Negative effects of nitrogen fertilization on herbivore fitness are exaggerated at warmer temperatures and in high-altitude populations.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity is currently under strong pressure due to anthropogenic global change. Different drivers of global change may exert direct and indirect effects on biodiversity, and may furthermore interact with one another, but our respective knowledge is still very limited. We investigated indirect and interactive effects of two important drivers of global change, eutrophication and climate change, in replicated low- and high-altitude populations of an insect herbivore, the butterfly Lycaena tityrus, in a laboratory setting. We found local adaptation in developmental traits, with low-altitude populations being adapted to warmer temperatures and longer seasons. Lycaena tityrus responded negatively to agriculturally relevant levels of fertilization of its host plant, showing reduced body mass

SUBMITTER: Raharivololoniaina A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11893656 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature