| 1. |
- Aguirre-Gutierrez, Jesus, et al.
(författare)
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Butterflies show different functional and species diversity in relationship to vegetation structure and land use
- 2017
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Ingår i: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 26:10, s. 1126-1137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimBiodiversity is rapidly disappearing at local and global scales also affecting the functional diversity of ecosystems. We aimed to assess whether functional diversity was correlated with species diversity and whether both were affected by similar land use and vegetation structure drivers. Better understanding of these relationships will allow us to improve our predictions regarding the effects of future changes in land use on ecosystem functions and services. LocationThe Netherlands. MethodsWe compiled a dataset of c.3 million observations of 66 out of 106 known Dutch butterfly species collected across 6,075 sampling locations during a period of 7 years, together with very high-resolution maps of land use and countrywide vegetation structure data. Using a mixed-effects modelling framework, we investigated the relationship between functional and species diversity and their main land use and vegetation structure drivers. ResultsWe found that high species diversity does not translate into high functional diversity, as shown by their different spatial distribution patterns in the landscape. Functional and species diversity are mainly driven by different sets of structural and land use parameters (especially average vegetation height, amount of vegetation between 0.5 and 2m, natural grassland, sandy soils vegetation, marsh vegetation and urban areas). We showed that it is a combination of both vegetation structural characteristics and land use variables that defines functional and species diversity. Main conclusionsFunctional diversity and species diversity of butterflies are not consistently correlated and must therefore be treated separately. High functional diversity levels occurred even in areas with low species diversity. Thus, conservation actions may differ depending on whether the focus is on conservation of high functional diversity or high species diversity. A more integrative analysis of biodiversity at both species and trait levels is needed to infer the full effects of environmental change on ecosystem functioning.
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| 2. |
- Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Jesús, et al.
(författare)
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Functional traits help to explain half-century long shifts in pollinator distributions
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Changes in climate and land use can have important impacts on biodiversity. Species respond to such environmental modifications by adapting to new conditions or by shifting their geographic distributions towards more suitable areas. The latter might be constrained by species’ functional traits that influence their ability to move, reproduce or establish. Here, we show that functional traits related to dispersal, reproduction, habitat use and diet have influenced how three pollinator groups (bees, butterflies and hoverflies) responded to changes in climate and land-use in the Netherlands since 1950. Across the three pollinator groups, we found pronounced areal range expansions (>53%) and modelled range shifts towards the north (all taxa: 17–22 km), west (bees: 14 km) and east (butterflies: 11 km). The importance of specific functional traits for explaining distributional changes varied among pollinator groups. Larval diet preferences (i.e. carnivorous vs. herbivorous/detritivorous and nitrogen values of host plants, respectively) were important for hoverflies and butterflies, adult body size for hoverflies, and flight period length for all groups. Moreover, interactions among multiple traits were important to explain species’ geographic range shifts, suggesting that taxon-specific multi-trait analyses are needed to predict how global change will affect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Bengt Å., et al.
(författare)
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Fjärilar
- 2010. - 1
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Ingår i: Rödlistade arter i Sverige 2010. - Uppsala : Artdatabanken i samarbete med Naturvårdsverket. - 9789188506351 ; , s. 361-392
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 5. |
- Bergek, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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From individuals to populations : Impacts of environmental pollution on natural eelpout populations
- 2012
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Ingår i: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. - : Elsevier BV. - 0147-6513 .- 1090-2414. ; 79, s. 1-12
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigating how individuals are affected by environmental pollution is relatively straightforward, for example through conducting field studies or laboratory toxicity tests. Exploring such effects at a population level is considerably more difficult. Nonetheless, the exploration of population-level effects is important as the outcomes may differ from those seen at the individual level. Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus L) have been used for several years as a bioindicator for hazard substances in both the field and laboratory tests, and individual effects on reproduction have been reported. However, the influence of these effects at the population level remained unexplored. In this study, four Leslie matrix models were parameterized using data from non-polluted eelpout populations (Skagerrak, Baltic Proper, Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Finland). The four sites represent an environmental gradient in salinity. Furthermore, life-history data revealed differences between the sites with growth rate, fecundity, age at maturity and longevity being the most significant. The effect of pollution on natural eelpout populations was then simulated by combining the outputs from the Leslie matrices with data from laboratory and field studies exploring reproductive impairment in contaminated environments. Our results show that despite differences in life-history characteristics between sites, survival of early life stages (i.e. larvae and zero-year-old fish) was the most important factor affecting population growth and persistence for all sites. The range of change in survival of larvae necessary to change population dynamics (i.e. growth) and persistence is well within the range documented in recipient and experimental studies of chemicals and industrial waste waters. Overall, larval malformation resulting from environmental pollution can have large effects on natural populations, leading to population losses and possibly even extinction. This study hereby contributes valuable knowledge by extending individual-level effects of environmental contaminants to the population level. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Betzholtz, Per-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Associations of 16-Year Population Dynamics in Range-Expanding Moths with Temperature and Years since Establishment
- 2023
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Ingår i: Insects. - : MDPI. - 2075-4450. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary There has been a widespread decline of many plants and animals driven at least partly by climate change. This pattern is not universal, and certain taxa are increasing in abundance and distribution. A better understanding of population dynamics and range expansions in different areas and how different taxa respond to changing temperatures is therefore important, as we are facing a warmer and more fluctuating climate in the future. In this study, we show that range-expanding moths in southeastern Sweden have increased their species richness over time and that abundance and population growth increase during years with higher temperatures. We also show that population growth in range-expanding moths is fastest in the first years after establishment in an area. These shifts in distribution and abundance of moths may lead to rapid and dramatic changes in community compositions, with potentially widespread consequences for species interactions and ecosystem functioning. Parallel to the widespread decline of plants and animals, there is also an ongoing expansion of many species, which is especially pronounced in certain taxonomic groups and in northern latitudes. In order to inform an improved understanding of population dynamics in range-expanding taxa, we studied species richness, abundance and population growth in a sample of 25,138 individuals representing 107 range-expanding moth species at three light-trap sites in southeastern Sweden over 16 years (from 2005 to 2020) in relation to temperature and years since colonisation. Species richness and average abundance across range-expanding moths increased significantly over time, indicating a continuous influx of species expanding their ranges northward. Furthermore, average abundance and population growth increased significantly with increasing average ambient air temperature during the recording year, and average abundance also increased significantly with increasing temperature during the previous year. In general, population growth increased between years (growth rate > 1), although the population growth rate decreased significantly in association with years since colonisation. These findings highlight that, in contrast to several other studies in different parts of the world, species richness and abundance have increased in southeastern Sweden, partly because the warming climate enables range-expanding moths to realise their capacity for rapid distribution shifts and population growth. This may lead to fast and dramatic changes in community composition, with consequences for species interactions and the functioning of ecosystems. These findings are also of applied relevance for agriculture and forestry in that they can help to forecast the impacts of future invasive pest species.
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| 7. |
- Betzholtz, Per-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Colour pattern variation can inform about extinction risk in moths
- 2017
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Ingår i: Animal Conservation. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1367-9430 .- 1469-1795. ; 20:1, s. 72-79
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Theory posits that species with inter-individual variation in colour patterns should beless vulnerable to extinction, compared with species that do not vary in colour. Toevaluate this prediction, we explored whether differences in colour pattern diversitywas associated with extinction risk, using red-list status for more than 350 species ofnoctuid moths in Sweden. We also evaluated six other species characteristics thathave been proposed to influence extinction risk namely: host plant niche breadth,habitat type, area of occupancy, body size, overwintering life-history stage and lengthof flight activity period. We found that species with variable colour patterns hadreduced extinction risk overall compared with species having non-variable colourpatterns, and that this difference was pronounced more strongly among species havingsmaller areas of occupancy. There were also significant associations with hostplant niche breadth and habitat type, extinction risk being lower on average in polyphagousspecies and in generalist species that occupied different habitat types. Thesefindings represent the first evidence for insects that variable colouration is associatedwith reduced extinction risks. Information on colour pattern variation is readily availablefor many taxa and may be used as a cost-effective proxy for endangerment inthe work of halting national and global biodiversity loss.
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| 8. |
- Betzholtz, Per-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Ecological characteristics associated with high mobility in night-active moths
- 2013
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Ingår i: Basic and Applied Ecology. - Elsevier : Elsevier BV. - 1439-1791 .- 1618-0089. ; 14:3, s. 271-279
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mobility is an important factor influencing the range and persistence of local populations. However, mobility is very difficult to measure empirically and thus is poorly known in most taxa. Since ecological characteristics have been suggested as good estimators of mobility, we here explore the association between ecological characteristics and mobility. We surveyed night-active moths on a Swedish island, situated 16 km from the mainland, and compared ecological characteristics of the non-resident moths found on the island with those of a species pool of assumed potential vagrants from the neighbouring mainland. Species associated with high mobility were characterised by a large range, a high population density, an activity period during warm temperatures and by being habitat generalists or preferring open habitats. The generally assumed view of poly- and oligophagous species being more mobile than monophagous species was obscured by the effect of population density. Poly- and oligophagous species had higher population densities than did monophagous species, which probably explain their higher mobility found in this study. Our result highlights the need to consider the influence of ecological characteristics on mobility. This in turn will have implications for an increased understanding of distribution patterns, population persistence and how to prioritise conservation actions, especially since habitats and climate are under dramatic changes. In taxa where data on mobility are poor, ecological characteristics can be used as a proxy for mobility.
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| 9. |
- Betzholtz, Per-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Increased Abundance Coincides with Range Expansions and Phenology Shifts : A Long-Term Case Study of Two Noctuid Moths in Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: Diversity. - : MDPI. - 1424-2818. ; 15:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental and climatic changes are inducing population declines in numerous species. However, certain species demonstrate remarkable resilience, exhibiting both population growth and range expansion. This longitudinal study in Sweden carried out over two decades (2004–2023) examines the noctuid moths Mythimna albipuncta and Hoplodrina ambigua. Abundance and phenology data were gathered from three light traps in southeastern Sweden and integrated with distribution and phenology data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. In M. albipuncta, the distribution area expanded from 7 to 76 occupied grids (60 km2) and the abundance increased from 7 to 6136 individuals, while in H. ambigua, the distribution area expanded from 1 to 87 occupied grids and the abundance increased from 0 to 6937 individuals, during the course of the study. Furthermore, a positive yearly association was observed between the number of occupied grids and light trap abundance for each species. We also found significant extensions in the adult flight periods of more than 100 days in both species. Light traps emerged as an effective monitoring tool, with light trap abundance as a reliable proxy for distribution changes. Our findings demonstrate that the studied species cope very well with environmental and climatic changes. Given their role as dominant links between primary producers and higher trophic levels, abundance and distribution shifts of these ecological engineers have the potential to cascade up and down in the ecosystem.
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| 10. |
- Betzholtz, Per-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Inter-individual variation in colour patterns in noctuid moths characterizes long-distance dispersers and agricultural pests
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of applied entomology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0931-2048 .- 1439-0418. ; 143:9, s. 992-999
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A high capacity for long‐distance dispersal is a key to success for species confronted with environmental heterogeneity, habitat modification, fragmentation and loss. However, dispersal capacity is difficult to quantify and therefore poorly known in most taxa. Here, we report on a test for an association of variation in dispersal capacity with variable colouration of noctuid moths. First, using data from 12 experienced lepidopterologists, we showed that despite variation among experts in average assessments, different species are consistently classified as having non‐variable, variable or highly variable colour patterns when assessed by different experts. We then compared the incidence of non‐resident species with high inter‐individual variation in colour patterns recorded on the isolated island Utklippan (n = 47), with that in a species pool of potential long‐distance dispersers from the nearest mainland (n = 295). Species with high inter‐individual colour pattern variation were over‐represented on the island compared with species having non‐variable colouration. This finding constitutes rare evidence from the wild of long‐distance dispersal, measured on a spatial scale relevant for moths when tracking habitats in fragmented and changing landscapes or when keeping pace with environmental challenges associated with climate change. Finally, we showed that Swedish noctuid moths classified as agricultural pests (n = 28) had more variable colour patterns compared with non‐pests (n = 368). The majority of agricultural pests were also recorded on the isolated island, an outcome that is indicative of pest species having high dispersal capacity. Data on colour pattern variation may thus offer a simple and cost‐effective proxy to estimate dispersal capacity and can also help identify potential pest species. Our findings are potentially useful when modelling and predicting population and range dynamics of species in spatiotemporally heterogeneous environments, with direct implications for conservation biology and pest management.
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