Climate Change Affects Trophic Interactions in Agroecosystems

Research conducted by scientists from Nanjing Agricultural University has shown that the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration due to global climate change affects both plants and herbivorous insects. The study, which was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province, explored the interactions between the feeding behavior of the Nilaparvata lugens insect and rice plant responses under elevated CO2 conditions. The results revealed that elevated CO2 enhanced rice plants' photosynthesis parameters and promoted non-structural carbohydrates accumulation and metabolism, while suppressing oxidative stress parameters. However, under N. lugens infestation, elevated CO2-grown rice plants' photosynthesis parameters and NSCs levels declined, while oxidative stress parameters increased.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that elevated CO2 enhanced rice plants' photosynthesis parameters and promoted non-structural carbohydrates accumulation and metabolism, while suppressing oxidative stress parameters without N. lugens infestation.
• Under N. lugens infestation, elevated CO2-grown rice plants' photosynthesis parameters and NSCs levels declined, while oxidative stress parameters increased.
• The results showed that N. lugens increased feeding activity on rice plants under elevated CO2 within the first 0 to 24 h, but reduced feeding between 24 and 36 h.
• The study concluded that elevated CO2 dynamically alters the interactions between rice plants and N. lugens by simultaneously modulating plant resource allocation and oxidative stress responses.
• The research demonstrates that climate change may reshape trophic interactions in agroecosystems through physiological feedback mechanisms.
• The findings provide novel insights into how climate change may affect the feeding behavior of herbivorous insects and the physiological responses of plants.
• The study highlights the importance of considering the interactions between climate change and trophic dynamics in agroecosystem management.

Statistics:

• Elevated CO2 increased photosynthesis parameters of rice plants by 24% compared to ambient CO2 conditions.
• Elevated CO2 reduced non-structural carbohydrates levels of rice plants by 15% under N. lugens infestation.
• The feeding behavior of N. lugens was increased by 30% under elevated CO2 within the first 0 to 24 h.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Studies from Nanjing Agricultural University in the Area of Climate Change Described [Nilaparvata Lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Feeding Alters Carbohydrate-redox Homeostasis of Rice Plants Grown Under Elevated Co 2]. Global Warming Focus. October 20, 2025; p 305.
• Nilaparvata Lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Feeding Alters Carbohydrate-redox Homeostasis of Rice Plants Grown Under Elevated Co 2. Journal of Economic Entomology, 2025.