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Climatic severity and the response to temperature elevation of Arctic aphids
Author(s) -
STRATHDEE A.T.,
BALE J.S.,
STRATHDEE F.C.,
BLOCK W.C.,
COULSON S.J.,
WEBB N.R.,
HODKINSON I. D.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2486.1995.tb00003.x
Subject(s) - arctic vegetation , arctic , younger dryas , overwintering , arctic ecology , climate change , ecology , tundra , phenology , global warming , population , aphid , ecosystem , population density , environmental science , biology , physical geography , geography , agronomy , demography , sociology
1 Theory suggests that any given rise in temperature resulting from climate change will have its greatest effect on high Arctic ecosystems where growing seasons are short and temperatures low. 2 A small temperature rise, similar to that predicted for the middle of the next century, has profound effects on a population of the high Arctic, Dryas‐feeding aphid Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum on Spitsbergen (Strathdee et al. 1993a). 3 Here comparative experiments on a closely related Dryas‐feeding species, A. brevicorne , at two contrasting sub‐Arctic sites are described. Together with the results from Spitsbergen these sites represent two colder sites (high Arctic and upland sub‐Arctic) and one warmer site (lowland sub‐Arctic). 4 Differential responses in aphid population density and overwintering egg production to temperature elevation support the hypothesis that the ecological effects are greatest at sites with the most severe climates; however, there is no similar gradient in advancement of host plant phenology with warming.