About this Research Topic
Insect ecological communities are one of the most complicated systems in nature, with various species interacting and intertwined with each other. These communities diversity patterns and the driving forces shaping them have attracted extensive attention from ecologists and evolutionists.
Patterns in the diversity of present-day assemblages can provide insights into the mechanisms that have shaped them. Environment filtering, dispersal limitation, diversification, population expansion, and/or contemporary gene flow may contribute to diversity patterns of insect communities. However, unlike in plant communities, these driving forces have not been extensively examined in insect communities that are highly dynamical. Exploring this field may lead to new discoveries in community ecology.
In this Research Topic, we will focus on terrestrial ecosystems, and solicit research articles, reviews, and commentaries that provide insights into insect communities. Below is a non-exclusive list of topics that we feel relevant to study the patterns and driving forces of these underlying communities, especially addressed using phylogeography (incl. island biogeography), phylogenomics, and mathematical modeling research.
• How to effectively measure diversity patterns of a species-rich community (e.g. molecular versus morphological)?
• Can traditional phylogeography provide some values for studies on insect community assembling?
• How do phylogenomics play a role in assembly studies?
• How can mathematical models (e.g. niche models) be used to study assembling mechanisms?
• How do environmental factors affect insect community assembling and diversity patterns?
• How do plant assemblages affect insect-plant interactions?
• How do insect communities respond to climate change, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation?
Patterns in the diversity of present-day assemblages can provide insights into the mechanisms that have shaped them. Environment filtering, dispersal limitation, diversification, population expansion, and/or contemporary gene flow may contribute to diversity patterns of insect communities. However, unlike in plant communities, these driving forces have not been extensively examined in insect communities that are highly dynamical. Exploring this field may lead to new discoveries in community ecology.
In this Research Topic, we will focus on terrestrial ecosystems, and solicit research articles, reviews, and commentaries that provide insights into insect communities. Below is a non-exclusive list of topics that we feel relevant to study the patterns and driving forces of these underlying communities, especially addressed using phylogeography (incl. island biogeography), phylogenomics, and mathematical modeling research.
• How to effectively measure diversity patterns of a species-rich community (e.g. molecular versus morphological)?
• Can traditional phylogeography provide some values for studies on insect community assembling?
• How do phylogenomics play a role in assembly studies?
• How can mathematical models (e.g. niche models) be used to study assembling mechanisms?
• How do environmental factors affect insect community assembling and diversity patterns?
• How do plant assemblages affect insect-plant interactions?
• How do insect communities respond to climate change, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation?
Keywords: Insect communities, Island biogeography, Diversity patterns, Mechanisms, Phylogenomics, Niche models
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
