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Species' traits predict phenological responses to climate change in butterflies.

TitleSpecies' traits predict phenological responses to climate change in butterflies.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsDiamond SE, Frame AM, Martin RA, Buckley LB
JournalEcology
Volume92
Issue5
Pagination1005-12
Date Published2011 May
ISSN0012-9658
KeywordsAnimals, Butterflies, Climate Change, Feeding Behavior, Larva, Models, Biological, Phylogeny, Species Specificity, Universities
Abstract

<p>How do species&#39; traits help identify which species will respond most strongly to future climate change? We examine the relationship between species&#39; traits and phenology in a well-established model system for climate change, the U.K. Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS). Most resident U.K. butterfly species have significantly advanced their dates of first appearance during the past 30 years. We show that species with narrower larval diet breadth and more advanced overwintering stages have experienced relatively greater advances in their date of first appearance. In addition, species with smaller range sizes have experienced greater phenological advancement. Our results demonstrate that species&#39; traits can be important predictors of responses to climate change, and they suggest that further investigation of the mechanisms by which these traits influence phenology may aid in understanding species&#39; responses to current and future climate change.</p>

Alternate JournalEcology