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Updated: Oct 27, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Elevated CO2 concentration affects survival, but not development, reproduction, or predation of the predator
Wei Li1, Yao Zhao2, Yingying Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
Abstract:
Elevated CO2 concentrations can change the multi-level nutritional relationship of the ecosystem through the cascading effect of the food chain. To date, few studies have investigated the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the Araneae species through the tritrophic system. Hylyphantes graminicola (Araneae: Linyphiidae) is distributed widely in Asia and is a dominant predator in cotton fields. This study investigated chemical components in the food chain of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)-cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii)-predator (H. graminicola) and compared the development, reproduction, and predation of H. graminicola under ambient (400 ppm) and elevated concentration of CO2 (800 ppm). The results showed that the elevated CO2 concentration increased the chemicals of cotton and cotton aphid, but it did not affect the nutrients, development, reproduction, and predation of the spider. However, the survival rate of the spider was significantly decreased in elevated CO2. The results will further our understanding of the role of natural enemies in an environment with elevated CO2 concentration.
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