scholarly journals Will climate change have a different impact on different trophic levels? Phenological development of winter moth Operophtera brumata and its host plants

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan D. Watt ◽  
Anne M. McFarlane
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Winter Moth

scholarly journals Phenological asynchrony between herbivorous insects and their hosts: signal of climate change or pre-existing adaptive strategy?

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1555) ◽  
pp. 3161-3176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Singer ◽  
Camille Parmesan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
Phenological Mismatch ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Evolution Of Life

Climate change alters phenological relations between interacting species. We might expect the historical baseline, or starting-point, for such effects to be precise synchrony between the season at which a consumer most requires food and the time when its resources are most available. We synthesize evidence that synchrony was not the historical condition in two insect–plant interactions involving Edith's checkerspot butterfly ( Euphydryas editha ), the winter moth ( Operophtera brumata ) and their host plants. Initial observations of phenological mismatch in both systems were made prior to the onset of anthropogenically driven climate change. Neither species can detect the phenology of its host plants with precision. In both species, evolution of life history has involved compromise between maximizing fecundity and minimizing mortality, with the outcome being superficially maladaptive strategies in which many, or even most, individuals die of starvation through poor synchrony with their host plants. Where phenological asynchrony or mismatch with resources forms the starting point for effects of anthropogenic global warming, consumers are particularly vulnerable to impacts that exacerbate the mismatch. This vulnerability likely contributed to extinction of a well-studied metapopulation of Edith's checkerspot, and to the skewed geographical pattern of population extinctions underlying a northward and upward range shift in this species.

scholarly journals Forest defoliator pests alter carbon and nitrogen cycles

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 160361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne l-M-Arnold ◽  
Maren Grüning ◽  
Judy Simon ◽  
Annett-Barbara Reinhardt ◽  
Norbert Lamersdorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Soil Microbial Activity ◽  
Quercus Petraea ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
C And N

Climate change may foster pest epidemics in forests, and thereby the fluxes of elements that are indicators of ecosystem functioning. We examined compounds of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in insect faeces, leaf litter, throughfall and analysed the soils of deciduous oak forests ( Quercus petraea  L.) that were heavily infested by the leaf herbivores winter moth ( Operophtera brumata  L.) and mottled umber ( Erannis defoliaria  L.). In infested forests, total net canopy-to-soil fluxes of C and N deriving from insect faeces, leaf litter and throughfall were 30- and 18-fold higher compared with uninfested oak forests, with 4333 kg C ha −1 and 319 kg N ha −1 , respectively, during a pest outbreak over 3 years. In infested forests, C and N levels in soil solutions were enhanced and C/N ratios in humus layers were reduced indicating an extended canopy-to-soil element pathway compared with the non-infested forests. In a microcosm incubation experiment, soil treatments with insect faeces showed 16-fold higher fluxes of carbon dioxide and 10-fold higher fluxes of dissolved organic carbon compared with soil treatments without added insect faeces (control). Thus, the deposition of high rates of nitrogen and rapidly decomposable carbon compounds in the course of forest pest epidemics appears to stimulate soil microbial activity (i.e. heterotrophic respiration), and therefore, may represent an important mechanism by which climate change can initiate a carbon cycle feedback.

Phenological diversity in the interactions between winter moth (Operophtera brumata) larvae and parasitoid wasps in sub-arctic mountain birch forest

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 705-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.P.L. Vindstad ◽  
S.B. Hagen ◽  
J.U. Jepsen ◽  
L. Kapari ◽  
T. Schott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Larval Period ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variation ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Mountain Birch ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Phenological Diversity ◽  
Parasitoid Guild

AbstractPopulation cycles of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) in sub-arctic coastal birch forests show high spatiotemporal variation in amplitude. Peak larval densities range from levels causing little foliage damage to outbreaks causing spatially extensive defoliation. Moreover, outbreaks typically occur at or near the altitudinal treeline. It has been hypothesized that spatiotemporal variation in O. brumata cycle amplitude results from climate-induced variation in the degree of phenological matching between trophic levels, possibly between moth larvae and parasitoids. The likelihood of mismatching phenologies between larvae and parasitoids is expected to depend on how specialized parasitoids are, both as individual species and as a guild, to attacking specific larval developmental stages (i.e. instars). To investigate the larval instar-specificity of parasitoids, we studied the timing of parasitoid attacks relative to larval phenology. We employed an observational study design, with sequential sampling over the larval period, along an altitudinal gradient harbouring a pronounced treeline outbreak of O. brumata. Within the larval parasitoid guild, containing seven species groups, the timing of attack by different groups followed a successional sequence throughout the moth's larval period and each group attacked 1–2 instars. Such phenological diversity within parasitoid guilds may lower the likelihood of climate-induced trophic mismatches between victim populations and many/all of their enemies. Parasitism rates declined with increasing altitude for most parasitoid groups and for the parasitoid guild as a whole. However, the observed spatiotemporal parasitism patterns provided no clear evidence for or against altitudinal mismatch between larval and parasitoid phenology.

scholarly journals Seasonal and elevational variability in the induction of specialized compounds from mountain birch (Betula pubescens var. pumila) by winter moth larvae (Operophtera brumata)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingvild Ryde ◽  
Tao Li ◽  
Jolanta Rieksta ◽  
Bruna Marques dos Santos ◽  
Elizabeth H J Neilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Insect Herbivory ◽  
Betula Pubescens ◽  
Mountain Birch ◽  
Feeding Period ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Abstract The mountain birch (Betula pubescens var. pumila (L.)) forest in the Subarctic is periodically exposed to insect outbreaks, which are expected to intensify due to climate change. To mitigate abiotic and biotic stresses, plants have evolved chemical defenses, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non-volatile specialized compounds (NVSCs). Constitutive and induced production of these compounds, however, are poorly studied in Subarctic populations of mountain birch. Here, we assessed the joint effects of insect herbivory, elevation, and season on foliar VOC emissions and NVSC contents of mountain birch. VOCs were sampled in situ by an enclosure technique and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. NVSCs were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry using an untargeted approach. At low elevation, experimental herbivory by winter moth larvae (Operophtera brumata) increased emissions of monoterpenes and homoterpenes over the three-week feeding period, and sesquiterpenes and green leaf volatile in the end of the feeding period. At high elevation, however, herbivory augmented only homoterpene emissions. The more pronounced herbivory effects at low elevation were likely due to higher herbivory intensity. Of the individual compounds, linalool, ocimene, 4,8-dimethylnona-1,3,7-triene, 2-methyl butanenitrile, and benzyl nitrile were among the most responsive compounds in herbivory treatments. Herbivory also altered foliar NVSC profiles at both low and high elevations, with the most responsive compounds likely belonging to fatty acyl glycosides and terpene glycosides. Additionally, VOC emissions from non-infested branches were higher at high than low elevation, particularly during the early season, which was mainly driven by phenological differences. VOC emissions varied substantially over the season, largely reflecting the seasonal variations in temperature and light levels. Our results suggest that if insect herbivory pressure continues to rise in the mountain birch forest with ongoing climate change, it will significantly increase VOC emissions with important consequences for local trophic interactions and climate.

scholarly journals Elevated temperature and browning increase dietary methylmercury, but decrease essential fatty acids at the base of lake food webs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pianpian Wu ◽  
Martin J. Kainz ◽  
Fernando Valdés ◽  
Siwen Zheng ◽  
Katharina Winter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Essential Nutrients ◽  
Aquatic Food Webs ◽  
Aquatic Food

AbstractClimate change scenarios predict increases in temperature and organic matter supply from land to water, which affect trophic transfer of nutrients and contaminants in aquatic food webs. How essential nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and potentially toxic contaminants, such as methylmercury (MeHg), at the base of aquatic food webs will be affected under climate change scenarios, remains unclear. The objective of this outdoor mesocosm study was to examine how increased water temperature and terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter supply (tDOM; i.e., lake browning), and the interaction of both, will influence MeHg and PUFA in organisms at the base of food webs (i.e. seston; the most edible plankton size for zooplankton) in subalpine lake ecosystems. The interaction of higher temperature and tDOM increased the burden of MeHg in seston (< 40 μm) and larger sized plankton (microplankton; 40–200 μm), while the MeHg content per unit biomass remained stable. However, PUFA decreased in seston, but increased in microplankton, consisting mainly of filamentous algae, which are less readily bioavailable to zooplankton. We revealed elevated dietary exposure to MeHg, yet decreased supply of dietary PUFA to aquatic consumers with increasing temperature and tDOM supply. This experimental study provides evidence that the overall food quality at the base of aquatic food webs deteriorates during ongoing climate change scenarios by increasing the supply of toxic MeHg and lowering the dietary access to essential nutrients of consumers at higher trophic levels.

scholarly journals The importance of species interactions in eco-evolutionary community dynamics under climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Åkesson ◽  
Alva Curtsdotter ◽  
Anna Eklöf ◽  
Bo Ebenman ◽  
Jon Norberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Impact

AbstractEco-evolutionary dynamics are essential in shaping the biological response of communities to ongoing climate change. Here we develop a spatially explicit eco-evolutionary framework which features more detailed species interactions, integrating evolution and dispersal. We include species interactions within and between trophic levels, and additionally, we incorporate the feature that species’ interspecific competition might change due to increasing temperatures and affect the impact of climate change on ecological communities. Our modeling framework captures previously reported ecological responses to climate change, and also reveals two key results. First, interactions between trophic levels as well as temperature-dependent competition within a trophic level mitigate the negative impact of climate change on biodiversity, emphasizing the importance of understanding biotic interactions in shaping climate change impact. Second, our trait-based perspective reveals a strong positive relationship between the within-community variation in preferred temperatures and the capacity to respond to climate change. Temperature-dependent competition consistently results both in higher trait variation and more responsive communities to altered climatic conditions. Our study demonstrates the importance of species interactions in an eco-evolutionary setting, further expanding our knowledge of the interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes.

A Note on the Association of Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria (Harr.)) with Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata (Linn.)) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

1958 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 538-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Quercus Rubra ◽  
Acer Platanoides ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
Ulmus Americana ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
The Third ◽  
Norway Maple ◽  
Fall Cankerworm

The fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harr.), and the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Linn.), both feed to a great extent on the same tree species and prefer apple, Malus spp., red oak, Quercus rubra L., basswood, Tilia spp., white elm, Ulmus americana L., and Norway maple, Acer platanoides L. They also have similar life-histories and habits (Smith 1950 and 1953). Both lay their eggs on the trees in the fall and overwinter in this stage. The eggs hatch about the same time and the larvae of (both species mature about the third week in June. They drop to the ground and form cocoons at a depth of about an inch. The adults emerge about the same time, commencing usually during the last week in October and continuing until early December or until the ground freezes.

WING COLOURATION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRUCE SPANWORM OPEROPHTERA BRUCEATA (HULST) (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE) AND THE WINTER MOTH OPEROPHTERA BRUMATA (L.) ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (7) ◽  
pp. 697-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Pivnick
Keyword(s):  
West Coast ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Costal Margin ◽  
Operophtera Brumata ◽  
The West ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Winter Moth ◽  
Pheromone Trapping ◽  
Yellow Orange ◽  
Bruce Spanworm

In a recently completed study involving pheromone trapping of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), and the Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata (Hulst), on Vancouver Island (Pivnick et al. 1988), I noticed that O. bruceata had wing colouration different from sympatric O. brumata. The west coast O. bruceata has a pale yellow-orange costal margin on the underside of the forewings and this is faint to absent in O. brumata (Fig. 1). It is also absent from O. bruceata in Saskatoon, which is interesting because some authors consider the west coast population of O. bruceata to be a separate species: the western winter moth, O. occidentalis (see Ferguson 1978; Pivnick et al. 1988). Descriptions of O. bruceata (Brown 1962) and O. brumata (Cuming 1961), and a taxonomic key to these two species (Eidt et al. 1966), do not mention any distinctive wing markings that could be used to separate the two species.

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