Elevational differences in developmental plasticity determine phenological responses of grasshoppers to recent climate warming.

ABSTRACT: Annual species may increase reproduction by increasing adult body size through extended development, but risk being unable to complete development in seasonally limited environments. Synthetic reviews indicate that most, but not all, species have responded to recent climate warming by advancing the seasonal timing of adult emergence or reproduction. Here, we show that 50 years of climate change have delayed development in high-elevation, season-limited grasshopper populations, but advanced development in populations at lower elevations. Developmental delays are most pronounced for early-season species, which might benefit most from delaying development when released from seasonal time constraints. Rearing experiments confirm that population, elevation and temperature interact to determine

SUBMITTER: Buckley LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4590449 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature