Dataset Information

Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

ABSTRACT: Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation over a period of 119 years (1895-2013) during which average annual temperatures have increased in the region. We quantified the effects of late winter/early spring temperatures, averaged annually across the region, on dates of occurrence of adults, taking into account the effects of elevation, latitude, and longitude. We assessed whether species-specific phenological responses varied with adult flight season and larval diet breadth. Collection dates were significantly earlier in warmer years for 36.3% of moth species, and later for 3.7%. Species exhibited an average phenological advance of 1.9 days/°C, but species-specific shifts ranged from an advance of 10.3 days/°C to a delay of 10.6 days/°C. More spring-flying species shifted their phenology than summer- or fall-flying species. These responses did not vary among groups defined by larval diet breadth. The highly variable phenological responses to climate change in Pacific Northwest moths agree with other studies on Lepidoptera and suggest that it will remain difficult to accurately forecast which species and ecological interactions are most likely to be affected by climate change. Our results also underscore the value of natural history collections as windows into long-term ecological trends.

SUBMITTER: Maurer JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6135373 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

Maurer Julie A JA Shepard Jon H JH Crabo Lars G LG Hammond Paul C PC Zack Richard S RS Peterson Merrill A MA

PloS one 20180912 9

Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual cli ...[more]

PMID: 30208046

Similar Datasets

Project description:Grasslands are among the most threatened and least protected terrestrial biome. Grassland forbs: (1) account for most of the floral diversity; (2) are not well studied because they have been overshadowed by grass-centered research; and (3) have been a major source for biodiversity loss. The Pacific Northwest Bunchgrass Prairie (PNB) of North America is one of the most endangered grasslands on earth. Knowledge of vegetation community dynamics in the PNB is based primarily on bunchgrasses. There is a paucity of information related to the PNB's diverse native perennial forbs (hereafter "forbs"). Consequently, PNB forb community patterns and dynamics are largely unknown. We describe forb community structure and its relationship to environmental factors and phenology. We sampled 29 plots in the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range, northeastern Oregon, at three different times during 2016 (April; May; July). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) indicated that the dominant gradient in forb composition was related (R 2 = 0.66) to slope and soil P and K, contrasting flat, poorly drained soils (scabflats) at one end with steep, well-drained soils at the other end. The secondary gradient (R 2 = 0.16) contrasted deeper, finer textured soils at one end with shallow, rocky soils at the other. Forb richness decreased by ~40% from April to July. NMS and Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) showed that most forbs had affinities toward spring. Ubiquitous forbs (e.g., Triteleia grandiflora, Camassia quamash) were sparse to absent by July. Contradictory to general descriptions of the PNB, forb cover and richness in drought-prone sites were comparable to mesic sites when spring data were considered. Our findings suggest that PNB grasslands contain diverse forb communities that are structured primarily by water drainage and soil depth. Conventional sampling concomitant with peak grass biomass is insufficient to characterize PNB forb communities, particularly for scabflats and the most drought-prone soils.

Dataset Information

Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

Publications

Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets