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Coping with shorter days: do phenology shifts constrain aphid fitness?

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148382
  • Climate change can alter the phenology of organisms. It may thus lead seasonal organisms to face different day lengths than in the past, and the fitness consequences of these changes are as yet unclear. To study such effects, we used the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum as a model organism, as it has obligately asexual clones which can be used to study day length effects without eliciting a seasonal response. We recorded life-history traits under short and long days, both with two realistic temperature cycles with means differing by 2 °C. InClimate change can alter the phenology of organisms. It may thus lead seasonal organisms to face different day lengths than in the past, and the fitness consequences of these changes are as yet unclear. To study such effects, we used the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum as a model organism, as it has obligately asexual clones which can be used to study day length effects without eliciting a seasonal response. We recorded life-history traits under short and long days, both with two realistic temperature cycles with means differing by 2 °C. In addition, we measured the population growth of aphids on their host plant Pisum sativum. We show that short days reduce fecundity and the length of the reproductive period of aphids. Nevertheless, this does not translate into differences at the population level because the observed fitness costs only become apparent late in the individual's life. As expected, warm temperature shortens the development time by 0.7 days/°C, leading to faster generation times. We found no interaction of temperature and day length. We conclude that day length changes cause only relatively mild costs, which may not decelerate the increase in pest status due to climate change.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Jens Joschinski, Thomas Hovestadt, Jochen Krauss
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148382
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):PeerJ
Year of Completion:2015
Volume:3
Issue:e1103
Source:PeerJ 3:e1103 (2015). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1103
DOI:https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1103
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:Acyrthosiphon pisum; Homoptera aphididae; circadian rhythms; climate change; clock reproduction ecology; day length; insect timing; phenology shifts; phenotypic plasticity; physiological constraints
Release Date:2018/11/14
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International