Effects of frost on wildflowers: an unexpected consequence of climate change--image 20 of 22
A Mormon fritillary butterfly (Speyeria mormonia) visiting flowers of the fleabane daisy (Erigeron speciosus), an important and preferred nectar resource. Flower buds of E. speciosus are frost-sensitive. Egg production of female S. mormonia butterflies is limited by the amount of nectar they can collect (which is unusual for butterflies). Therefore, spring frosts that kill E. speciosus flowers impair reproduction in the fritillary butterfly.
The work on butterfly populations was done by Dr. Carol Boggs from Stanford University. She had not published the results of her 9-year study because she couldn't figure out why the butterfly populations were so variable. She happened to mention the study, and the fact that the butterflies relied heavily on E. speciosus flowers, to David Inouye, who replied that he had long-term data on the flowers. The resulting collaboration resulted in a publication that links the impact of climate change on the plants to the population biology of the butterflies.
One benefit of working at a field station is that unexpected collaborations can arise, as did this one involving the butterfly and flower datasets.
The work on butterfly populations was done by Dr. Carol Boggs from Stanford University. She had not published the results of her 9-year study because she couldn't figure out why the butterfly populations were so variable. She happened to mention the study, and the fact that the butterflies relied heavily on E. speciosus flowers, to David Inouye, who replied that he had long-term data on the flowers. The resulting collaboration resulted in a publication that links the impact of climate change on the plants to the population biology of the butterflies.
One benefit of working at a field station is that unexpected collaborations can arise, as did this one involving the butterfly and flower datasets.
| Primary or BEN resource type | |
|---|---|
| Secondary resource type | |
| Url | You must be logged in to access all resource information. |
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| Format | |
| Temporal and geographic description | July, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado |
| Is Part Of | A slide show about the effects of frost on Colorado wildflowers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. |
| Collection Link | http://esa.org/ecoed/folders/0090/effectsoffrostonwildflowers |
| Ecological Core Concept | |
| Classification | |
| Drought & Water-Ecosystem Services Collection | Off |
| Conservation Targets Under Global Change Collection | On |
| Big Data Collection | Off |
| Editor's Choice | No |
| Audience | |
| Pedagogical Use Description | The slide show could be used as part of a lecture on the consequences of climate change, or the ecology of the Rocky Mountains. |
| Keywords | Speyeria mormonia, Mormon Fritillary, butterfly, Erigeron speciosus, fleabane daisy, pollinator |
| Key taxa | Speyeria mormonia, butterfly, Erigeron speciosus, fleabane daisy |
| Life science discipline (subject) | |
| Primary Author Controlled Name | |
| Primary Author Affiliation | Dept. of Biology University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-4415 |
| Primary Author email | inouye@umd.edu |
| Secondary Author Email(s) | inouye@umd.edu |
| Submitter Name | David Inouye |
| Submitter Email | inouye@umd.edu |
| Rights | Free use with attribution. Contact photographer if you want a higher-resolution version. And contact author if you'd like a single file with all the slides so you don't have to download them one at a time (this capability may be added to EcoEd in the future). |
| Review Status | |
| Resource Editor | Unknown |
| Reviewer A | Unknown |
| Reviewer B | Unknown |
| Date Of Record Submission | 2011-12-01 |
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