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Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts.

ABSTRACT: Both community composition changes due to species redistribution and within-species size shifts may alter body-size structures under climate warming. Here we assess the relative contribution of these processes in community-level body-size changes in tropical moth assemblages that moved uphill during a period of warming. Based on resurvey data for seven assemblages of geometrid moths (>8000 individuals) on Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, in 1965 and 2007, we show significant wing-length reduction (mean shrinkage of 1.3% per species). Range shifts explain most size restructuring, due to uphill shifts of relatively small species, especially at high elevations. Overall, mean forewing length shrank by ca. 5%, much of which is accounted for by species range boundary shifts (3.9%), followed by within-boundary distribution changes (0.5%), and within-species size shrinkage (0.6%). We conclude that the effects of range shifting predominate, but considering species physiological responses is also important for understanding community size reorganization under climate warming.

SUBMITTER: Wu CH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6787050 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts.

Wu Chung-Huey CH Holloway Jeremy D JD Hill Jane K JK Thomas Chris D CD Chen I-Ching IC Ho Chuan-Kai CK

Nature communications 20191010 1

Both community composition changes due to species redistribution and within-species size shifts may alter body-size structures under climate warming. Here we assess the relative contribution of these processes in community-level body-size changes in tropical moth assemblages that moved uphill during a period of warming. Based on resurvey data for seven assemblages of geometrid moths (>8000 individuals) on Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, in 1965 and 2007, we show significant wing-length reduction (mean shr ...[more]

PMID: 31601806

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Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts.

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Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts.

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