Butterflies are widely studied due to their key ecosystem functions.For this reason,they are used in ecosystem assessment,formulating conservation plans and in raising the environmental awareness.Quantification of dif...Butterflies are widely studied due to their key ecosystem functions.For this reason,they are used in ecosystem assessment,formulating conservation plans and in raising the environmental awareness.Quantification of different factors affecting diversity of butterflies is important for their effective conservation.In this study,we investigated abiotic and biotic factors affecting species richness and community composition of butterflies along an elevational gradient in Manang region,central Nepal.We also tested if butterfly species follow the Bergmann’s rule.A total of 57 butterfly species belonging to 39 genera and 8 families were recorded in the study area.Out of a total of 127 plant species identified in the study region,only 67 plant species were visited by butterflies as nectar sources.Species richness of butterflies increased with increasing elevation.Species richness was significantly higher in places with shrubs compared to other places and also in autumn than in summer.Species richness of butterflies also depended on composition of plant species occurring at the localities.Butterfly species composition varied among sampling localities.It was also determined by habitat type,elevation,sampling time,plant species and interactions of elevation×time.The relationship between butterfly size and elevation was in the opposite direction than expected according to the Bergmann’s rule.In conclusion,protection of butterfly diversity can only be achieved by protecting different habitats across the diverse physiography of the region and different plant species,in particular herbs and shrubs.Our results do not support the Bergmann’s rule for butterflies along an elevational gradient in our region.展开更多
Aims A plant has a limited amount of resources at any time and it allo-cates them to different structures.in spite of the large number of previous studies on allocation patterns within single species,knowledge of gene...Aims A plant has a limited amount of resources at any time and it allo-cates them to different structures.in spite of the large number of previous studies on allocation patterns within single species,knowledge of general patterns in species allocation is still very limited.This is because each study was done in different condi-tions using different methodology,making generalization dif-ficult.We investigate intraspecific above-versus below-ground biomass allocation among individuals across a spectrum of dry-grassland plant species at two different developmental stages and ask whether allocation is age-and species specific,and whether differences among species can be explained by their life-history traits and phylogeny.Methods We collected data on above-and below-ground biomass of seedlings and adult plants of 20 species from a common garden experiment.We analysed data on shoot-root biomass allocation allometrically and studied the relationship between the allometric exponents(slopes on log-log scale),species life-history traits and phylogenetic distances.Important Findings We found isometric as well as allometric patterns of biomass alloca-tion in the studied species.Seedlings and adult individuals of more than half of the species differed in their above-versus below-ground biomass allometric exponents.Seedlings and adult individuals of the remaining species differed in their allometric coefficients(inter-cepts).Annual species generally allocated proportionally more to above-than below-ground biomass as seedlings than as adults,whereas perennial species showed the opposite pattern.Plant life-history traits,such as plant life span,age of first flowering,month in which the species begin flowering and specific leaf area were much more important in explaining differences in shoot-root allometry among species than were phylogenetic relationships.This suggests that allocation patterns vary greatly among closely related species but can be predicted based on species life-history traits.展开更多
Aims Knowledge of genetic structure of natural populations and its determinants may provide key insights into the ability of species to adapt to novel environments.In many genetic studies,the effects of climate could ...Aims Knowledge of genetic structure of natural populations and its determinants may provide key insights into the ability of species to adapt to novel environments.In many genetic studies,the effects of climate could not be disentangled from the effects of geographic proximity.We aimed to understand the effects of temperature and moisture on genetic diversity of populations and separate these effects from the effects of geographic distance.We also wanted to explore the patterns of distribution of genetic diversity in the system and assess the degree of clonality within the populations.We also checked for possible genome size variation in the system.Methods We studied genetic variation within and among 12 populations of the dominant grass Festuca rubra distributed across a unique regional-scale climatic grid in western Norway,Europe and explored the importance of temperature,precipitation and geo-graphic distance for the observed patterns.We also explored the distribution of genetic diversity within and among popula-tions,identified population differentiation and estimated degree of clonality.The analyses used microsatellites as the genetic marker.The analyses were supplemented by flow cytometry of all the material.Important Findings All the material corresponds to hexaploid cytotype,indicating that ploidy variation does not play any role in the system.The results indicate that temperature and precipitation were better predictors of genetic relatedness of the populations than geographic distance,suggesting that temperature and precipitation may be important determinants of population differentiation.In addition,precipitation,alone and in interaction with temperature,strongly affected population genotypic diversity suggesting increased clonality towards the coldest and especially the coldest wettest climates.At the same time,individuals from the coldest and wettest climates also had the high-est individual genetic diversity,suggesting that only the most hetero-zygous individuals survive under these harsh climates.Most of the genetic variation was distributed within populations,suggesting that most populations have sufficient genetic diversity to adapt to novel climatic conditions.The alpine populations,i.e.populations which are likely the most endangered by climate change,however,lack this potential due to the high levels of clonality as detected in our study.展开更多
基金supported by the Czech Science Foundation project number 17-10280S(www.gacr.cz)long-term research development project number RVO 67985939(www.cas.cz)supported by the Czech Science Foundation National Sustainability Program I(NPU I)(Grant number LO1415)of MSMT
文摘Butterflies are widely studied due to their key ecosystem functions.For this reason,they are used in ecosystem assessment,formulating conservation plans and in raising the environmental awareness.Quantification of different factors affecting diversity of butterflies is important for their effective conservation.In this study,we investigated abiotic and biotic factors affecting species richness and community composition of butterflies along an elevational gradient in Manang region,central Nepal.We also tested if butterfly species follow the Bergmann’s rule.A total of 57 butterfly species belonging to 39 genera and 8 families were recorded in the study area.Out of a total of 127 plant species identified in the study region,only 67 plant species were visited by butterflies as nectar sources.Species richness of butterflies increased with increasing elevation.Species richness was significantly higher in places with shrubs compared to other places and also in autumn than in summer.Species richness of butterflies also depended on composition of plant species occurring at the localities.Butterfly species composition varied among sampling localities.It was also determined by habitat type,elevation,sampling time,plant species and interactions of elevation×time.The relationship between butterfly size and elevation was in the opposite direction than expected according to the Bergmann’s rule.In conclusion,protection of butterfly diversity can only be achieved by protecting different habitats across the diverse physiography of the region and different plant species,in particular herbs and shrubs.Our results do not support the Bergmann’s rule for butterflies along an elevational gradient in our region.
基金This study was supported by the Charles University in Prague,project GA UK No.658313.
文摘Aims A plant has a limited amount of resources at any time and it allo-cates them to different structures.in spite of the large number of previous studies on allocation patterns within single species,knowledge of general patterns in species allocation is still very limited.This is because each study was done in different condi-tions using different methodology,making generalization dif-ficult.We investigate intraspecific above-versus below-ground biomass allocation among individuals across a spectrum of dry-grassland plant species at two different developmental stages and ask whether allocation is age-and species specific,and whether differences among species can be explained by their life-history traits and phylogeny.Methods We collected data on above-and below-ground biomass of seedlings and adult plants of 20 species from a common garden experiment.We analysed data on shoot-root biomass allocation allometrically and studied the relationship between the allometric exponents(slopes on log-log scale),species life-history traits and phylogenetic distances.Important Findings We found isometric as well as allometric patterns of biomass alloca-tion in the studied species.Seedlings and adult individuals of more than half of the species differed in their above-versus below-ground biomass allometric exponents.Seedlings and adult individuals of the remaining species differed in their allometric coefficients(inter-cepts).Annual species generally allocated proportionally more to above-than below-ground biomass as seedlings than as adults,whereas perennial species showed the opposite pattern.Plant life-history traits,such as plant life span,age of first flowering,month in which the species begin flowering and specific leaf area were much more important in explaining differences in shoot-root allometry among species than were phylogenetic relationships.This suggests that allocation patterns vary greatly among closely related species but can be predicted based on species life-history traits.
基金The study was supported by project Grant Agency of the Czech Republic(GAČR)19-00522Spartly by institutional research pro-jects RVO 67985939 and Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic(MŠMT)The SEEDCLIM Climate Grid field sites in western Norway and the climate and environmental data are funded by the Norwegian Research Council projects NORKLIMA 184912 and KLIMAFORSK 244525(PI V.Vandvik).
文摘Aims Knowledge of genetic structure of natural populations and its determinants may provide key insights into the ability of species to adapt to novel environments.In many genetic studies,the effects of climate could not be disentangled from the effects of geographic proximity.We aimed to understand the effects of temperature and moisture on genetic diversity of populations and separate these effects from the effects of geographic distance.We also wanted to explore the patterns of distribution of genetic diversity in the system and assess the degree of clonality within the populations.We also checked for possible genome size variation in the system.Methods We studied genetic variation within and among 12 populations of the dominant grass Festuca rubra distributed across a unique regional-scale climatic grid in western Norway,Europe and explored the importance of temperature,precipitation and geo-graphic distance for the observed patterns.We also explored the distribution of genetic diversity within and among popula-tions,identified population differentiation and estimated degree of clonality.The analyses used microsatellites as the genetic marker.The analyses were supplemented by flow cytometry of all the material.Important Findings All the material corresponds to hexaploid cytotype,indicating that ploidy variation does not play any role in the system.The results indicate that temperature and precipitation were better predictors of genetic relatedness of the populations than geographic distance,suggesting that temperature and precipitation may be important determinants of population differentiation.In addition,precipitation,alone and in interaction with temperature,strongly affected population genotypic diversity suggesting increased clonality towards the coldest and especially the coldest wettest climates.At the same time,individuals from the coldest and wettest climates also had the high-est individual genetic diversity,suggesting that only the most hetero-zygous individuals survive under these harsh climates.Most of the genetic variation was distributed within populations,suggesting that most populations have sufficient genetic diversity to adapt to novel climatic conditions.The alpine populations,i.e.populations which are likely the most endangered by climate change,however,lack this potential due to the high levels of clonality as detected in our study.
基金supported by the Czech Science Foundation(grant number 19-00522S)partly by a long-term research development project of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic grant number RVO 67985939 and the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports.