1200 years of regular outbreaks in alpine insects
07 Mar 2007-Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (The Royal Society)-Vol. 274, Iss: 1610, pp 671-679
TL;DR: The long-term history of Zeiraphera diniana Gn.
Abstract: The long-term history of Zeiraphera diniana Gn. (the larch budmoth, LBM) outbreaks was reconstructed from tree rings of host subalpine larch in the European Alps. This record was derived from 47513...
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TL;DR: It is found that defoliation trends are paralleled by significant increases in tree mortality rates in drier areas that are related to tree density and temperature effects, creating long-term disruptive effects of drought on food webs.
Abstract: Climate change is progressively increasing severe drought events in the Northern Hemisphere, causing regional tree die-off events and contributing to the global reduction of the carbon sink efficiency of forests. There is a critical lack of integrated community-wide assessments of drought-induced responses in forests at the macroecological scale, including defoliation, mortality, and food web responses. Here we report a generalized increase in crown defoliation in southern European forests occurring during 1987-2007. Forest tree species have consistently and significantly altered their crown leaf structures, with increased percentages of defoliation in the drier parts of their distributions in response to increased water deficit. We assessed the demographic responses of trees associated with increased defoliation in southern European forests, specifically in the Iberian Peninsula region. We found that defoliation trends are paralleled by significant increases in tree mortality rates in drier areas that are related to tree density and temperature effects. Furthermore, we show that severe drought impacts are associated with sudden changes in insect and fungal defoliation dynamics, creating long-term disruptive effects of drought on food webs. Our results reveal a complex geographical mosaic of species-specific responses to climate change-driven drought pressures on the Iberian Peninsula, with an overwhelmingly predominant trend toward increased drought damage.
749 citations
Cites background from "1200 years of regular outbreaks in ..."
...The combined effect of these factors can severely increase the mortality rates of insect herbivores during severe drought periods (29) and even truncate multiyear insect outbreak dynamics (32)....
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Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research1, Siberian Federal University2, Stockholm University3, Harvard University4, Princeton University5, Paul Scherrer Institute6, Max Planck Society7, University of Mainz8, University of Lausanne9, University UCINF10, University of Giessen11, ETH Zurich12, Sukachev Institute of Forest13
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used tree-ring chronologies from the Russian Altai and European Alps to reconstruct summer temperatures over the past two millennia and found an unprecedented, longlasting and spatially synchronized cooling following a cluster of large volcanic eruptions in 536, 540 and 547 AD.
Abstract: Societal upheaval occurred across Eurasia in the sixth and seventh centuries. Tree-ring reconstructions suggest a period of pronounced cooling during this time associated with several volcanic eruptions. Climatic changes during the first half of the Common Era have been suggested to play a role in societal reorganizations in Europe1,2 and Asia3,4. In particular, the sixth century coincides with rising and falling civilizations1,2,3,4,5,6, pandemics7,8, human migration and political turmoil8,9,10,11,12,13. Our understanding of the magnitude and spatial extent as well as the possible causes and concurrences of climate change during this period is, however, still limited. Here we use tree-ring chronologies from the Russian Altai and European Alps to reconstruct summer temperatures over the past two millennia. We find an unprecedented, long-lasting and spatially synchronized cooling following a cluster of large volcanic eruptions in 536, 540 and 547 AD (ref. 14), which was probably sustained by ocean and sea-ice feedbacks15,16, as well as a solar minimum17. We thus identify the interval from 536 to about 660 AD as the Late Antique Little Ice Age. Spanning most of the Northern Hemisphere, we suggest that this cold phase be considered as an additional environmental factor contributing to the establishment of the Justinian plague7,8, transformation of the eastern Roman Empire and collapse of the Sasanian Empire1,2,5, movements out of the Asian steppe and Arabian Peninsula8,11,12, spread of Slavic-speaking peoples9,10 and political upheavals in China13.
527 citations
TL;DR: It is believed that the study of tree-ring anatomy is emerging as a promising approach in tree biology and climate change research, particularly if complemented by physiological and ecological studies.
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473 citations
Cites background from "1200 years of regular outbreaks in ..."
...…in relation to the effect of fire (e.g. Madany et al., 1982; Smith & Sutherland, 1999), defoliation (e.g. Huber, 1993; Asshoff et al., 1999; Esper et al., 2007), drought (e.g. Corcuera et al., 2004a,b; Liang & Eckstein, 2006; Eilmann et al., 2009), intensity and frequency of flooding…...
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TL;DR: The cause and implication of changes in population cycles in voles, grouse and insects in Europe are discussed, which are expected to imply collapses of important ecosystem functions, such as the pulsed flows of resources and disturbances.
Abstract: During the past two decades population cycles in voles, grouse and insects have been fading out in Europe. Here, we discuss the cause and implication of these changes. Several lines of evidence now point to climate forcing as the general underlying cause. However, how climate interacts with demography to induce regime shifts in population dynamics is likely to differ among species and ecosystems. Herbivores with high-amplitude population cycles, such as voles, lemmings, snowshoe hares and forest Lepidoptera, form the heart of terrestrial food web dynamics. Thus, collapses of these cycles are also expected to imply collapses of important ecosystem functions, such as the pulsed flows of resources and disturbances.
396 citations
TL;DR: The key impacts of global warming on insect development and dispersal are reviewed, including earlier flight periods, enhanced winter survival and acceleration of development rates are the major insect responses.
Abstract: Effects of recent climate change have already been detected in many species, and, in particular, in insects. The present paper reviews the key impacts of global warming on insect development and dispersal. The effects of climate change appear to be much more complex than a simple linear response to an average increase in temperature. They can differ between seasons and bioclimatic regions. Earlier flight periods, enhanced winter survival and acceleration of development rates are the major insect responses. Differential response of insects and hosts to warming up might also lead to disruption of their phenological synchrony, but adaptive genetic processes are likely to quickly restore this synchrony. In a number of cases, warming results in removing or relocating the barriers that limit present species' ranges. It is also likely to facilitate the establishment and spread of invasive alien species. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified and future research interests are suggested.
348 citations
Cites background from "1200 years of regular outbreaks in ..."
...Winter and spring temperatures un- usually warm for the period 1989–1991 might also have disrupted the strict synchrony previously existing between hatching of larch budmoth larvae, Zeiraphera diniana Guénée, and larch foliage availability (Esper et al. 2007)....
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...Winter and spring temperatures unusually warm for the period 1989–1991 might also have disrupted the strict synchrony previously existing between hatching of larch budmoth larvae, Zeiraphera diniana Guénée, and larch foliage availability (Esper et al. 2007)....
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References
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TL;DR: A review of the ecological impacts of recent climate change exposes a coherent pattern of ecological change across systems, from polar terrestrial to tropical marine environments.
Abstract: There is now ample evidence of the ecological impacts of recent climate change, from polar terrestrial to tropical marine environments. The responses of both flora and fauna span an array of ecosystems and organizational hierarchies, from the species to the community levels. Despite continued uncertainty as to community and ecosystem trajectories under global change, our review exposes a coherent pattern of ecological change across systems. Although we are only at an early stage in the projected trends of global warming, ecological responses to recent climate change are already clearly visible.
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4,668 citations
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11 Nov 2012
TL;DR: In this paper, a summary of basic dendrochronology, especially its application to Beams from these activities that various statistical methods such as they are covered, is given.
Abstract: This classic title, originally printed in 1976, contains a lucid description and summary of basic dendrochronology, especially its application to Beams from these activities that various statistical methods such as they are covered. They are basically recording a highly, localized analyses possible therefore. Trees grow all places on natural forces. The dendroclimatology that has quickly made climate record initial. This climate remains a glossary of greatest hits to compensate for more than previously estimated. Our study actually does none of natural warm period then sealed to calibrate growth.
4,206 citations
TL;DR: Future research needs to consider insect herbivore phenotypic and genotypic flexibility, their responses to global change parameters operating in concert, and awareness that some patterns may only become apparent in the longer term.
Abstract: This review examines the direct effects of climate change on insect herbivores. Temperature is identified as the dominant abiotic factor directly affecting herbivorous insects. There is little evidence of any direct effects of CO2 or UVB. Direct impacts of precipitation have been largely neglected in current research on climate change. Temperature directly affects development, survival, range and abundance. Species with a large geographical range will tend to be less affected. The main effect of temperature in temperate regions is to influence winter survival; at more northerly latitudes, higher temperatures extend the summer season, increasing the available thermal budget for growth and reproduction. Photoperiod is the dominant cue for the seasonal synchrony of temperate insects, but their thermal requirements may differ at different times of year. Interactions between photoperiod and temperature determine phenology; the two factors do not necessarily operate in tandem. Insect herbivores show a number of distinct life-history strategies to exploit plants with different growth forms and strategies, which will be differentially affected by climate warming. There are still many challenges facing biologists in predicting and monitoring the impacts of climate change. Future research needs to consider insect herbivore phenotypic and genotypic flexibility, their responses to global change parameters operating in concert, and awareness that some patterns may only become apparent in the longer term.
2,114 citations
"1200 years of regular outbreaks in ..." refers background in this paper
...…to climate change (Walther et al. 2002; Ims & Fuglei 2005) and specifically predicting impacts on forest insect outbreaks (Volney & Fleming 2000, Bale et al. 2002). ic supplementary material is available at http://dx.doi.org/10. b.2006.0191 or via http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk. r for…...
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TL;DR: Multiproxy reconstructions of monthly and seasonal surface temperature fields for Europe back to 1500 show that the late 20th- and early 21st-century European climate is very likely (>95% confidence level) warmer than that of any time during the past 500 years.
Abstract: Multiproxy reconstructions of monthly and seasonal surface temperature fields for Europe back to 1500 show that the late 20th- and early 21st-century European climate is very likely (>95% confidence level) warmer than that of any time during the past 500 years. This agrees with findings for the entire Northern Hemisphere. European winter average temperatures during the period 1500 to 1900 were reduced by ∼0.5°C (0.25°C for annual mean temperatures) compared to the 20th century. Summer temperatures did not experience systematic century-scale cooling relative to present conditions. The coldest European winter was 1708/1709; 2003 was by far the hottest summer.
1,665 citations
"1200 years of regular outbreaks in ..." refers methods or result in this paper
...Among the plethora of animal species known to exhibit population cycles (Kendall et al. 1998), oscillations of LBM in the European Alps are considered to exhibit particularly regular cycles (Berryman 1996, 2002)....
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...Keywords: climate change; population dynamics; Zeiraphera diniana; tree rings; European Alps...
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...…together with various calibration tests using (nonsmoothed) 500-year seasonal temperature reconstructions averaged over the respective grid cells in the European Alps (Luterbacher et al. 2004), demonstrated that there was no systematic relationship between LBM activity and climatic variations....
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...B (2007) 274, 671–679 doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0191 1200 years of regular outbreaks in alpine insects Jan Esper1,*, Ulf Büntgen1, David C. Frank1, Daniel Nievergelt1 and Andrew Liebhold2 1Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland 2Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 180 Canfield Street, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA Published online 12 December 2006 Electron 1098/rsp *Autho Received Accepted The long-term history of Zeiraphera diniana Gn. (the larch budmoth, LBM) outbreaks was reconstructed from tree rings of host subalpine larch in the European Alps....
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...We report here on such a time-series of Z. diniana outbreaks from the European Alps, derived from a dataset of MXD measurements from living and historical L. decidua wood samples....
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