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Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts

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Listed:
  • Chung-Huey Wu

    (National Taiwan University)

  • Jeremy D. Holloway

    (The Natural History Museum)

  • Jane K. Hill

    (University of York)

  • Chris D. Thomas

    (University of York)

  • I-Ching Chen

    (National Cheng Kung University)

  • Chuan-Kai Ho

    (National Taiwan University
    National Taiwan University)

Abstract

Both community composition changes due to species redistribution and within-species size shifts may alter body-size structures under climate warming. Here we assess the relative contribution of these processes in community-level body-size changes in tropical moth assemblages that moved uphill during a period of warming. Based on resurvey data for seven assemblages of geometrid moths (>8000 individuals) on Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, in 1965 and 2007, we show significant wing-length reduction (mean shrinkage of 1.3% per species). Range shifts explain most size restructuring, due to uphill shifts of relatively small species, especially at high elevations. Overall, mean forewing length shrank by ca. 5%, much of which is accounted for by species range boundary shifts (3.9%), followed by within-boundary distribution changes (0.5%), and within-species size shrinkage (0.6%). We conclude that the effects of range shifting predominate, but considering species physiological responses is also important for understanding community size reorganization under climate warming.

Suggested Citation

  • Chung-Huey Wu & Jeremy D. Holloway & Jane K. Hill & Chris D. Thomas & I-Ching Chen & Chuan-Kai Ho, 2019. "Reduced body sizes in climate-impacted Borneo moth assemblages are primarily explained by range shifts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-12655-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12655-y
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