Wallon Sophie, Rigal François, Melo Catarina D, Elias Rui B, Borges Paulo A V
CE3C-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico Chimie Pour L'environnement et les Materiaux UMR 5254, Comité National de la Recherche Scientifque-University de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour-E2S UPPA, 64053 Pau, France.
Insects. 2024 Sep 7;15(9):677. doi: 10.3390/insects15090677.
This study investigates the impact of elevated temperatures on arthropod communities in intensively managed pastures on the volcanic island of Terceira, Azores (Portugal), using a functional trait approach. Open Top Chambers (OTCs) were employed to simulate increased temperatures, and the functional traits of ground dwelling arthropods were analyzed along a small elevation gradient (180-400 m) during winter and summer. Key findings include lower abundances of herbivores, coprophagous organisms, detritivores, and fungivores at high elevations in summer, with predators showing a peak at middle elevations. Larger-bodied arthropods were more prevalent at higher elevations during winter, while beetles exhibited distinct ecological traits, with larger species peaking at middle elevations. The OTCs significantly affected the arthropod communities, increasing the abundance of herbivores, predators, coprophagous organisms, and fungivores during winter by alleviating environmental stressors. Notably, iridescent beetles decreased with elevation and were more common inside OTCs at lower elevations, suggesting a thermoregulatory advantage. The study underscores the importance of considering functional traits in assessing the impacts of climate change on arthropod communities and highlights the complex, species-specific nature of their responses to environmental changes.
本研究采用功能性状方法，调查了葡萄牙亚速尔群岛特塞拉火山岛集约管理牧场中气温升高对节肢动物群落的影响。使用开顶式气室（OTC）模拟气温升高，并在冬季和夏季沿着一个小的海拔梯度（180 - 400米）分析地面节肢动物的功能性状。主要发现包括，夏季高海拔地区食草动物、食粪生物、食腐动物和食真菌动物的丰度较低，而捕食者在中等海拔地区出现峰值。冬季，体型较大的节肢动物在较高海拔更为普遍，而甲虫表现出独特的生态特征，较大的物种在中等海拔达到峰值。OTC显著影响了节肢动物群落，通过缓解环境压力因素，增加了冬季食草动物、捕食者、食粪生物和食真菌动物的丰度。值得注意的是，彩虹色甲虫的数量随海拔升高而减少，并且在较低海拔的OTC内更为常见，这表明其具有温度调节优势。该研究强调了在评估气候变化对节肢动物群落的影响时考虑功能性状的重要性，并突出了它们对环境变化反应的复杂、物种特异性本质。
