Limitation of insects and climate change

(scientists do) - Scientists often assess the effects of temperature on insects to predict how climate change will affect the distribution and diversity and abundance of them. But a Dartmouth study for the first time showed how insects' fear for insect-hunting species, in addition to temperature, will eventually limit them to grow faster or slower.

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"In other words, the less influential temperature and overall environmental conditions shape the development, existence and distribution of insects , " said the study's lead author, Lauren Culler, A doctoral researcher on the North Pole at Dartmouth said.

The research is presented in the journal Oecologia.

Animals that live in a biologically, physically changing environment, and the fear of being eaten can change their behavior, physiology, growth dynamics, and number in a strong way. . That fear, known as "flight-or-fight" , can boost physiological reactions that hinder their development and fertility, as well. as they spend less time trying to find food and more time to hide or because they create ways to combat energy-consuming predators.

Previous studies have shown that warmer temperatures make insects eat more and grow faster. Dartmouth's study observed how fear, often leading to a reduction in the rate of food consumption and growth, affects how insects react to warming temperatures.

Scientists have been capturing dragonflies to study and evaluate how much they eat and grow at different temperatures and how that changes when there is a predatory fish nearby. They used an installation experiment, in which a dragonfly was freed in a glass cup and visually exposed (visible) and chemically exposed to a predatory fish.

The results show that when fearless, dragonflies eat more food and grow faster when the temperature rises. However, surprisingly, fish, dragonflies still eat the same amount of food but grow much slower. The researchers are not sure what happened to the amount of food it ate without growing it, but they think it has disappeared in response to predators, likely to produce Stress protein.

"Studies aimed at predicting the consequences of climate change on insect populations need to consider additional factors, which can ultimately lead to the development and survival of insects, for example. like the risk of being eaten by predators , " Culler said.