Understanding crop performance and pest control under climate change requires considering interactions among warming, elevated CO2, and trophic interactions
Journal
Scientific Reports
Journal Volume
15
Journal Issue
1
ISSN
2045-2322
Date Issued
2025-11-11
Author(s)
Abstract
Investigating the combined effects of climate change and species interactions on species advances climate change research. However, such combined effects are understudied and may defy current hypotheses that focus on individual effects. We empirically examined how multiple environmental stressors (elevated temperature and CO2) and trophic interactions (herbivory and predation) interactively affect crop performance and pest control in a tri-trophic agroecosystem including soybean (Glycine max), aphid (Aphis glycines), and ladybeetle (Coccinella septempunctata). Temperature (control/+2 °C/+4 °C), CO2 (ambient/elevated), and trophic treatments (soybean/soybean-aphid/soybean-aphid-ladybeetle) were conducted in environmental chambers. Plant, herbivore, and predator traits (soybean nutrient content, defense, reproduction, and aphid and ladybeetle performance) were greatly influenced by interactions between abiotic (temperature, CO2) and biotic (trophic) factors, often contradicting current hypotheses. For example, aphids reduced seed number; ladybeetles generally suppressed aphids and rescued seed production. However, this biocontrol was compromised under elevated temperature and CO2, suggesting climate-induced changes in biocontrol effectiveness. We conclude: (1) To improve predictability, climate change research should include abiotic-biotic interactions as important mechanisms. (2) Empirical studies considering local climate-trophic interactions are critical for predicting regional food security. (3) While this study highlights species’ plastic responses to climate change, experimental evolutionary studies will be needed to understand potential evolutionary adaptation.
Subjects
Abiotic-biotic interactions
Agroecosystem
Biocontrol
Climate change
Elevated CO2
Plant-animal interactions
Tri-trophic interactions
Warming
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Type
journal article