Interaction Diversity and Climate Change

Each night while we were at the Yanayacu Biological Station, we Earthwatchers were treated to a lecture by the scientists with whom we worked for a week and a half. The chief Earthwatch scientist is Dr. Lee Dyer of the University of Nevada, Reno. He has been studying climate change for years, and his ecological studies have a particular focus on biodiversity and interaction diversity, specifically amongst caterpillars, host plants, and parasitoids.

Dr. Dyer with gusaneros Lucho (L) and Wilmer (R) in the station's Maquina

The following are some notes that I jotted down during Dr. Dyer's evening discussion on July 23, 2013...

** Research is conducted in Ecuador, in part because of the impressive diversity of the region.

** In addition to studying plants, herbivores, and parasitoids, Dyer and his teams have researched hyper-parasitoids (or parasites that breed in and feed on other parasites within a host caterpillar... I call it a turducken of parasites).

** There are countless species of plants and animals in the rain forest, and there are many more still to be discovered.

** The food webs of ANY ecosystem are still very incomplete

** Interaction diversity = diet breadth, species richness, and interactions... studied since the 1970s (Dan Janzen)... measures tritrophic levels

** There has been 50 years of study by rearing caterpillars, showing connections between plants, herbivore insects (caterpillars), and parasitoids.

** Piper plants contain chemicals that serve as toxins to deter some herbivores (like hemlock which contains 8 toxins).

** Synergy = combined compounds and their interactions (ie Mountain Dew, coffee, Yerba Matte all have chemicals that interact with caffeine).

** Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change

** 63% of European nonmigratory butterflies have shifted ranges northward (envelope model)... but if host plants can't move north or upslope, then what??

** Extreme weather increase = not more  hurricanes but more intense hurricanes (etc.)

** Parasites (like wasps) can't handle extreme weather events as well as moths and butterflies (which leads to more damage caused by moths and butterflies on crops in regions affected by extreme weather events).

** GOAL = phenological asynchrony --> phenological (when things happen) + asynchrony (delinking, i.e. parasites from caterpillars)

** Change in CO2 and temp --> i.e. Saponin (toxin) almost doubled with high temps vs ambient temps (normal)... alfalfa could become toxic to mammals if temps increase (could happen over our lifetimes).

**Biocontrol works = parasitoids are killing caterpillars (which kill alfalfa) and no insecticides are needed.

** Higher temps + higher CO2 = no parasitoidism (BAD)... we need parasitoids so global temperature and carbon dioxide increases (plus extreme weather events) are bad for all of us.

** Increased climate change = less species diversity and seriously declined interaction diversity (host shifting MAY occur for parasitoids to survive).

** Stability, productivity, ecosystem function are UP if species and interaction diversity are UP

** The draw for Earthwatch = natural history (getting connections and answering our questions).

** What if we don't examine our world now and extinction happens without us knowing it? That's almost worse than the extinction itself. (paraphrase of Dan Janzen, ca. 1974)

Ecuador DAY NINE July 29, 2013

We reached our final day and return trip to Quito with some climate change questions answered but many more remaining or newly generated.

Our work in Ecuador plays just a small role in the understanding of climate change. We studied just one community and just a small part of that community. Plus, our work is just eight days in decades of study that includes data collection, observations, and both scientific and political debate. Still, we all learned a lot about diversity interaction and the recorded results and projections of climate change. Now we must take back what we learned and the appreciation of plants and animals (including insects and bugs) that we gained during our expedition. It would be fair to say that we Earthwatchers all have a greater appreciation for moths, and we will all probably look under leaves that appear to have been lunch for caterpillars. Perhaps we'll discover some of our new little friends who we now know by name (scientific name, that is)!

Random thoughts and recollections from two weeks in Ecuador

Throughout this trip, I have been impressed, intrigued, perplexed, and pleased by an array of people, places, and events. This is my assembled random thoughts and reflections on one of the most enriching trips I have been blessed to partake of as a professional educator...

** Nescafe -- In a country covered in coffee beans, why is it so hard to get a good cup of joe?

** Bioluminescent Bugs -- the nights were aglow with "fireflies" who played hide and seek among the grasses.

** Hummingbirds -- My baby boy and I love hummingbirds. He would have been just as amazed as I was to see up to twelve different species at our feeders each day. I was most impressed by the Collared Inca and the Long-tailed Sylph.

** Not Showering -- I did not shower for the first four days at the station. No one cared. I loved it.

** Yanayacu Staff and Meals -- We were treated so well by the staff at Yanayacu. Each meal was amazing and truly Ecuadorian. Delicious! And no two soups were the same. Gracias por todos!

** Our Accommodations -- For being up in a cloud forest, fairly remote, I was rather impressed with our lodging and facilities... warm blankets, power, running water, hot showers, and flush toilets, all surrounded by an amazing vista. Heavenly!

** Lucho and Wilmer, the gusaneros -- These two brothers who expertly find and rear caterpillars are amazing. They have such keen eyesight and care. I appreciate their expertise.

** Team Personalities -- Any time you put a group of new faces in a remote situation for a week and a half, you never know what mixed bag of personalities you might find... We had a good group, but we also had some wildly divergent personalities... and some new friendships formed.

** Jim -- Former Sasquatch hunter and current U.S. ex-pat who is retiring to a future treehouse in the Andes... OK.

** Grad and Undergrad Students -- They take their work and research so seriously. I hope they find fulfillment and that their research creates a positive impact on science.

** Dr. Walla's son Aiden and his Yanayacu friends -- 8-year-old Aiden is attending a language immersion school in Colorado, and it was so great to see him using his Spanish skills as he played and interacted with his buddies.

** Blessings of Sunny Days -- The rain forest is lush and beautiful with a wealth of green hues and diverse plants and animals, but it sure is nice when we get to dry out and enjoy some sunshine through the canopy!

** Bumpy Roads -- Heading to and from Quito and the station was an adventure as our buses lumbered over some rough terrain. It was scary at times on the two-lane Pan-American highway. With mudslides, road work, sheer drops, and limited visibility, the rough road only added to the drama.

** Stream Trail -- Convenient to the station and beautiful to behold.

** Elevation Gradients -- It is quite remarkable how the vegetation and animal life changes from one elevation to the next in the Andes, particularly on the eastern slope, down into the Amazonian basin.

** Western Andes -- The rain forest on the eastern slope of the Andes is pretty healthy, but the western slope has been decimated by man... 96% is gone.

** Year-round Pleasant Climate -- Quito and the Andes, being on the equator, experiences mild tropical temperatures year-round. There's no need for heating or AC. Quite nice!

** Knee-deep Mud -- It's OK to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live in it... people in the Andes always wear rain boots.

** Moth diversity -- I never appreciated moths before, but after seeing their diversity and beauty, I'm a convert. Sorry butterflies, moths are beautiful, too!

** Diversity Interaction -- This is an indicator of climate change. Clues to change are not found in just one species, but in how they interact with other creatures and habitat.

** Llamas Crossing the Road Atop the Andes.

** Stray Dogs (and Monkeys) -- There are stray dogs all over Ecuador, with a significant concentration in towns and cities. Most of the dogs are actually pretty decent looking and some are pure breeds. I wish I could take a few home! (The monkeys can stay though.)

** US Dollar -- I understand that Ecuador was looking to stabilize their economy by converting to a dependable currency, but I can't get over how the Ecuadorians are walking around with pictures of our dead presidents in their pockets.

** Spanish Dialects and Phrases -- It never ceases to amaze me the variance in Spanish being spoken in the US and abroad. In Ecuador, they have different words and phrases than we might use in the US, but then again, our Spanish has been morphed from Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and US slang.

** Funky Pants, Funky Buses, Funky Hats -- I love the colorful fabric of Andean pants sold at tourist stops. I also love the eccentrically-decorated local buses with their stickers of Jesus and the Playboy bunny. I also also love the funky hats that can be found at any marketplace -- they keep your ears warm and have a little flair.

 ** Empanadas de queso -- Yummy.

** Scary Clown Trash Cans -- Creep me out.

** Bird-watching in the morning/evening/dark of night -- Ecuador has an amazing bird population, and I was fortunate enough to see some beautiful common birds and some unreal rare species.

** Amazonian Boat Trip -- So glad I didn't fall into the Rio Napo.

** Ecuadorian 3rd Lane of Traffic -- Most highways are two-lane, windy, wet roads, but there is an unseen third lane which straddles the dividing line. Cars straddle the dividing line as they look to pass slower vehicles. This is a hair-raising experience in busy Quito, and even more so on the blind-cornered routes of the Andes.

** Mary Jo and Guy -- We were joined by a retired couple in their late 70s who have gone on 15+ such expeditions in their retirement. They are good-humored, fit, friendly, and adventurous -- and they also want to serve a greater purpose than most vacationers. God bless them. They are role models for all of us. I love 'em!

QUESTION: How many invertebrates can you find on your school's campus? Get off your computer and go searching...

Ecuador DAY EIGHT July 28, 2013

    


           

What a gorgeous day! Unbelievably, we were able to enjoy a relatively warm, sunny day in the cloud forest... and a few of us took full advantage of the day. After venturing out the night before to look for nocturnal birds with Jose Simbana, the station manager and world-class birder, we rolled off the property to seek more birds before breakfast. Some of the birds we were seeking are common in Ecuador while others are rare and/or endangered. We headed a couple of kilometers down the road to a bird sanctuary and lodge called San Isidro, and we were soon dazzled by a variety of gorgeous birds, including the Inca jay, several hummingbird species, including the stunning long-tailed sylph, oro pendula birds, two different quetzal species, and a rare Great Potoo, which camouflaged seamlessly into the trunk of a tree, a great distance from us but still visibly with a telescope (and Jose's trained eyes). Perched atop a straight, vertical trunk high up on the treeline, she looked just like the trunk upon which she dozed. The camouflage of her plumage was simply incredible!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Potoo

After breakfast, my Earthwatch teammate Keith and I set about photographing the 100+ caterpillars collected from the chusquea the previous day. Keith and I continued to be taken aback by the sheer numbers and diversity of species found on the roadside bamboo at Yanayacu. Our photos and cataloging illustrated the wonder for our peers, as we became a sort of clearinghouse for the week.

Later, after lunch, Colorado Mesa undergrad Jade Moret gave a talk about her summer of studying caterpillars reared at different elevations in the Andes; her mission is to determine growth rates based on elevation and temperature. Much of her research will need to continue for months.

After Keith and I finished our photo assignment I volunteered to assist PhD candidate Andrea Glassmire with photos of three of her pink belly piper plots up above the research station. What an adventure this was - especially for a guy with two bad knees and two injured rotator cuff! Andrea led me straight through chest-high grasses, through mud, over slick logs and knee-deep holes,over a farmer's barb-wire fence, across a stream, through bamboo and piper plants, and over fallen trees. We eventually blazed a trail to her three plots where we photographed her suspended pots of piper plants and the canopy overhead. At each location we photographed Andrea under her low pots and then shot straight up with a fisheye lens to see the canopy and light levels above.



                                 

After trekking to Andrea's three plots, she led me back through the forest over fallen trees, through bamboo and piper plants, across a stream, over a farmer's barb-wire fence, over slick logs and knee-deep holes, and straight through chest-high grass which no one had hiked through before. It was challenging but rather enjoyable!

I was dripping in perspiration, had sore knees, and was glad to be free from spiders and prickly plants, when we returned to the station just in time to join Jose on an evening birdwatching trip. Eight of us hopped into the truck and drove up the highway to a steep pasture near Jose's father's home. Jose led us down the embankment and through a patch of trees where we came to a river. There we sat low on large rocks along the bank and settled in to wait for three different birds -- torrent ducks, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, and the lyre-tailed nightjar.

Apparently, the Cock-of-the-rock took flight as we arrived, but we were surprised by the sight of a female torrent duck as she dove in and out of the small rapids, catching insects for dinner. Quite skillfully, she dove off rocks, captured her prey, and hopped right back out of the swift-moving water. She was a brilliant orange color, unlike her male counterpart who we discovered a short while later on a nearby rock. He was black and white and just a bit larger.

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Male and female torrent ducks

As twilight escaped and darkness fell upon us, we finally caught sight of the lyre-tailed nightjar with its long, split tail and graceful flight. Spotting this bird took patience, but it was well worth the wait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyre-tailed_Nightjar

Jose even caught a juvenile nightjar which had flown right into his chest! What a sight!

We then made our way back up the ruddy, muddy slope of the cow pasture to reach Jose's pickup. It rained most of the way back to the station, but the four Earthwatchers in the back of the truck didn't seem to mind.

After dinner, CMU undergrad Kelsi Antonelli gave her talk; it was about her summer research on host and novel plants and the rearing of Altinote caterpillars on each. She was experimenting to see if caterpillars at each of the instar stages could survive on the novel plants. Her research is not complete, but the answer appears to be "No." Now the question is, "Why?" Do the Altinote on novel plants fail because of chemicals, malnutrition, or some other biological or environmental reason?

Finally, Dr. Walla stepped up to provide our group with a summary talk and slideshow. He told us that although he was once skeptical about these eight-day Earthwatch expeditions, he now sees that Earthwatch does produce data and an output of tangible results such as collected specimens, pinned and mounted moths and butterflies, and fieldwork (labor) that assists in his and Dyer's research and that of their students. He said we also provide a social context for the gusenaros who spend so much time with the caterpillars. They appreciate our recognition of their work and talents. Dr. Walla also reminded us that we take our gained knowledge and experiences home to others. 

In terms of numbers from our eight days at the station: 1) from our night light moth collection, we collected and pinned 197 specimens, 2) specimens labeled and classified reached approximately 1300 (with more than 100 going to the museum in Quito), 3) we collected more than 230 caterpillars to get an idea of species diversity and density, 4) more than 160 piper plant parts were collected for UNR grad student Gift Poopat's study, 5) and for Andrea Glassmire's piper project, we collected one ton of rain forest soil and helped to slingshot and hang 18 potted, cloned piper pink belly plants in nine plots in the surrounding forest. Not bad for a bunch of teachers and two retirees from the States!

QUESTION: What is an current ecological issue that weighs on your mind? What insects, plants, animals, or natural resources require our immediate attention?

Mr. B is pooped and ready to come home to LA...