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Warming world hits fig wasps and figs
June 19, 2013 12:16 PM - Adam Andrus, MONGABAY.COM
Recent experiments concerning hugely-important fig plants (Ficus) and their relationship with small, short-lived fig wasps suggest dire potential consequences due to human induced climate change, finds a study published in the journal Biology Letters. The researchers, lead by Richard T. Corlett of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Center for Integrative Conservation in the Peoples Republic of China, collected four species of adult female fig wasps from the lowland tropical forests of Singapore to test their tolerance to gradually increased temperatures. The results of the experiment showed a steady decrease in fig wasp life-expectancy as temperatures rose, suggesting the vulnerability of these pollinator wasps to a warmer world.
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