Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1038/srep36265
Title (Primary) Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns
Author Forsman, A.; Betzholtz, P.-E.; Franzén, M.
Source Titel Scientific Reports
Year 2016
Department BZF
Volume 6
Page From art. 36265
Language englisch
UFZ wide themes RU1;
Abstract Range shifts have been documented in many organisms, and climate change has been implicated as a contributing driver of latitudinal and altitudinal range modifications. However, little is known about what species trait(s) allow for faster environmental tracking and improved capacity for distribution expansions. We used data for 416 species of moths, and show that range limits in Sweden have shifted to the north by on average 52.4 km per decade between 1973 and 2014. When also including non-expanding species, average expansion rate was 23.2 km per decade. The rate of boundary shifts increased with increasing levels of inter-individual variation in colour patterns and decreased with increasing latitude. The association with colour patterns indicate that variation in this functionally important trait enables species to cope with novel and changing conditions. Northern range limits also increased with average abundance and decreased with increasing year-to-year abundance fluctuations, implicating production of dispersers as a driver of range dynamics. Studies of terrestrial animals show that rates of poleward shifts differ between taxonomic groups, increase over time, and depend on study duration and latitude. Knowledge of how distribution shifts change with time, location, and species characteristics may improve projections of responses to climate change and aid the protection of biodiversity.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18096
Forsman, A., Betzholtz, P.-E., Franzén, M. (2016):
Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns
Sci. Rep. 6 , art. 36265 10.1038/srep36265