瑞士苏黎世联邦理工Patrice Descombes等研究人员发现，气候变化下的新型营养相互作用促进了高山植物的共存。这一研究成果发表在2020年12月18日出版的国际学术期刊《科学》上。

据研究人员介绍，食草和植物防御表现出沿海拔梯度的偶联下降。但是，当前的生态平衡在气候变化下可能会被破坏，动物比植物更快的向上迁移。

Title: Novel trophic interactions under climate change promote alpine plant coexistence

Author: Patrice Descombes, Camille Pitteloud, Gatan Glauser, Emmanuel Defossez, Alan Kergunteuil, Pierre-Marie Allard, Sergio Rasmann, Loc Pellissier

Issue&Volume: 2020/12/18

Abstract: Herbivory and plant defenses exhibit a coupled decline along elevation gradients. However, the current ecological equilibrium could be disrupted under climate change, with a faster upward range shift of animals than plants. Here, we experimentally simulated this upward herbivore range shift by translocating low-elevation herbivore insects to alpine grasslands. We report that the introduction of novel herbivores and increased herbivory disrupted the vertical functional organization of the plant canopy. By feeding preferentially on alpine plants with functional traits matching their low-elevation host plants, herbivores reduced the biomass of dominant alpine plant species and favored encroachment of herbivore-resistant small-stature plant species, inflating species richness. Supplementing a direct effect of temperature, novel biotic interactions represent a neglected but major driver of ecosystem modifications under climate change.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abd7015

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6523/1469