Abstract
Climate change is altering biodiversity of ecosystems worldwide by causing shifts in species’ home ranges, potential extinctions of species, and Extreme Climatic Events (ECEs), such as hurricanes and extreme temperatures. The purpose of this study was to examine effects of two extreme weather events on butterfly populations in the Gulf Prairies and Marshes ecoregion in Willacy and Kenedy Counties, TX, USA. These weather events occurred during an ongoing study of effects of prescribed burning during summer or winter on butterfly populations. We tested effects of Category 1 Hurricane Hanna by comparing butterfly abundance in the month prior to and following the hurricane (July and August 2020). We tested effects of Winter Storm Uri by comparing butterfly abundance in the three months following the storm (March through May 2021) with abundance during the same period in the previous year (March through May 2020). We measured no effect of the Category 1 hurricane on butterfly populations overall and across all prescribed fire regimes. There was a significant reduction in butterfly abundance following the 2021 winter storm, and effects depended on prescribed fire regime. Our findings indicate that extremely cold temperatures in subtropical regions will likely have greater negative effects on butterfly populations than low-magnitude hurricanes.
Implications for insect conservation
With extreme climate events (ECEs) predicted to increase in the future, measures should be taken to provide protection and refugia for butterflies, particularly from prolonged, uncharacteristically low temperatures. Protection includes maintaining undisturbed areas with accumulated plant matter, in preparation for these unpredictable events.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the East Foundation for funding this project, providing the site, and further supporting our research endeavors, particularly Alain Campbell, Landon Schofield, Andrea Montalvo, and Lindsay Martinez. This research received additional financial support from Rene Barriéntos Scholarship Fund, Association for Fire Ecology Wayne Harrison Memorial Scholarship, Phillip M. Plant Endowment for Graduate Scholarships in Wildlife, South Texas Quail Coalition, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. We thank Drs. H.L. Perotto and H. Su for technical assistance, and the TAMUK graduate and undergraduate students who helped collect field data or participated in the prescribed burning crew. F. Hernandez and T. Falk provided helpful comments. This manuscript is Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Publication Number 22–134, and East Foundation Publication Number 093.
Funding
Partial financial support was received from the East Foundation, Rene Barriéntos Scholarship Fund, Association for Fire Ecology Wayne Harrison Memorial Scholarship, Phillip M. Plant Endowment for Graduate Scholarships in Wildlife, South Texas Quail Coalition, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by RRZ and JCE. Analyses were performed by DBW, RRZ, and SR-H. The first draft of the manuscript was written by RRZ, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Zerlin, R.R., Elissetche, J.C., Campbell, T.A. et al. Extreme weather impacts on butterfly populations in Southern Texas, USA. J Insect Conserv 28, 89–102 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-023-00525-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-023-00525-4