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Plant traits mediate the effects of climate on phytophagous beetle diversity on Mt. Kilimanjaro

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257343
  • Patterns of insect diversity along elevational gradients are well described in ecology. However, it remains little tested how variation in the quantity, quality, and diversity of food resources influence these patterns. Here we analyzed the direct and indirect effects of climate, food quantity (estimated by net primary productivity), quality (variation in the specific leaf area index, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus and leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio), and food diversity (diversity of leaf traits) on the species richness of phytophagous beetlesPatterns of insect diversity along elevational gradients are well described in ecology. However, it remains little tested how variation in the quantity, quality, and diversity of food resources influence these patterns. Here we analyzed the direct and indirect effects of climate, food quantity (estimated by net primary productivity), quality (variation in the specific leaf area index, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus and leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio), and food diversity (diversity of leaf traits) on the species richness of phytophagous beetles along the broad elevation and land use gradients of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We sampled beetles at 65 study sites located in both natural and anthropogenic habitats, ranging from 866 to 4,550 m asl. We used path analysis to unravel the direct and indirect effects of predictor variables on species richness. In total, 3,154 phytophagous beetles representing 19 families and 304 morphospecies were collected. We found that the species richness of phytophagous beetles was bimodally distributed along the elevation gradient with peaks at the lowest (˜866 m asl) and upper mid-elevations (˜3,200 m asl) and sharply declined at higher elevations. Path analysis revealed temperature- and climate-driven changes in primary productivity and leaf trait diversity to be the best predictors of changes in the species richness of phytophagous beetles. Species richness increased with increases in mean annual temperature, primary productivity, and with increases in the diversity of leaf traits of local ecosystems. Our study demonstrates that, apart from temperature, the quantity and diversity of food resources play a major role in shaping diversity gradients of phytophagous insects. Drivers of global change, leading to a change of leaf traits and causing reductions in plant diversity and productivity, may consequently reduce the diversity of herbivore assemblages.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Henry K. Njovu, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Friederike Gebert, David Schellenberger Costa, Michael Kleyer, Thomas Wagner, Marcell K. PetersORCiD
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257343
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Ecology
Year of Completion:2021
Volume:102
Issue:12
Article Number:e03521
Source:Ecology 2021, 102(12):e03521. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3521
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3521
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:Chrysomelidae; Curculionidae; altitudinal gradient; diversity gradients; elevation gradient; functional diversity; herbivorous beetles; herbivory; more-individuals hypothesis; phytophagous beetles; plant functional traits
Release Date:2022/03/31
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International