Aphid Infestations in High-Altitude Himalayan Flora: Wood Anatomical Signatures and Climate Change Impacts
Assigned Session: FS 3.191: Forest recovery after disturbance: Challenges and opportunities for the management of mountain forests
Abstract ID: 3.16708 | Not reviewed | Requested as: Poster | TBA | TBA
Mohit Phulara (1, 2)
Holger, Gärtner (3); Alexander, Bast (4, 5); Magdalena Opała, Owczarek (1); Piotr, Owczarek (6); Indra Dutt, Bhatt (7)
(1) Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Będzinska 60 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
(2) G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, Uttarakhand, India
(3) Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Dynamics, Dendrosciences, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
(4) WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF Alpine Environment and Natural Hazards / Permafrost, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
(5) Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Center CERC, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
(6) Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland, plac Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław
(7) Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Management (CBCM), G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE), Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Abstract
Global warming is driving rapid ecological shifts, including the expansion of aphids into previously uninhabited regions. Even in the Himalayas, rapid climate changes have created favorable conditions for aphid proliferation, increasing infestations in alpine flora. To assess this aphid presence in high-altitude ecosystems, we examined sapwood anatomy of Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don (Ericaceae), a dominant Himalayan shrub, as a proxy for aphid activity. Stem cross-sections and trunk increment cores were collected from 47 individuals across 3,100–3,400 m a.s.l. in the Indian Himalayas. Aphid infestations were detected in all samples, but infestation severity showed no clear correlation with elevation or temperature gradients. Instead, shrub age emerged as the strongest predictor: younger shrubs exhibited significantly higher infestation levels, with a notable decline in aphid activity as shrubs matured. This age-dependent pattern suggests that developmental stage critically influences susceptibility, potentially due to structural or biochemical differences between juvenile and mature Rhododendron. These findings highlight a nuanced threat to Himalayan ecosystems. While climate warming facilitates aphid colonization at higher altitudes, host-specific traits—such as shrub age—mediate infestation outcomes more directly than environmental variables alone. Aphid pressure on juvenile Rhododendron populations could disrupt regeneration dynamics, compounding risks to biodiversity in these fragile ecosystems. Building on these insights, ongoing work investigates temperature and precipitation thresholds as secondary constraints on aphid colonization. Clarifying these interactions will strengthen predictive models and inform targeted conservation strategies for high-altitude ecosystems under climatic stress.
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