Ecological Consequences of Climate Change on Rangelands

Climate-mediated cooperation promotes niche expansion in burying beetles

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.02440 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Syuan-Jyun Sun ◽

Dustin R Rubenstein ◽

Bo-Fei Chen ◽

Shih-Fan Chan ◽

Jian-Nan Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Small Groups ◽

Social Insects ◽

Breeding Success ◽

Cooperative Groups ◽

Burying Beetles ◽

Ecological Consequences ◽

Social Species ◽

The Earth ◽

Large Groups

The ability to form cooperative societies may explain why humans and social insects have come to dominate the earth. Here we examine the ecological consequences of cooperation by quantifying the fitness of cooperative (large groups) and non-cooperative (small groups) phenotypes in burying beetles (Nicrophorus nepalensis) along an elevational and temperature gradient. We experimentally created large and small groups along the gradient and manipulated interspecific competition with flies by heating carcasses. We show that cooperative groups performed as thermal generalists with similarly high breeding success at all temperatures and elevations, whereas non-cooperative groups performed as thermal specialists with higher breeding success only at intermediate temperatures and elevations. Studying the ecological consequences of cooperation may not only help us to understand why so many species of social insects have conquered the earth, but also to determine how climate change will affect the success of these and other social species, including our own.

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Ecological consequences of global climate change for freshwater ecosystems in South Africa

South African Journal of Science ◽

10.1590/sajs.2014/20130274 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 110 (5/6) ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Helen F. Dallas ◽

Nicholas Rivers-Moore

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

South Africa ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Global Climate ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Ecological Consequences

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Climate Change and Light in Aquatic Ecosystems: Variability & Ecological Consequences

10.3389/978-2-88966-980-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Ecological Consequences

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Invasion-mediated effects on marine trophic interactions in a changing climate: positive feedbacks favour kelp persistence

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2018.2866 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 286 (1899) ◽

pp. 20182866 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ricardo J. Miranda ◽

Melinda A. Coleman ◽

Alejandro Tagliafico ◽

Maria S. Rangel ◽

Lea T. Mamo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Trophic Interactions ◽

Multiple Stressors ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Ocean Warming ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Ecological Change ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Ecological Consequences ◽

Management Actions

The interactive effects of ocean warming and invasive species are complex and remain a source of uncertainty for projecting future ecological change. Climate-mediated change to trophic interactions can have pervasive ecological consequences, but the role of invasion in mediating trophic effects is largely unstudied. Using manipulative experiments in replicated outdoor mesocosms, we reveal how near-future ocean warming and macrophyte invasion scenarios interactively impact gastropod grazing intensity and preference for consumption of foundation macroalgae ( Ecklonia radiata and Sargassum vestitum ). Elevated water temperature increased the consumption of both macroalgae through greater grazing intensity. Given the documented decline of kelp ( E. radiata ) growth at higher water temperatures, enhanced grazing could contribute to the shift from kelp-dominated to Sargassum -dominated reefs that is occurring at the low-latitude margins of kelp distribution. However, the presence of a native invader ( Caulerpa filiformis ) was related to low consumption by the herbivores on dominant kelp at warmer temperatures. Thus, antagonistic effects between climate change and a range expanding species can favour kelp persistence in a warmer future. Introduction of species should, therefore, not automatically be considered unfavourable under climate change scenarios. Climatic changes are increasing the need for effective management actions to address the interactive effects of multiple stressors and their ecological consequences, rather than single threats in isolation.

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