全球变暖已经证明能打破现有的种间营养级关系，从而导致生物多样性丧失。例如温度上升会导致动植物物候的改变，使动植物的出现在时间上发生错位；温度上升会提高病虫害发生可能性，导致一些物种种群密度急剧下降。但是，温度上升导致的物候错位和动植物多度的改变，也可能导致营养关系的新生。
中科院成都生物研究所孙书存课题组刘银占博士等在一项为期三年的研究中，通过对美丽龙胆(Gentiana formosa)、一种夜蛾科昆虫Broom Moth(Melanchra pisi )的幼虫及其食物条叶银莲花（Anemone trullifolia）的物候和多度调查，发现模拟增温推迟了蛾子幼虫的出现时间，却使其食物物种的枯黄时间提前，从而导致两者间的食物关系破裂；但此时美丽龙胆因为模拟增温，开花物候提前，与蛾子幼虫出现的时间恰好吻合。因此，昆虫与龙胆（花）间形成了新的营养关系，显著降低了龙胆的种子产量。
该研究结果表明全球变暖还可能通过新生营养关系来改变群落组成和物种多样性。
该成果发表在Ecology上。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
doi:10.1890/10-2060.1
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PMID:
Shifting phenology and abundance under experimental warming alters trophic relationships and plant reproductive capacity
Yinzhan Liu, Peter B. Reich, Guoyong Li, and Shucun Sun
Phenological mismatches due to climate change may have important ecological consequences. In a three-year study, phenological shifts due to experimental warming markedly altered trophic relationships between plants and insect herbivores, causing a dramatic decline of reproductive capacity for one of the plant species. In a Tibetan meadow, the gentian (Gentiana formosa) typically flowers after the peak larva density of a noctuid moth (Melanchra pisi) that primarily feeds on a dominant forb (anemone, Anemone trullifolia var. linearis). However, artificial warming of 1.5°C advanced gentian flower phenology and anemone vegetative phenology by a week, but delayed moth larvae emergence by two weeks. The warming increased larval density 10-fold, but decreased anemone density by 30%. The phenological and density shifts under warmed conditions resulted in the insect larvae feeding substantially on the gentian flowers and ovules; there was 100-fold more damage in warmed than in unwarmed chambers. This radically increased trophic connection reduced gentian plant reproduction and likely contributed to its reduced abundance in the warmed chambers.
