The Effects of Abiotic Climate Change Factors on Aphid Life History and Populations

Abstract

While the effects of many abiotic factors associated with climate change have not been extensively studied, work on model organisms is beginning to help predict effects on similar species. Research on climate change has been dominated by temperature effects on organisms, but additional factors are being studied, including changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, wind patterns, precipitation patterns, ultra-violet (UV) radiation, night-time temperatures, and daily high temperatures (heat shocks). We review these effects on aphids and present experimental findings on the effects of night-time warming on pea aphid population growth and birth rates. Aphid populations changed when warmed at different times of a day (overnight vs. during the day), but changes to individual aphid birth rate were not responsible for the population level pattern. Although the exact mechanism is still unclear, increasing nightly temperatures matters for pea aphid population growth and could influence interactions with other species.