Journal article
Inconsistent responses of alpine arthropod communities to experimental warming and thermal gradie
MA Nash, PC Griffin, AA Hoffmann
Climate Research | INTER-RESEARCH | Published : 2013
DOI: 10.3354/cr01136
Abstract
How alpine arthropods respond to climate warming is poorly understood. Empirical approaches to address this issue include experimental warming and characterizing changes in community composition across environmental gradients. Here we compare these short- and longer-term approaches in understanding the likely effects of warming on arthropods from grassland-heathland vegetation in the Australian sub-alpine zone. Arthropod communities showed relatively small changes in composition in response to passive experimental warming in open topped chambers (OTCs) under the ITEX (International Tundra Experiment) protocol. Collembola, Katiannidae (Collembola), Australotomurus nr. barbatus (Collembola; En..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Australian Research Council via their Linkage and Fellowship schemes. We are indebted for advice from W. Papst and H. Wahren regarding vegetation in the Bogong High Plains. For verification of species we thank C. Car, C. S. Chong, V. Framenau, D. Harms, P. Greenslade, M. Rix, S. Shattuck and A. Tsitsilas. Special thanks to P. Lillywhite at the Melbourne Museum and T. Weir at the Australian National Museum for their assistance and access to collections.