Consequences of global warming on invasive species: the example of ants

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Consequences of climate change on four invasive ant species worldwide distribution

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Orienting insecticide research in the tropics to meet the sustainable development goals

International audienceTropical cropping systems are highly dependent on synthetic insecticides, which generates sustainability issues. We performed a bibliometric analysis of the current insecticide literature (2017-2019) and used the Sustainable Development Goals roadmap to identify research topics in insecticide research that should be promoted to attain sustainable cropping systems. Bioinsecticides and integrated pest management were identified as potential substitutes for synthetic insecticides while insecticide contamination, degradation and impacts on non-target organisms were pinpointed as topics with the potential to lessen detrimental effects of synthetic insecticides. We also highlighted how peculiarities specific to the tropics (tropical climate, high biodiversity, strong traditional knowledge, insecticide regulations, lack of local scientific data, and farmer training through extension services) affect the identified research topics and why they should be taken into account. We finally suggest to combine the identified research topics in order to promote research synergies across disciplines

Special section on insects and the UN sustainable development goals

Tropical cropping systems are highly dependent on synthetic insecticides, which generates sustainability issues. We performed a bibliometric analysis of the current insecticide literature (2017-2019) and used the Sustainable Development Goals roadmap to identify research topics in insecticide research that should be promoted to attain sustainable cropping systems. Bioinsecticides and integrated pest management were identified as potential substitutes for synthetic insecticides while insecticide contamination, degradation and impacts on non-target organisms were pinpointed as topics with the potential to lessen detrimental effects of synthetic insecticides. We also highlighted how peculiarities specific to the tropics (tropical climate, high biodiversity, strong traditional knowledge, insecticide regulations, lack of local scientific data, and farmer training through extension services) affect the identified research topics and why they should be taken into account. We finally suggest to combine the identified research topics in order to promote research synergies across disciplines

Combined effects of landscape composition and pesticide use on herbivore and pollinator functions in smallholder farms

Background : Landscape composition has the potential to foster regulating ecosystem services such as pollination and biocontrol in temperate regions. However, most landscape studies do not take pesticide use into account even though it is the main control strategy worldwide and has negative impacts on beneficial insects. Moreover, few studies have explored these combined effects in smallholder cropping system with diverse landscapes and small cultivated fields. Methods : We assessed the effect of semi-natural cover and pesticide use on pollinator and herbivore abundances and functions in 9 fields in the Ecuadorian Andes through participatory experiments with smallholder farmers. We performed a path analysis to quantify the effects of landscape and pesticide use on herbivory, pollination and ultimately yield. Results : Pesticide use significantly reduced pollinator abundance but had no significant effect on pest abundance. Similarly, we found non-significant effects of landscape composition on either herbivory and pollination. The study also provides new information on understudied Andean lupine's pests and pollinators, whose application for small farmers is discussed. Finally, we hypothesize that peculiarities of tropical smallholder cropping systems and landscapes could explain the non-significant landscape effects on insect-based processes, which calls for more research in places outside the well-studied temperate region. Conclusions : Landscape composition did not show any significant effect on pest and pollinator while pesticide use decreased the abundance pollinators, but with no significant effect on yield. This study also provides information about Andean lupine reproduction and overcompensation mechanisms that could be of interest for local farmers and researchers of this understudied cro

Modelling temperature-dependent development rate and phenology in arthropods : the DEVRATE package for R

1. Thermal biologists are interested in generating paired data on development rates and temperatures, but they are in need of automated tools to accurately analyse this data. 2. Fed with a database of more than 30 existing development models, the DEVRATE package provides tools for plotting and visualizing data, selecting the most appropriate model, and mapping and forecasting ectotherm phenology using temperature time-series data. Most proposed models are for arthropods, mainly insects (e.g. Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera). 3. This paper presents the main functions of the package and provides an example using an empirical dataset. 4. The devRate package provides investigators with a unique set of tools and a database that allows them to fit development rate models, and to compare arthropod response to temperature

Modelling temperature-dependent development rate and phenology in arthropods : the DEVRATE package for R

1. Thermal biologists are interested in generating paired data on development rates and temperatures, but they are in need of automated tools to accurately analyse this data. 2. Fed with a database of more than 30 existing development models, the DEVRATE package provides tools for plotting and visualizing data, selecting the most appropriate model, and mapping and forecasting ectotherm phenology using temperature time-series data. Most proposed models are for arthropods, mainly insects (e.g. Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera). 3. This paper presents the main functions of the package and provides an example using an empirical dataset. 4. The devRate package provides investigators with a unique set of tools and a database that allows them to fit development rate models, and to compare arthropod response to temperature

Market access and community size influence pastoral management of native and exotic livestock species : a case study in communities of the Cordillera Real in Bolivia's high Andean wetlands

Grazing areas management is of utmost importance in the Andean region. In the valleys of the Bolivian Cordillera Real near La Paz, pastoralism constitutes the traditional way for people to insure food security and economical sustainability. In these harsh mountains, unique and productive wetlands sustained by glacial water streams are of utmost importance for feeding cattle herds during the dry season. After the colonization by the Spanish, a shift in livestock species has been observed, with the introduction of exotic species such as cows and sheep, resulting in a different impact on pastures compared to native camelid species-llamas and alpacas. Here we explored some of the social-economical and environmental drivers that motivate Bolivian pastoralists to prefer exotic over native livestock species, based on 36 household surveys in the Cordillera Real. We constructed a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model in order to assess the relationships between these drivers. Our results suggest that the access to market influenced pastoralists to reshape their herd composition, by increasing the number of sheep. They also suggest that community size increased daily grazing time in pastures, therefore intensifying the grazing pressure. At a broader scale, this study highlights the effects of some social-economical and environmental drivers on mountain herding systems

Glacier influence on bird assemblages in habitat islands of the high Bolivian Andes

International audienceAimClimate projections for the upcoming decades predict a significant loss of ice mass particularly critical for glaciers in tropical mountains. In the dry landscapes of the southern Andes (from Southern Peru to Chile), this global trend has strong ecological impacts on high-altitude wetlands that support a unique avifauna for feeding, roosting and nesting. As glacier runoffs are expected to affect the area and the quality of wetland habitats, these changes may potentially affect bird communities. To address this issue, we studied the structural and functional diversity of bird assemblages in glacier-fed high-altitude wetlands (>4500 m).LocationFive valleys of the Cordillera Real, Bolivia.MethodsWe surveyed bird communities during dry, wet and intermediate seasons in 40 wetlands (total of 27,720 observations of birds and habitats from 540 transects) showing different degrees of dependence on glacial meltwater. We examined the potential effect of glacier retreat on bird communities through changes in wetland area and environmental quality and heterogeneity.ResultsWe found strong relationship between wetland area and taxonomic and functional diversity, but not on phylogenetic diversity. Generalized additive models revealed that avian diversity was influenced by wetland's productivity and elevation and maximized at intermediate levels of glacier influence. Multivariate analysis further showed that habitat productivity and humidity, both potentially influenced by future glacial retreat trends, are the main drivers of bird community composition, with the wettest habitats being crucial for aquatic birds and uncommon species.Main conclusionsGlacier retreat may significantly affect bird community diversity and composition through changes in both area and quality of high-altitude wetlands, with a particular concern for aquatic birds