Climate’s role in moth diversity varies by species traits and surrounding habitat types

A collaborative study led by the University of Helsinki shows that, in addition to climate, the diversity of moth communities is heavily influenced by land use changes. According to the study, habitat characteristics—which are mainly influenced by land-use—were the main driver of the variation in Finnish moth communities over a 23-year study period. In contrast, the relative importance of the climate depended on the functional traits of the species and the dominant habitat types surrounding the 109 study sites.

“Our results highlight the importance of habitat as a key driver of community change, even among temperature-sensitive species such as moths. It means that both climate and changing land-use must be accounted for to efficiently secure the viability of natural communities in the future,” says the lead author Emy Guilbault from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences.

The study utilized new statistical methods and predictive scenarios to assess the impact of climate versus habitat change on species and their communities. Results show that predictions based on either climate or habitat characteristics alone misrepresent the community dynamics, which highlights the need to account for both drivers when estimating the state of natural communities.

“These analyses would not be possible without long-term datasets that cover the whole country. Hence, it is of the utmost priority to maintain and develop our globally unique long-term biodiversity monitoring programs in Finland. We at the University of Helsinki are working hard to develop new methods to enhance Finnish biodiversity monitoring and analysis,” explains Professor Jarno Vanhatalo from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences.

The research is published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.