Alpine Activity Patterns of Mitopus morio(Fabricius, 1779) are Induced by Variations in Temperature and Humidity at Different Scales in Central Norway  

作　　者：Nils HEIN Roland PAPE Oliver-D. FINCH Jorg LOFFLER 

机构地区：[1]Department of C-eography, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer AUee 166, D-53115 Bonn, Germany [2]Achtern Nordpol 8, D-26180 Rastede, Germany

出　　处：《Journal of Mountain Science》2014年第3期644-655,共12页山地科学学报（英文）

基　　金：partly sponsored by Color Line Aksjeselskap, Oslo

摘　　要：Our research addresses questions about how micro-climate affects activity abundance of a common and widespread harvestman in an alpine ecosystem. Activity patterns of the Harvestman Mitopus morio(Fabricius, 1779) were studied along different alpine gradients in the central Norwegian Scandes. Within a nested design, we surveyed 18 alpine habitats with pitfall traps and microclimatological equipment along oceanic-continental, two elevational, and(fine-scaled) microtopographic gradients. Sites in the oceanic region of the Scandes showed generally higher abundance of M. morio than sites in the continental region. Furthermore, along the elevational gradient, middle-alpine sites showed higher abundances than low-alpine sites. These general patterns are best explained by higher humidity in the oceanic region and in the middlealpine belt. Focusing at a finer scale, i.e. one elevational level within each region, revealed partly opposing activity patterns within relatively short distances. While in the western middle-alpine belt these patterns were best explained by humidityrelated measures but now with higher activity abundance during drier conditions, in the drier eastern middle-alpine belt heat sums rather than humidity were found to be the best explanatoryvariables for the observed patterns. Hence, our results imply a pronounced different reaction of the two populations towards climatic variables that partly even contradict the previously described general pattern. Regardless whether these differences in activity abundance in M. morio are a form of phenotypic plasticity or adaptation, our findings stress the importance of detailed autecological knowledge combined with fine-scaled climatic measurements when aiming at predictions about possible future ecosystem structures and spatiotemporal phenomena. M. morio proves to be an ideal biogeographic model organism for understanding spatio-temporal responses of alpine ecosystems under modified climatic conditions.

关 键 词：Climate gradients OPILIONES Arctic-alpine ecosystems High mountains SCANDINAVIA 

分 类 号：Q14[生物学—生态学]