Seasonality and Structure of the Arthropod Community in a Forested Valley in the Uluguru Mountains, Eastern Tanzania

Nummelin, Matti; Nshubemuki, L.

doi:10.2982/0012-8317(1998)87[205:sasota]2.0.co;2

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Rebounds after the dry season are consistent with 3-4 week time lags in drier systems (Tanaka & Tanaka, 1982) where insectivorous birds initiate nesting 3 weeks after returning rain to take advantage of abundant arthropod prey (Hidalgo Aranzamendi et al, 2019). Several studies have documented numerical changes in arthropods after 3 months (Kishimoto-Yamada & Itioka, 2013;Nummelin & Nshubemuki, 1998;Valtonen et al, 2013) and across strata we found 90-day rainfall accumulation in top models during the remainder of the year.…”

Section: Dynamic Multi-decadal Modelsupporting

confidence: 82%

Wet and dry extremes reduce arthropod biomass independently of leaf phenology in the wet tropics

Newell

Ausprey

Robinson

2022

Global Change Biology

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Warming temperatures are increasing rainfall extremes, yet arthropod responses to climatic fluctuations remain poorly understood. Here, we used spatiotemporal variation in tropical montane climate as a natural experiment to compare the importance of biotic versus abiotic drivers in regulating arthropod biomass. We combined intensive field data on arthropods, leaf phenology and in situ weather across a 1700-3100 m elevation and rainfall gradient, along with desiccation-resistance experiments and multi-decadal modelling. We found limited support for biotic drivers with weak increases in some herbivorous taxa on shrubs with new leaves, but no landscape-scale effects of leaf phenology, which tracked light and cloud cover. Instead, rainfall explained extensive interannual variability with maximum biomass at intermediate rainfall (130 mm month −1 ) as both 3 months of high and low rainfall reduced arthropods by half. Based on 50 years of regional rainfall, our dynamic arthropod model predicted shifts in the timing of biomass maxima within cloud forests before plant communities transition to seasonally deciduous dry forests (mean annual rainfall 1000-2500 mm vs. <800 mm). Rainfall magnitude was the primary driver, but during high solar insolation, the 'drying power of air' (VPD max ) reduced biomass within days contributing to drought related to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Highlighting risks from drought, experiments demonstrated community-wide susceptibility to desiccation except for some caterpillars in which melanin-based coloration appeared to reduce the effects of evaporative drying. Overall, we provide multiple lines of evidence that several months of heavy rain or drought reduce arthropod biomass independently of deep-rooted plants with the potential to destabilize insectivore food webs. K E Y W O R D Sdesiccation, insect biomass, leaf phenology, precipitation extremes, rainfall gradient, tropical montane cloud forest, tropical phenology, vapor pressure deficit ResumenEl aumento de las temperaturas está incrementando los extremos de precipitación, pero las respuestas de los artrópodos a las fluctuaciones climáticas siguen siendo poco conocidas. Aquí, utilizamos la variación espaciotemporal en el clima montano

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Section: Dynamic Multi-decadal Modelsupporting

confidence: 82%

Wet and dry extremes reduce arthropod biomass independently of leaf phenology in the wet tropics

Newell

Ausprey

Robinson

2022

Global Change Biology

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“…Rainfall in this area usually has two annual peaks (March-May and October-December) (Nummelin and Nshubemuki, 1998). The mountains receive about 3000 mm of rainfall per year on the eastern side, while the western parts receive about 500 mm per year (Ulvila 1993).…”

Section: Uluguru North Mountainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Availability, Preference, and Consumption of Indigenous Forest Foods in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania

Msuya

Kideghesho

Mosha

2010

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

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“…Published results on sweep net sampling in forest sites in old world tropics are available for comparison only from Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania (Nummelin and Nshubemuki, 1998), and it seems that the arthropod communities in Kibale and Uluguru moist forests resemble each other closely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on arthropod diversity in virgin tropical forests are scarce (Hammond, 1990;Stork and Brendell, 1993); especially from east African rain forests (Nummelin and Nshubemuki, 1998;Zilihona et al, 1998;Zilihona and Nummelin, 2001;NORPLAN, 2001NORPLAN, , 2002Robertson, 2002). The main focus of insect studies in tropical forests has been on forest plantations and pest species (e.g., Madoffe and Bakke, 1995 and references therein).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variation of arthropod communities in virgin and managed sites in the Kibale Forest, western Uganda

Nummelin

2004

FEMS Microbiology Letters

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The structure of arthropod communities in the forest floor vegetation in four differently managed forest sites (virgin forest, lightly selectively logged, heavily selectively logged, and exotic Pinus caribaea plantation) in Kibale Forest National Park, western Uganda, was studied by sweep net between March and May 1985 and July 1995. For the analysis three (or four) 800 sweeps samples were collected from each habitat. In the samples eight arthropod groups (Araneae, Hymenoptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, caterpillars (Lepidoptera larvae)) formed over 95% of all the individuals of the arthropod caught in all habitats. The variation within one habitat was smaller than variation between habitats in samples of the same year. Thus, the arthropod communities in differently managed forests differ from each other after over 20 years of management practices (selective logging and clear-cut plus pine plantation) as well as from adjacent virgin forest, and the differences seem to become greater during the succession in managed sites. Samples taken in the same habitat type, 10 years apart, differed greatly from each other. This is the result of both long-term succession and seasonal variation. #

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Seasonality and Structure of the Arthropod Community in a Forested Valley in the Uluguru Mountains, Eastern Tanzania

Cited by 11 publications

References 27 publications

Wet and dry extremes reduce arthropod biomass independently of leaf phenology in the wet tropics

Wet and dry extremes reduce arthropod biomass independently of leaf phenology in the wet tropics

Availability, Preference, and Consumption of Indigenous Forest Foods in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania

Spatial variation of arthropod communities in virgin and managed sites in the Kibale Forest, western Uganda

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