Aggression is important in such activities, for example, improving the chances of winning competition for food, but animals differ in their level of aggression. This behavioural plasticity allows individuals to respond to environmental changes and is important for the survival of animals. It may be an important asset in facing global changes, which affect all organisms, for example, via rising temperature and eutrophication. The latter have steadily increased since 1900, especially in high elevations. Their effects may first become visible in stationary organisms such as ants because their nests are strictly associated with the conditions on site. Here, we analysed eight populations of the high-elevation ant Tetramorium alpestre along several elevations spanning the European Alps. We conducted a correlative approach and analysed several genetic and environmental proxies, namely within- and across-colony genetic relatedness, cuticular hydrocarbons, body size, across-colony geographic distance, air temperature, and worker nitrogen values additionally to within-population aggressive behaviour. We hypothesised that a) these proxies and aggressive behaviour differ among populations and that b) one or more of these proxies influence aggression. We found that a) some environmental proxies and aggression differed among populations but not the genetic proxies and that b) air temperature and worker nitrogen-isotope values correlated positively with worker aggression. The results indicate an environmental but not social-structural influence on this ant's aggressive behaviour, even though social structure varied among populations (single- and multiple-queened colonies). We infer that global change affects aggression in our study system and propose five mutually non-exclusive scenarios to explain the behavioural change mechanistically. Using the space-for-time principle, we speculate that aggression may increase due to future increases in temperature and nitrogen availability in this ant and other species living in high elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Krapf
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Arthofer
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Florian M Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Birgit C Schlick-Steiner
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
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20
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Honorio R, Depierrefixe P, Devers S, Rouelle M, Meunier J, Lécureuil C. Effects of cadmium ingestion on reproduction and maternal egg care in the European earwig. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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21
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Gonzalez VH, Oyen K, Vitale N, Ospina R. Neotropical stingless bees display a strong response in cold tolerance with changes in elevation. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 10:coac073. [PMID: 36570736 PMCID: PMC9773376 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Tropical pollinators are expected to experience substantial effects due to climate change, but aspects of their thermal biology remain largely unknown. We investigated the thermal tolerance of stingless honey-making bees, the most ecologically, economically and culturally important group of tropical pollinators. We assessed changes in the lower (CTMin) and upper (CTMax) critical thermal limits of 17 species (12 genera) at two elevations (200 and 1500 m) in the Colombian Andes. In addition, we examined the influence of body size (intertegular distance, ITD), hairiness (thoracic hair length) and coloration (lightness value) on bees' thermal tolerance. Because stingless beekeepers often relocate their colonies across the altitudinal gradient, as an initial attempt to explore potential social responses to climatic variability, we also tracked for several weeks brood temperature and humidity in nests of three species at both elevations. We found that CTMin decreased with elevation while CTMax was similar between elevations. CTMin and CTMax increased (low cold tolerance and high heat tolerance) with increasing ITD, hair length and lightness value, but these relationships were weak and explained at most 10% of the variance. Neither CTMin nor CTMax displayed significant phylogenetic signal. Brood nest temperature tracked ambient diel variations more closely in the low-elevation site, but it was constant and higher at the high-elevation site. In contrast, brood nest humidity was uniform throughout the day regardless of elevation. The stronger response in CTMin, and a similar CTMax between elevations, follows a pattern of variation documented across a wide range of taxa that is commonly known as the Brett's heat-invariant hypothesis. Our results indicate differential thermal sensitivities and potential thermal adaptations to local climate, which support ongoing conservation policies to restrict the long-distance relocations of colonies. They also shed light on how malleable nest thermoregulation can be across elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor H Gonzalez
- Corresponding author: Undergraduate Biology Program and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
| | - Kennan Oyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Nydia Vitale
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Mendoza, 5500, Argentina
| | - Rodulfo Ospina
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Abejas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Santa Fé de Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
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22
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Areche FO, Gondal AH, Rodriguez AR, Flores DDC, Sulca JYM, Bustamante MAC, Pérez PL, Yapias RJM, Victorio JPE, Huayhua LLA. Fragile Effects of Climatic Variation on Goat Protein and its Products: A Review. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCE JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.12944/crnfsj.10.3.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Goats are useful to smaller communities because of their low production costs, limited feed requirements, rapid generation rates, and ability to consistently provide modest volumes of milk that are suitable for immediate use in home. The flavour of dairy dishes is greatly influenced by the proteins found in goat milk and contributing in texture, viscosity, and structure to dairy dishes, all of which enhance the dining experience. Amino acids like glycine, alanine, and peptides can act as precursors to other volatile aroma-active molecules and so set off basic flavours. Increasing temperatures have major consequences for goat milk by-products, including as altering their flavour through denaturation of proteins, the emission of sulfuric chemicals, and an eggy fragrance in the case of scaled milk. Although there has been increasing evidence that environmental changes have an impact on food availability and quality in recent decades, the impacts of these changes on food composition are still largely understood. The potential impact of climate change on food quality must be disclosed. This study suggests a fundamental, but as of yet unexplored, method by which climate change can impact global food and nutrition security: changes in food nutritional content beyond those caused by agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin Ore Areche
- 1Professional School of Agroindustrial Engineering, National University of Huancavelica, Huancavelica-Peru
| | - Aqarab Husnain Gondal
- 2Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Alfonso Ruiz Rodriguez
- 1Professional School of Agroindustrial Engineering, National University of Huancavelica, Huancavelica-Peru
| | - Denis Dante Corilla Flores
- 1Professional School of Agroindustrial Engineering, National University of Huancavelica, Huancavelica-Peru
| | - Jeny Yanet Marquez Sulca
- 1Professional School of Agroindustrial Engineering, National University of Huancavelica, Huancavelica-Peru
| | | | - Peter Llimpe Pérez
- 1Professional School of Agroindustrial Engineering, National University of Huancavelica, Huancavelica-Peru
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23
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Mo Y, Li T, Bao Y, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Ye J, Zhang Y, Wu W, Tang J, Li Z. Correlations and dominant climatic factors among diversity patterns of plant families, genera, and species. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1010067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, the relationship between the diversity distribution patterns of different taxonomic levels of plants and climatic factors is still unclear. This paper explored the diversity pattern of vascular plant families, genera, and species in China at the municipal scale. It also studied the effects of accumulated temperature ≥ 10°C, annual precipitation, and hydrothermal base which reflect the effect of hydrothermal resources on the plant diversity pattern. The results showed that: There were extremely significant correlations among the diversities of plant families, genera, and species, and the interpretation degree of diversity between adjacent the taxonomic levels was more than 90%. The diversity pattern of plant families was mainly affected by dominant climatic state indicators such as the maximum value of accumulated temperature, annual precipitation, and hydrothermal base, and the gradient range of the hydrothermal base, which showed a clear latitudinal gradient law. The diversity pattern of plant species was found to be mainly dependent on the climatic heterogeneity indicators, being closely related to the heterogeneity indicators and sum indicators of the hydrothermal base. It was also affected by the range of precipitation gradient range. Plant genus and its diversity pattern are not only significantly affected by heterogeneity and sum indicators but also closely related to climate state indicators. In comparison with the humidity index in vegetation ecological studies, the related indicators of the hydrothermal base proposed in this paper excelled at revealing the relationship between climate and diversity patterns of plant families, genera, and species, and could effectively solve the species-area relationship issue in arid and low-temperature areas. The results of this paper have presented important theoretical and practical values for comprehensively understanding the correlation between climate and diversity of plant families, genera, and species, clarifying the impact of climate difference and climate change on plant diversity.
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Nooten SS, Guénard B. Ant communities in disturbed subtropical landscapes: is climate more important than stochastic processes? Oecologia 2022; 200:441-454. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05276-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Maziarz M, Broughton RK, Chylarecki P, Hebda G. Weather impacts on interactions between nesting birds, nest-dwelling ectoparasites and ants. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17845. [PMID: 36284124 PMCID: PMC9596701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21618-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Weather has a dominant impact on organisms, including their life histories and interspecific interactions. Yet, for nesting birds, and the arthropods inhabiting bird nests, the direct and cascading effects of weather are poorly known. We explored the influence of ambient temperatures and rainfall on the cohabitation of dome-shaped bird nests by Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix, their blowfly Protocalliphora azurea ectoparasites, and predatory Myrmica and Lasius ants that may provide nest sanitation. We sampled blowflies and ants in 129 nests, and measured warbler nestlings during 2018-2020 in the primeval Białowieża Forest, eastern Poland. The probability of ectoparasites occurring in nests increased with increasing ambient temperatures and declining precipitation in the early nestling stage, when adult blowflies are ovipositing. Where present, the number of ectoparasites was greater if higher ambient temperatures had prevailed in the late nestling stage, but only when ants were absent from nests. However, the nestling growth was unrelated to ectoparasite abundance or ant presence within bird nests, although it was lower at high rainfall. The results suggest that weather can have conflicting impacts on interactions between nesting birds and nest-dwelling arthropods, but birds can mostly compensate for any related costs in old-growth forest, where food is generally abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Maziarz
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Richard K. Broughton
- grid.494924.60000 0001 1089 2266UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB UK
| | - Przemysław Chylarecki
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hebda
- grid.107891.60000 0001 1010 7301Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Oleska 22, 45-052 Opole, Poland
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Climate and body size have differential roles on melanism evolution across workers in a worldwide ant genus. Oecologia 2022; 199:579-587. [PMID: 35804249 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05211-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
One of the main aspects associated with the diversity in animal colour is the variation in melanization levels. In ectotherms, melanism can be advantageous in aiding thermoregulation through heat absorption. Darker bodies may also serve as a shield from harmful UV-B radiation. Melanism may also confer protection against parasites and predators through improving immunity responses and camouflage in regions with high precipitation, with complex and shaded vegetations and greater diversity of pathogens and parasites. We studied melanism evolution in the globally distributed ant genus Pheidole under the pressures of temperature, UV-B radiation and precipitation, while considering the effects of body size and nest habit, traits that are commonly overlooked. More importantly, we account for worker caste polymorphism, which is marked by distinct roles and behaviours. We revealed for the first time distinct evolutionary trajectories for each worker subcaste. As expected, major workers from species inhabiting locations with lower temperatures and higher precipitation tend to be more melanised. Curiously, we show a slight trend where minor workers of larger species also tend to have darker bodies when inhabiting regions with higher precipitation. Lastly, we did not find evidence for the effects of UV-B radiation and nest habit in the lightness variation of workers. Our paper explores the evolution of ant melanization considering a marked ant worker polymorphism and a wide range of ecological factors. We discuss our findings under the light of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis, the Photoprotection Hypothesis and the Gloger's Rule.
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