Insecten en klimaatswijziging in België: van de regen in de drup...

Dirk Maes, Anny Anselin, Kris Decleer, Geert De Knijf, V Fichefet

    Research output: Contribution to journalA2: Article in a journal with peer review, not included in A1peer-review

    Abstract

    Being ectothermal, insects are predicted to suffer more severely from climate change than warm-blooded animals. We forecast possible changes in diversity and composition of butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies in Belgium under increasingly severe climate change scenarios for the year 2100. Butterfly and grasshopper diversity were predicted to decrease significantly in all scenarios and species-rich locations were predicted to move towards higher altitudes. Dragonfly diversity was predicted to decrease significantly in all scenarios, but dragonfly-rich locations were predicted to move upwards only in the less severe scenarios. The largest turnover rates were predicted to occur at higher altitudes for butterflies and grasshoppers, but at intermediate altitudes for dragonflies. We discuss possible conservation and policy measures to mitigate the putative strond impact of climate change on insect diversity in Belgium

    Original languageDutch
    JournalNatuur.Focus
    Volume7
    Issue number3
    Pages (from-to)107-111
    Number of pages5
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Thematic List 2020

    • Water

    Thematic list

    • Fauna
    • Insects

    EWI Biomedical sciences

    • B280-animal-ecology

    Taxonomic list

    • butterflies (Lepidoptera)
    • dragonflies (Odonata)
    • crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera)

    Policy

    • Climate policy (inc. Biomass energy with carbon capture and storage)

    Geographic list

    • Flanders

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