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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
10:20
Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
14.0K
Higher predation risk for insect prey at low latitudes and elevations.
Tomas Roslin1,2, Bess Hardwick2, Vojtech Novotny3,4,5
1Spatial Foodweb Ecology Group, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Post Office Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. tomas.roslin@slu.se.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 20, 2017
Summary
Predation risk for caterpillars increases towards the equator and lower elevations globally. This pattern is driven by arthropod predators, highlighting consistent factors influencing ecosystem interactions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Global Change Biology
- Zoology
Background:
- Biotic interactions are fundamental to ecosystem functioning, yet their outcomes are challenging to predict.
- Understanding how interaction strength varies across environmental gradients is crucial for ecological theory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if biotic interaction strength, specifically predation risk, increases towards the equator.
- To investigate the influence of latitude and elevation on predation patterns.
Main Methods:
- A global experiment using model caterpillars to quantify predation risk.
- Data collected across an 11,660-kilometer latitudinal gradient spanning six continents.
- Analysis of predator types (arthropods, birds, mammals) influencing predation rates.
Main Results:
- Predation risk significantly increased towards the equator across continents.
- A parallel pattern of increased predation was observed towards lower elevations.
- Arthropod predators, not birds or mammals, were the primary drivers of these latitudinal and elevational predation gradients.
Conclusions:
- Biotic interaction strength exhibits consistent global and regional patterns, increasing with proximity to the equator and lower elevations.
- Arthropod predation dynamics appear to be a key factor shaping these large-scale ecological gradients.
- Findings necessitate integration into broader theories of herbivory, community ecology, and life-history evolution.
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