Urbanisation dampens the latitude‐diversity cline in ants

Perez, Abe; Chick, Lacy D.; Menke, Sean B.; Lessard, Jean; Sanders, Nathan J.; Toro, Israel Del; Meldgaard, Niklas Sundebo; Diamond, Sarah E.

doi:10.1111/icad.12598

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(107 reference statements)

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“…Furthermore, responses of insect community structure across temperatures in urban habitats are also likely mediated by the interaction between increasing temperature and latitude (Diamond et al, 2023). Thus, as climate change intensifies, we may expect the community composition and structure of some insect groups in urban landscapes to shift (Stefanescu et al, 2004), with variations in responses across latitudes (Okoro et al, 2023; Pelini et al, 2014; Perez et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Butterfly community composition within a tropical urban landscape is influenced by habitat type and temperature

Ombugadu,

Hassan,

Ibrahim

et al. 2023

Insect Conserv Diversity

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The specific factors that influence spatial community or population dynamics are often elusive, and even less known is the impact of tropical urban landscapes on diverse species community assemblages. To address this knowledge gap, we used a survey data set with 510 fruit‐feeding butterflies comprising 20 species across two heterogeneous habitats within a city in Nigeria. Next, we constructed generalised linear mixed models to understand the differential responses of the butterfly community to changes in environmental conditions across habitats. Butterfly species community assemblages significantly differed between the two urban habitats, with butterfly species significantly higher in the savannah woodland compared with the gallery forest due to the optimal daily temperatures of the savannah woodland. However, butterfly richness was lower in the gallery forest due to extreme environmental conditions. This study highlights that butterfly community changes in tropical urban landscapes are possibly responding to local microclimates and spatial heterogeneity across habitats. For evidence‐based conservation management of tropical butterfly biodiversity, there would be need for a long‐term, extensive and systematic insect monitoring programme for butterflies across disturbed and undisturbed fragmented habitats harbouring diverse insect species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Butterfly community composition within a tropical urban landscape is influenced by habitat type and temperature

Ombugadu,

Hassan,

Ibrahim

et al. 2023

Insect Conserv Diversity

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“…Only two studies have previously explored the interaction between HPD and latitude studying species diversity (Perez et al, 2022) or biotic interactions (Hernández-Agüero et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…detected on ant species diversity in a 60° absolute latitudinal range study across 63 cities (Perez et al, 2022). At lower latitudes, cities were relatively species-poor and harboured distinct ant communities relative to nearby non-urban communities.…”

Section: Opposite Effects Of Latitude and Urbanization Have Been Rece...mentioning

confidence: 95%

Shedding light on trophic interactions: A field experiment on the effect of human population between latitudes on herbivory and predation patterns

Alonso‐Crespo,

Hernández‐Agüero

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Interactions between species within an ecosystem (e.g. predation and herbivory) play a vital role in sustaining the ecosystem functionality, which includes aspects like pest control and nutrient cycling. Unfortunately, human activities are progressively disrupting these trophic relationships, thereby contributing to the ongoing biodiversity decline. Additionally, certain human activities like urbanization may further impact the intensity of these trophic interactions, which are already known to be influenced by latitudinal gradients. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of whether the impact of human population, used as a proxy for human pressure, differs between latitudes. To test it, we selected 18 study sites at two latitudes (i.e. ~53°N and ~50°N) with varying human population density (HPD). We used artificial caterpillars placed on European beech branches to assess bird predation and took standardized pictures of the leaves to estimate insect herbivory. Remote sensing techniques were used to estimate human pressure. We found that the intensity of bird predation varied in response to HPD, with opposite trends observed depending on the latitude. At our upper latitude, bird predation increased with HPD, while the opposite was observed at the lower latitude. Herbivory was not affected by urbanization and we found higher levels of herbivory in the lower compared to the higher latitude. At the lower latitude, certain species may experience a disadvantage attributed to the urban heat island effect due to their sensitivity to temperature fluctuations. Conversely, at the higher latitude, where minimum temperatures can be a limitation, certain species may benefit from milder winters. Overall, this study highlights the complex and dynamic nature of trophic relationships in the face of human‐driven changes to ecosystems. It also emphasizes the importance of considering both human pressure and latitudinal gradients when assessing the ecological consequences of future climate change scenarios, especially in urban environments.

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“…Patch quality matters, although is taxon‐subjective, and those with greater heterogeneity can support greater insect activity, diversity and abundance (Azhar et al, 2024; Helden & Leather, 2004). These fragmented urban habitats can also experience varying and under‐recorded degrees of management and disturbance; for example, mowing or unregulated use of pesticides in residential areas mediate the environmental and ecological factors that influence insect diversity in urban areas (Helden & Leather, 2004; Lowe et al, 2019; Sanetra et al, 2024).…”

Section: Key Emergent Themesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect ecology and conservation in urban areas: An overview of knowledge and needs

Collins,

Audusseau,

Hassall

et al. 2024

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Urban expansion across the globe profoundly impacts local biodiversity. The growing body of urban ecology research on animals has largely focused on mammals and birds, whereas knowledge of insect ecology and conservation in urban areas remains limited. To anchor this Special Issue (SI), we have taken a broad approach to editorial and conducted a structured literature search to set the scene. We provide here an overview of existing literature reviews on urban insect ecology and conservation, indicate where the articles included in this SI contribute to developing our understanding and point to priority areas for further investigation. Key themes in the growing literature (at individual, species, and/or community level) include the influence of habitat quality, quantity and land use type on insect diversity; the impacts of anthropogenic pollution (for instance, heat, noise, light and chemicals); habitat connectivity and changes in habitat structure and impacts of urban density on genetic diversity. Insect diversity and abundance broadly decline with urban density and loss of habitat. Beyond this, variation in responses of different taxa, or in different regions, and methodological limitations of individual studies make it challenging to identify general patterns. Insect ecology and conservation research in urban environments should focus on applying ecological theory to understand variation in diversity patterns; investigating interactions between climate change and urban contexts; identifying impacts of novel environments on insect biodiversity; addressing methodological limitations and harmonising methodological approaches; and exploring the influence of social and historical factors on urban insect biodiversity. Insect conservation must also consider research into how best to communicate the value of urban insects to urban humans.

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Urbanisation dampens the latitude‐diversity cline in ants

Cited by 7 publications

References 62 publications

Butterfly community composition within a tropical urban landscape is influenced by habitat type and temperature

Butterfly community composition within a tropical urban landscape is influenced by habitat type and temperature

Shedding light on trophic interactions: A field experiment on the effect of human population between latitudes on herbivory and predation patterns

Insect ecology and conservation in urban areas: An overview of knowledge and needs

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