Gap Response In Forest Insects – From Communities To Cellular Processes (GapResIn)

林冠密度严重影响林分内的小气候条件，从而决定了小尺度外温动物的局部生境条件。在中欧，适应开放林冠条件的森林物种目前比适应封闭林冠的物种面临更大的风险，这反映了上个世纪不断增长的种群。如今，自然干扰和商业伐木影响了树冠密度，从而影响了物种的栖息地，封闭树冠和林隙之间的局部气候差异大于目前观察到的全球变暖导致的温度升高。因此，更好地了解森林中物种对小气候反应的机制对于森林和保护管理至关重要。在宏观生态学中，物种对气候梯度的反应有着悠久的传统，最终形成了生态地理学规则，预测物种内部和物种之间对温度下降、湿度或一般严酷条件的反应。在这里，我们的目标是研究三种昆虫类群，sagyrylic甲虫，夜间大型蛾和真正的错误的小气候变化，控制资源的可用性。为此，我们首先将调查来自5个地区（生物多样性探索站+2个以上）的巨大群落数据集，并通过机载激光获得高分辨率的郁闭度信息。我们将专注于性状的身体大小，翅膀形态和颜色，所有这三个被证实为相关的宏观生态研究。其次，我们将使用Exploratories中的新森林实验来验证我们在第1步中的预测。第三，我们将调查物种内的反应性状变异的实验树冠开放。第四，我们将通过在森林实验中将笼中昆虫暴露于封闭的树冠和林隙条件下，对四个选定的物种进行转录组测序。在这里，我们的目标是确定相关的小气候响应的转录签名。我们的分析的目的是阐明机制的识别昆虫物种组成的差异，在差距和封闭的森林斑块。

Canopy density heavily affects microclimate conditions within a forest stand. This determines local habitat conditions for ectotherms operating on small scales. In Central Europe forest species adapted to open canopy conditions currently more at risk than those adapted to closed canopies, which mirrors the increase in growing stock during the last century. Nowadays natural disturbances and commercial logging affect both the canopy density and thereby the habitat of species and the difference in local climates between closed canopies and gaps is larger than the current observed increase of temperature by global warming. Hence, a better understanding on the mechanisms behind species response to microclimates in forests is critical for forest and conservation management. In macro-ecology the response of species to climate gradients has a long tradition, ending up with ecogeographical rules, predicting within and between species response to decreasing temperatures, humidity or in general harshness. Here we aim to study the response of three insect taxa, saproxylic beetles, nocturnal macro-moths and true bugs to variation in microclimate, controlled for resource availability. To do so we first will investigate a huge community data set from 5 regions (Biodiversity Exploratories +2 more) with high resolution canopy density information by airborne laser. We will focus on the traits body size, wing morphology and color, all three confirmed as relevant in macro-ecological studies. Second, we will use the new forest experiment in the Exploratories to validate our predictions from step 1. Third, we will investigate the within species response by trait variation to the experimental opening of canopy. Fourth, we will perform transcriptome sequencing of four selected species by exposing caged insects to closed canopy and gap conditions in the forest experiment. Here we aim at identifying transcriptional signatures related to microclimate response. Our analyses aim at illuminating mechanisms underlying the identification of insect species composition differences in gaps and closed forest patches.