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Weather variation affects the dispersal of grasshoppers beyond their elevational ranges

ABSTRACT: Abstract Understanding how abiotic conditions influence dispersal patterns of organisms is important for understanding the degree to which species can track and persist in the face of changing climate. The goal of this study was to understand how weather conditions influence the dispersal pattern of multiple nonmigratory grasshopper species from lower elevation grassland habitats in which they complete their life?cycles to higher elevations that extend beyond their range limits. Using over a decade of weekly spring to late?summer field survey data along an elevational gradient, we explored how abundance and richness of dispersing grasshoppers were influenced by temperature, precipitation, and wind speed and direction. We also examined how changes in population sizes at lower elevations might influence these patterns. We observed that the abundance of dispersing grasshoppers along the gradient declined 4?fold from the foothills to the subalpine and increased with warmer conditions and when wind flow patterns were mild or in the downslope direction. Thirty?eight unique grasshopper species from lowland sites were detected as dispersers across the survey years, and warmer years and weak upslope wind conditions also increased the richness of these grasshoppers. The pattern of grasshoppers along the gradient was not sex biased. The positive effect of temperature on dispersal rates was likely explained by an increase in dispersal propensity rather than by an increase in the density of grasshoppers at low elevation sites. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the dispersal patterns of organisms are influenced by changing climatic conditions themselves and as such, that this context?dependent dispersal response should be considered when modeling and forecasting the ability of species to respond to climate change. Understanding how abiotic conditions influence dispersal patterns of organisms is important for understanding how species track and persist in the face of changing climate. The goal of this study was to understand how weather conditions influence the dispersal pattern of multiple grasshopper species from lower to higher elevations that extend beyond their range limits. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the dispersal patterns of organisms are influenced by changing climatic conditions themselves and as such, that this context?dependent dispersal response should be considered when modeling and forecasting the ability of species to respond to climate change.

SUBMITTER: Prinster A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7771169 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Abstract Current theory predicts that the intensity of biotic interactions, particularly herbivory, decreases with increasing latitude and elevation. However, recent studies have revealed substantial variation in both the latitudinal and elevational patterns of herbivory. This variation is often attributed to differences in study design and the type of data collected by different researchers. Here, we used a similar sampling protocol along elevational gradients in six mountain ranges, located at different latitudes within temperate Eurasia, to uncover the sources of variation in elevational patterns in insect herbivory on woody plant leaves. We discovered a considerable variation in elevational patterns among different mountain ranges; nevertheless, herbivory generally decreased with increasing elevation at both the community‐wide and individual plant species levels. This decrease was mostly due to openly living defoliators, whereas no significant association was detected between herbivory and elevation among insects living within plant tissues (i.e., miners and gallers). The elevational decrease in herbivory was significant for deciduous plants but not for evergreen plants, and for tall plants but not for low‐stature plants. The community‐wide herbivory increased with increases in both specific leaf area and leaf size. The strength of the negative correlation between herbivory and elevation increased from lower to higher latitudes. We conclude that despite the predicted overall decrease with elevation, elevational gradients in herbivory demonstrate considerable variation, and this variation is mostly associated with herbivore feeding habits, some plant traits, and latitude of the mountain range. We used a standardized sampling protocol along elevational gradients in six mountain ranges, located at different latitudes within temperate Eurasia, to uncover the sources of variation in elevational patterns in insect herbivory on woody plant leaves at both community and species levels. We found that an overall decrease in herbivory with increasing elevation was mostly due to openly living defoliators, whereas no significant association was detected between herbivory and elevation among insects living within plant tissues (i.e., miners and gallers). The strength of the negative correlation between herbivory and elevation increased from lower to higher latitudes.

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Weather variation affects the dispersal of grasshoppers beyond their elevational ranges

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