̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Andrew Bladon

Spanish butterflies better at regulating their body temperature than their British cousins

sc604 — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 04:32:22 +0000

Butterfly populations in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature, but rising global temperatures may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.

Small-winged and lighter coloured butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change

cg605 — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 04:05:05 +0000

Butterflies with smaller or lighter coloured wings are likely to be ‘losers’ when it comes to climate change, with the Lycaenidae family, which contains over 6,000 species of butterflies, the majority of which live in the tropics, found to be particularly vulnerable.

Butterflies with larger or darker coloured wings are likely to fare better under increasing temperatures, but only to a point. Researchers say these butterflies could still experience dramatic declines if there were sudden heatwaves or if cool microclimates were lost through deforestation.

̽��ֱ��results are published today in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

Butterflies rely on the sun’s warmth to give them the energy they need to function. They use ‘thermoregulation’ strategies to maintain a balanced body temperature against changing air temperatures.

Generally, strategies to keep cool involve adaptive behaviours like flying to a shady spot or angling wings away from the sun (thermal buffering). But when this is not possible or temperatures become too hot, species have to rely on physiological mechanisms such as the production of heat shock proteins to withstand high temperatures (thermal tolerance). Both of these strategies are needed to cope with climate change.

Researchers collaborated with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to study the thermal buffering and thermal tolerance strategies of tropical butterflies. They collected data from multiple habitats in Panama.

Equipped with hand-held nets, ecologists took the temperature of over 1,000 butterflies using a tiny thermometer-like probe. They compared each butterfly’s temperature to that of the surrounding air or the vegetation it was perched on. This gave a measurement of thermal buffering – the ability to maintain a steady body temperature against fluctuating air temperatures.

A second experiment was conducted at STRI Gamboa facilities and involved assessing butterflies’ thermal tolerance – their ability to withstand extreme temperatures, such as those they may experience during a heatwave. This was assessed by capturing a subset of butterflies and placing them in glass jars within a water bath – the temperature of which was steadily increased. Thermal tolerance was assessed as the temperature at which butterflies could no longer function.

Butterflies that had large wings tended to have greater thermal buffering ability but less thermal tolerance than smaller butterflies. Indeed, in a further study conducted by the same research team, butterflies with larger, longer and narrower wings were found to be better at thermal buffering.

Thermal buffering abilities were found to be stronger in darker-winged butterflies who could also tolerate higher temperatures than paler-winged butterflies.

Butterflies from the Lycaenidae family which have small, bright, and often iridescent, wings had the poorest thermal buffering and low thermal tolerance. If temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, forests continue to be cut down, and cool microclimates are lost, there is a very real threat that we could lose many species in this family in the future, say the researchers.

A trade-off in terms of butterflies’ cooling strategies was observed: those that were good at thermal buffering were less good at thermal tolerance and vice versa.

Scientists say this suggests that tropical butterflies have evolved to cope with temperature changes using one of these strategies at the expense of the other, and that this is likely to be due to selective pressures.

Lead author Esme Ashe-Jepson, a PhD student at Cambridge’s Department of Zoology, said: “Butterflies with physical characteristics that may help them to avoid the sun’s heat, like having large wings that enable them to fly quickly into shade, rarely experience high temperatures, and so have not evolved to cope with them. On the other hand, species which can cope with higher temperatures physiologically have experienced less selective pressure to evolve heat-avoiding behaviours.

“As temperatures continue to rise, and forest fragments get smaller and further apart because of deforestation, butterflies which rely on their surroundings to avoid high temperatures may not be able to travel between forest fragments, or cope with increasingly common heatwaves.”

̽��ֱ��researchers say this means that species with large dark wings that are good at thermal buffering may initially be unaffected by warming temperatures, as they can continue to thermoregulate effectively using behaviour and microclimates, but their survival could be at risk if there are sudden heatwaves, or they can no longer escape to cool vegetation.

“Ultimately all insects, including butterflies, the world over are likely to be affected by climate change,” said Ashe-Jepson. “Adaptation to climate change is complex and can be impacted by other factors such as habitat destruction. We need to address these two global challenges together.”

Further research is needed to investigate the effect a warming climate may have on other life stages of butterflies, such as caterpillars and eggs, and other insect groups.

Senior author Greg Lamarre, at the Czech Academy of Science and Research Associate at STRI said: “Worldwide, most entomologists are observing drastic declines in insect biodiversity. Understanding the causes and consequences of insect decline has become an important goal in ecology, particularly in the tropics, where most of terrestrial diversity occurs.”

̽��ֱ��research was funded by the GACR Czech Science Foundation, an ERC Starting Grant, a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute short-term fellowship, and the Sistema Nacional de Investigación (SENACYT), Panama.

Reference:

Esme Ashe-Jepson et al. Tropical butterflies use thermal buffering and thermal tolerance as alternative strategies to cope with temperature increase. Journal of Animal Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13970

̽��ֱ��family, wing length and wing colour of tropical butterflies all influence their ability to withstand rising temperatures, say a team led by ecologists at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��researchers believe this could help identify species whose survival is under threat from climate change.

Ultimately all insects, including butterflies, the world over are likely to be affected by climate change.

Esme Ashe-Jepson

Esme Ashe-Jepson conducing fieldwork in Panama, with a Juditha caucana butterfly from the Riodinidae family.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Tropical butterflies’ wings could help them withstand climate change, study suggests

cg605 — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 09:15:24 +0000

In fact, tropical species’ ability to keep cool at higher air temperatures mean they are more able to “thermoregulate” and keep a balanced body temperature compared to their evolutionary cousins in milder climates.

Scientists say that the strategies of butterflies from Central America to stay cool mean they could actually be better equipped to deal with global warming than previously thought.

̽��ֱ��team behind the latest study argue that conservation researchers should be careful not to assume creatures in hotter parts of the world will suffer most under rising temperatures – rather, some butterflies in temperate regions, such as Western and central Europe, could be at greater risk.

Equipped with hand-held nets, ecologists took the temperature of over 6,800 butterflies in Panama, Austria, the Czech Republic and the UK using a tiny thermometer-like probe. They compared the butterfly’s temperature to that of the surrounding air or the vegetation it was perched on.

They found that tropical butterflies were able to maintain a lower body temperature at higher air temperatures than butterflies from milder climates. ̽��ֱ��results are published today in the journal Global Change Biology.

Researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and the Czech Academy of Sciences spent nine months, over the course of two trips, in the tropical lowland forests of Central Panama, working with collaborators at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Working for nine hours a day they assessed 54 species of butterflies and surrounding temperatures. They compared these measurements with those of butterflies from alpine meadows in Austria, pastures in the Czech Republic and chalk grasslands in the UK.

Researchers discovered that butterflies from different climates used specialised strategies to warm up or cool down. But physical factors – particularly wing size and shape – were key to keeping body temperature at an optimal level for butterflies across both climates studied.

Senior author Dr Andrew Bladon from the Department of Zoology, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “We were surprised to see that it was physical differences like wing size and shape that drove a butterfly species’ ability to keep their temperature constant in both regions, rather than an inherent difference between species adapted to tropical and temperate climates. We expected to find that tropical species would be more sensitive to temperature changes, but this may not be the case.”

̽��ֱ��team say that when it comes to butterflies’ ability to buffer against changing temperatures – and ultimately survive – bigger appears to be better. For tropical butterflies, bigger wings mean they are more mobile and can fly quicker to cooler areas. And for butterflies who live in mild climates, bigger wings allow them to warm up faster when basking in the sun, giving them the energy boost they need to fly.

“Our results have highlighted how unique these species are – they’re using different strategies to cool down or warm up,” said co-lead author Esme Ashe-Jepson, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. “What’s exciting is that these results suggest that physiological measures could be used to make predictions about how species might respond to climate change.”

“We showed that changes in size and wing shape are important for coping with temperature change,” said co-lead Benita Laird-Hopkins, ̽��ֱ�� of South Bohemia. “For example, small butterflies, regardless of where they are from, are likely to be more impacted by climate change than big butterflies.”

While the current study suggests a note of optimism in terms of the ability of some butterfly species to live in hot temperatures, what is not known is how butterflies may cope with dramatic shifts in temperature like heatwaves, or what effect a warming climate will have on other life stages, such as caterpillars and eggs.

Bladon says more research is needed to understand how other insect groups, as well as butterflies, respond to temperature change. “ ̽��ֱ��dual threats of climate and habitat change threaten to push many insects to their physiological limits. Understanding how and where this happens is crucial for designing conservation mitigation strategies, but we also need to act fast to protect and restore diverse habitats.”

Paper reference:

Laird-Hopkins B, Ashe-Jepson E et al. Thermoregulatory ability and mechanism does not differ consistently between neotropical and temperate butterflies. Global Change Biology DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16797

Tropical butterflies with bigger, longer and narrower wings are better able to stay cool when temperatures get too hot.

We showed that changes in size and wing shape are important for coping with temperature change.

Benita Laird-Hopkins

Marius Klotz

Looking for butterflies in forest in Panama

Yes

These birds will soon go extinct. But their disappearance need not be in vain.

jg533 — Wed, 19 May 2021 19:11:36 +0000

̽��ֱ��White-tailed Swallow and Ethiopian Bush-crow are living in ‘climatic lifeboats’ with their tiny ranges restricted on all sides by temperature and rainfall patterns. Even under moderate climate warming, models predict a severe loss of suitable climate for these birds within the next 50 years - dramatically heightening their risk of extinction.

Provide shady spots to protect butterflies from climate change

jg533 — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 06:32:49 +0000

Researchers have discovered significant variations in the ability of different UK butterfly species to maintain a suitable body temperature. Species that rely most on finding a suitably shady location to keep cool are at the greatest risk of population decline.

̽��ֱ��butterflies are coming

ta385 — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Climate change poses a major threat to butterflies but a new generation of Cambridge scientists is working to unlock their secrets and help them thrive.

From the Mayans to the moors: a new film series shows biodiversity conservation in a new light

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 11:30:23 +0000

When most people think about biodiversity conservation they think about the importance of protecting the variety of life on Earth. They might not think about how the principles used to study species endangerment and its impacts on people are also used to understand the extinction of languages; or what nature writers like William Wordsworth can tell us about landscapes that previous generations took for granted but have become lost to us.

Now, a series of eight films released today by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute (UCCRI) sets out to highlight these remarkable connections, demonstrating the breadth of research interests at the ̽��ֱ�� that have the potential to intersect with 21st-century issues in biodiversity conservation.

Conservation research today has become a global and interdisciplinary field, raising complex issues such as how toxic waste sites in East Africa affect the increasing rarity of the cuckoo in the UK; or how the fashion industry impacts directly on the global water profile both in terms of water pollution as well as waste; or how our consumption of red meat affects climate change.

“ ̽��ֱ��series of videos focuses on mutual learning and collaboration between researchers within the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, practitioners, policy makers and citizens, all of whom are integral to understanding conservation problems,” explains UCCRI Director, Dr Bhaskar Vira. “UCCRI provides a space to explore the understanding that emerges when disciplinary silos are broken down, and to foster productive – often mutually critical – dialogue between colleagues from across the ̽��ֱ�� to promote a deeper engagement with the shared challenges that confront the future of humanity and the planet that we inhabit.”

̽��ֱ��videos were filmed and produced by UCCRI’s Leverhulme Trust funded Artist in Residence, photographer Toby Smith. Each video showcases researchers from a range of ̽��ֱ�� departments – plant sciences, zoology, social anthropology, English, architectural engineering, land economy, geography, and history and philosophy of science – relating their work and its relevance to conservation.

For example, Dr Jenny Bavidge (Faculty of English) shows how the arts and humanities are important to conservationists through recognising the need to establish conservation understanding in education and early childhood. “ ̽��ֱ��science and the arts have got much better at speaking to each other and at coming up with new ways of thinking about the problems that are affecting us all,” she explains. “ ̽��ֱ��new nature writing is where we are seeing this come together a lot – there’s immense interest and focus on children’s exposure and experience of the environment.”

In another video, Dr Charles Pigott, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow from the Centre of Latin American Studies, explains how: “until recently, conservation has tended to focus either on natural heritage or cultural heritage, but today a new paradigm is emerging, the environmental humanities.” This collaboration of natural science, social science and arts and humanities has enabled conservation research to increase its scope and encourage the consideration of conservation issues from a much wider angle.

Natural scientists within conservation research are increasingly realising that their work relies not only on detailed biological knowledge but also on understanding social issues – learning the social rules of engagement in the country they are working in, how policy makers and governments operate and how to communicate effectively with the local people in order for their work to be of significance. Zoologist Andrew Bladon explains that, when working in Ethiopia on the Ethiopian Bush Crow and the White Tailed Swallow, local engagement was important “because tribal law is very strong and without the will of the local Borana leaders even the national park and the protection that it’s supposed to bring to the species would be ineffective.”

Conservation is primarily underpinned by human behaviour. Therefore understanding social factors is important. Plant scientist, Tommaso Jucker, is working on a project in south east Asia looking at the impacts of human disturbance and logging activities on the forests in these areas. For him collaboration is vital with disciplines that complement each other’s areas of expertise. Rosemary Ostfeld, a land economist, explores the social, environmental and economic aspects of palm oil production and it is crucial for her to liaise with stakeholders particularly to determine the effectiveness of initiatives she works with, such as the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil.

Dr Helen Curry’s work as an historian of science has a fascinating and novel approach to understanding how new scientific knowledge, tools and technologies shape people’s attitudes towards, and their interactions with, different aspects of their natural world. Curry studies contemporary conservationists and their continuing and increasing interest in using technologies as ways of conserving endangered species. Currently her research focuses on the entanglement of industrial agriculture and biodiversity.

Dr Max Bock explains that as an architectural engineer, sustainability issues are inherently multidisciplinary and require attention from several perspectives to be addressed adequately. He also explains how his work on bamboo as a sustainable building material has been taken up by NGOs internationally, a prime example of how researchers and practitioners can work together successfully.

“It is very important for critical thinking to have a cross-boundary between different disciplines and I think that’s what distinguishes a more overarching approach to research,” says geographer Anca Serban, whose work in India explores how to feed the world under a growing pressure from increased demands. “Whereas biodiversity aspects in conservation research focus on how we can minimise the impact on habitats and species, we have to weigh up the trade offs of managing conservation to ensure it does not impinge on people’s livelihoods or increase poverty, particularly in developing countries.”

UCCRI has become the hub for interdisciplinary work on conservation and sustainability across the ̽��ֱ��, and is part of the newly opened David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, along with nine conservation organisations that form the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI).

̽��ֱ��UCCRI team is keen to seek out researchers within the ̽��ֱ�� who will benefit from the opportunities offered by this new campus at the heart of Cambridge. Alison Harvey, responsible for UCCRI Research and Communications and creative director of the interdisciplinary conservation videos, explains: “Many people may not immediately recognise their work as being relevant to debates about the conservation of biodiversity. We really want people to think out of the box in terms of how their work might relate to conservation and to contact us and find out about opportunities to collaborate with other researchers within the ̽��ֱ��, and with the organisations associated with CCI.”

Could your work make a difference to conservation? Contact UCCRI for an informal chat: uccri-administrator@conservation.cam.ac.uk

From the plight of the Ethiopian Bush Crow, to representation of nature in Winnie the Pooh, to the extinction of ancient Latin American languages, the wide breadth of research connected with biodiversity conservation at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is reflected in a series of films released today.

̽��ֱ��series of videos focuses on mutual learning and collaboration between researchers within the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, practitioners, policy makers and citizens, all of whom are integral to understanding conservation problems.

Bhaskar Vira, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes