氣候變化下的新型營養相互作用促進了高山植物的共存
作者:
小柯機器人發布時間:2020/12/19 16:34:07
瑞士蘇黎世聯邦理工Patrice Descombes等研究人員發現,氣候變化下的新型營養相互作用促進了高山植物的共存。這一研究成果發表在2020年12月18日出版的國際學術期刊《科學》上。
據研究人員介紹,食草和植物防禦表現出沿海拔梯度的偶聯下降。但是,當前的生態平衡在氣候變化下可能會被破壞,動物比植物更快的向上遷移。
通過將低海拔食草動物昆蟲轉移到高山草原上,研究人員通過實驗模擬了這種向上的食草動物範圍變化。研究人員發現,新型食草動物和更多食草動物的引入破壞了植物冠層的垂直功能組織。
通過優先進食具有與低海拔寄主植物相匹配功能性狀的高山植物,食草動物減少了主要高山植物物種的生物量,並有利於侵蝕抗食草動物的小型植物,從而增加了物種的豐富度。除了溫度的直接影響外,新的生物相互作用是一種在氣候變化下被忽略但卻重要的生態系統改變驅動力。
附:英文原文
Title: Novel trophic interactions under climate change promote alpine plant coexistence
Author: Patrice Descombes, Camille Pitteloud, Gatan Glauser, Emmanuel Defossez, Alan Kergunteuil, Pierre-Marie Allard, Sergio Rasmann, Loc Pellissier
Issue&Volume: 2020/12/18
Abstract: Herbivory and plant defenses exhibit a coupled decline along elevation gradients. However, the current ecological equilibrium could be disrupted under climate change, with a faster upward range shift of animals than plants. Here, we experimentally simulated this upward herbivore range shift by translocating low-elevation herbivore insects to alpine grasslands. We report that the introduction of novel herbivores and increased herbivory disrupted the vertical functional organization of the plant canopy. By feeding preferentially on alpine plants with functional traits matching their low-elevation host plants, herbivores reduced the biomass of dominant alpine plant species and favored encroachment of herbivore-resistant small-stature plant species, inflating species richness. Supplementing a direct effect of temperature, novel biotic interactions represent a neglected but major driver of ecosystem modifications under climate change.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abd7015
Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6523/1469
Science:《科學》,創刊於1880年。隸屬於美國科學促進會,最新IF:41.037