A new study by researchers at Stockholm University, University of Oulu, and Greifswald University has investigated the potential impacts of climate change on butterflies. In laboratory experiments the researchers exposed the butterflies to simulated(模拟) autumn conditions of varying temperatures and lengths.
The researchers found the butterflies exposed to warmer and longer autumn conditions lost more weight and used more energy than those exposed to milder conditions. Although the butterflies didn’t die immediately under the more elevated conditions, the researchers found that those butterflies that experienced them were less likely to survive to adulthood the following spring.
Dr Matthew Nielsen at the University of Oulu, who conducted the research at Stockholm University, said: “Climate change is making autumns warmer and last longer, and it was this specific combination of conditions that had the greatest impact on the butterflies in our study. We show that stressful conditions experienced at one time of year can have lasting negative consequences at other times of year, linking changes in one season to consequences in others.”
In the study, the butterflies were exposed to temperatures as high as 25°C for up to 16 weeks. Although these simulated autumn conditions seem extreme, the authors say these temperatures already occur in southern parts of the butterflies’ range(活动范围) and could occur further north under future climate change.
During the simulated autumn conditions, the researchers measured how much weight the butterflies lost and how much energy they used. Finally, they followed the butterflies’ survival until they died or became healthy adults during a simulated spring. Because the study was conducted in the lab and specifically designed to determine the limits of butterflies’ tolerance to warmer temperatures, there were some limitations to applying the findings to populations in the wild. For instance, the simulated conditions were constant rather than reflecting natural seasonal and daily variation.
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