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Cross-Continental Differences in Climate Asymmetrically Shape Temporal Ecological Processes in Riverine Insect
Xiaowei Lin1,2, Qingyi Luo1, Mei-Hwa Kuo3
1Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
Global Change Biology
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Climate change impacts riverine insect communities. Stochastic processes increase with latitude, while deterministic ones decrease, influencing biodiversity patterns.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeography
- Climate Science
Background:
- Climatic fluctuations significantly shape biodiversity and biogeography.
- Understanding ecological processes is key to riverine insect community dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine how climatic gradients and variability influence temporal ecological processes in riverine insects.
- Analyze spatial patterns in family richness, temporal beta diversity, and underlying ecological processes across continents.
Main Methods:
- Utilized long-term data from 302 European sites (10-37 years) with 4751 observations of riverine insect assemblages.
- Applied generalized additive models and dissimilarity models to analyze spatial patterns and ecological processes.
Main Results:
- Family richness declined with latitude; temporal beta diversity decreased with increasing latitude and elevation.
- Stochastic processes (e.g., ecological drift) increased towards higher latitudes, while deterministic processes (e.g., temperature) declined.
Conclusions:
- Spatial asymmetry under fluctuating climates influences riverine insect community dynamics.
- Findings can inform adaptive conservation strategies for riverine ecosystems.
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