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Elevation and moths in a central eastern Q ueensland rainforest
Author(s) -
Odell Erica H.,
Ashton Louise A.,
Kitching Roger L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
austral ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 1442-9985
DOI - 10.1111/aec.12272
Subject(s) - rainforest , ecology , biological dispersal , geography , elevation (ballistics) , vegetation (pathology) , tropical rainforest , ecosystem , biology , population , medicine , demography , geometry , mathematics , pathology , sociology
Elevational gradients are powerful natural experiments for the investigation of ecological responses to changing climates. Automated modified P ennsylvania light traps were used to sample macro‐moth assemblages for three consecutive nights at each of 24 sites ranging from 200 m asl to 1200 m asl within continuous tropical rainforest at E ungella, Q ueensland, A ustralia (21° S , 148° E ). A total of 13 861 individual moths representing approximately 713 morphospecies and 10 045 individuals belonging to approximately 607 morphospecies where sampled during N ovember 2013 and M arch 2014 respectively. Moth assemblages exhibited a strong elevational signal during both sampling seasons; we grouped these into lowland and upland assemblages. The dispersal pattern of moth assemblages across the landscape reflected the stratification of vegetation communities across elevation and correlated with shifts in eco‐physical variables, most notably temperature and substrate organic matter. Regional historical biogeographical events likely contributed to the observed patterns. The analysis presented here identifies a set of statistically defined elevationally restricted moths which may be of use as part of a multi‐taxon predictor set for monitoring future ecosystem level changes associated with elevation and, by implication, with climate.