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Environmental warming alters food-web structure and ecosystem function

Author

Listed:
  • Owen L. Petchey

    (Evolution and Natural Resources, Cook College, Rutgers University)

  • P. Timon McPhearson

    (Evolution and Natural Resources, Cook College, Rutgers University)

  • Timothy M. Casey

    (Evolution and Natural Resources, Cook College, Rutgers University)

  • Peter J. Morin

    (Evolution and Natural Resources, Cook College, Rutgers University)

Abstract

We know little about how ecosystems of different complexity will respond to global warming1,2,3,4,5. Microcosms permit experimental control over species composition and rates of environmental change. Here we show using microcosm experiments that extinction risk in warming environments depends on trophic position but remains unaffected by biodiversity. Warmed communities disproportionately lose top predators and herbivores, and become increasingly dominated by autotrophs and bacterivores. Changes in the relative distribution of organisms among trophically defined functional groups lead to differences in ecosystem function beyond those expected from temperature-dependent physiological rates. Diverse communities retain more species than depauperate ones, as predicted by the insurance hypothesis, which suggests that high biodiversity buffers against the effects of environmental variation because tolerant species are more likely to be found6,7. Studies of single trophic levels clearly show that warming can affect the distribution and abundance of species2,4,5, but complex responses generated in entire food webs greatly complicate inferences based on single functional groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Owen L. Petchey & P. Timon McPhearson & Timothy M. Casey & Peter J. Morin, 1999. "Environmental warming alters food-web structure and ecosystem function," Nature, Nature, vol. 402(6757), pages 69-72, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:402:y:1999:i:6757:d:10.1038_47023
    DOI: 10.1038/47023
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jean-Paul Chavas, 2009. "On the Productive Value of Biodiversity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 42(1), pages 109-131, January.
    2. Didier L. Baho & Ülkü Nihan Tavşanoğlu & Michal Šorf & Kostantinos Stefanidis & Stina Drakare & Ulrike Scharfenberger & Helen Agasild & Meryem Beklioğlu & Josef Hejzlar & Rita Adrian & Eva Papastergia, 2015. "Macroecological Patterns of Resilience Inferred from a Multinational, Synchronized Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Annika Busse & Pablo A P Antiqueira & Alexandre S Neutzling & Anna M Wolf & Gustavo Q Romero & Jana S Petermann, 2018. "Different in the dark: The effect of habitat characteristics on community composition and beta diversity in bromeliad microfauna," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Pachepsky, Elizaveta & Bown, James L. & Eberst, Alistair & Bausenwein, Ursula & Millard, Peter & Squire, Geoff R. & Crawford, John W., 2007. "Consequences of intraspecific variation for the structure and function of ecological communities Part 2: Linking diversity and function," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 207(2), pages 277-285.
    5. Nan Hu & Paul E. Bourdeau & Johan Hollander, 2024. "Responses of marine trophic levels to the combined effects of ocean acidification and warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Feroz Khan, M. & Panikkar, Preetha, 2009. "Assessment of impacts of invasive fishes on the food web structure and ecosystem properties of a tropical reservoir in India," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(18), pages 2281-2290.
    7. Juan Tao & Rongxiao Che & Dekui He & Yunzhi Yan & Xiaoyun Sui & Yifeng Chen, 2015. "Trends and potential cautions in food web research from a bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(1), pages 435-447, October.
    8. Rebecca L. Kordas & Samraat Pawar & Dimitrios-Georgios Kontopoulos & Guy Woodward & Eoin J. O’Gorman, 2022. "Metabolic plasticity can amplify ecosystem responses to global warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Torres-Alruiz, Maria Daniela & Rodríguez, Diego J., 2013. "A topo-dynamical perspective to evaluate indirect interactions in trophic webs: New indexes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 250(C), pages 363-369.
    10. Di Falco, Salvatore & Bezabih, Mintewab & Yesuf, Mahmud, 2010. "Seeds for livelihood: Crop biodiversity and food production in Ethiopia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1695-1702, June.
    11. Eungul Lee & Yaqian He & Yong-Lak Park, 2018. "Effects of climate change on the phenology of Osmia cornifrons: implications for population management," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 305-317, October.
    12. Villanueva, Maria Concepcion S. & Isumbisho, Mwapu & Kaningini, Boniface & Moreau, Jacques & Micha, Jean-Claude, 2008. "Modeling trophic interactions in Lake Kivu: What roles do exotics play?," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 212(3), pages 422-438.
    13. Alexia M. González-Ferreras & Jose Barquín & Penelope S. A. Blyth & Jack Hawksley & Hugh Kinsella & Rasmus Lauridsen & Olivia F. Morris & Francisco J. Peñas & Gareth E. Thomas & Guy Woodward & Lei Zha, 2023. "Chronic exposure to environmental temperature attenuates the thermal sensitivity of salmonids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    14. Sekerci, Yadigar, 2020. "Climate change effects on fractional order prey-predator model," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).

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