Chen I-Ching, Shiu Hau-Jie, Benedick Suzan, Holloway Jeremy D, Chey Vun Khen, Barlow Henry S, Hill Jane K, Thomas Chris D
Department of Biology, University of York, P.O. Box 373, York YO10 5YW, United Kingdom.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Feb 3;106(5):1479-83. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0809320106. Epub 2009 Jan 21.
Physiological research suggests that tropical insects are particularly sensitive to temperature, but information on their responses to climate change has been lacking-even though the majority of all terrestrial species are insects and their diversity is concentrated in the tropics. Here, we provide evidence that tropical insect species have already undertaken altitude increases, confirming the global reach of climate change impacts on biodiversity. In 2007, we repeated a historical altitudinal transect, originally carried out in 1965 on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, sampling 6 moth assemblages between 1,885 and 3,675 m elevation. We estimate that the average altitudes of individuals of 102 montane moth species, in the family Geometridae, increased by a mean of 67 m over the 42 years. Our findings indicate that tropical species are likely to be as sensitive as temperate species to climate warming, and we urge ecologists to seek other historic tropical samples to carry out similar repeat surveys. These observed changes, in combination with the high diversity and thermal sensitivity of insects, suggest that large numbers of tropical insect species could be affected by climate warming. As the highest mountain in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, Mount Kinabalu is a globally important refuge for terrestrial species that become restricted to high altitudes by climate warming.
生理学研究表明，热带昆虫对温度特别敏感，但即便地球上大多数物种都是昆虫且其多样性集中在热带地区，关于它们对气候变化反应的信息却一直匮乏。在此，我们提供证据表明热带昆虫物种已经出现了海拔上升的情况，证实了气候变化对生物多样性的影响已波及全球。2007年，我们重复了一条历史海拔样带，该样带最初于1965年在婆罗洲的基纳巴卢山进行，在海拔1885米至3675米之间对6个蛾类群落进行了采样。我们估计，尺蛾科102种山地蛾类个体的平均海拔在42年间平均上升了67米。我们的研究结果表明，热带物种可能与温带物种对气候变暖一样敏感，我们敦促生态学家寻找其他历史热带样本以开展类似的重复调查。这些观察到的变化，再加上昆虫的高度多样性和热敏感性，表明大量热带昆虫物种可能会受到气候变暖的影响。作为世界上生物多样性最丰富地区之一的最高峰，基纳巴卢山是陆地物种在全球范围内重要的避难所，这些物种因气候变暖而被限制在高海拔地区。
