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Changes in host-parasitoid food web structure with elevation.

Sarah C Maunsell1, Roger L Kitching1, Chris J Burwell1,2

  • 1Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan campus, Kessels Road, Brisbane, Qld, 4111, Australia.

The Journal of Animal Ecology
|September 23, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Elevational changes significantly alter food web structure, with decreasing temperature impacting herbivore-parasitoid interactions. This suggests climate change may restructure forest food webs, but parasitoid adaptation is key.

Keywords:
climate changeelevationexperimental manipulationfood webherbivoresleaf minerparasitoidquantitative network structurespecies interactionssubtropical rain forest

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Zoology
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Elevational gradients are crucial for understanding species' responses to climate change.
  • While species richness and turnover are well-studied along elevation gradients, food web structure remains underexplored.
  • Differential responses of predators and prey to elevation can alter food web dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how the quantitative structure of a herbivore-parasitoid food web changes with elevation in an Australian subtropical rainforest.
  • To assess the impact of elevational environmental changes on food web metrics like generality, vulnerability, and interaction evenness.
  • To test if a specific leaf-mining weevil experiences higher parasitism at lower, warmer elevations.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted sampling across three elevational gradients (493m-1159m a.s.l.) over one year.
  • Collected and reared leaf miners and parasitoids to construct quantitative food webs for twelve sites.
  • Performed a translocation experiment with the weevil *Platynotocis* sp. to assess parasitism rates at different elevations.

Main Results:

  • Food web generality, vulnerability, and interaction evenness significantly decreased with increasing elevation (and decreasing temperature).
  • Elevational changes did not significantly affect food web connectance.
  • Plant composition influenced generality and vulnerability, but not interaction evenness.
  • Some leaf miners escaped parasitism at high elevations, but the translocated weevil did not experience higher parasitism at lower elevations.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental changes with elevation significantly restructure herbivore-parasitoid food webs.
  • Leaf miners and parasitoids exhibit differential responses to elevational conditions, altering food web structure.
  • Climate change may restructure host-parasitoid food webs, with future changes depending on parasitoid adaptability to novel hosts.