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Pérez-Méndez N, Fernández MM, van Doorn L, Català-Forner MM, Martínez L, Garibaldi LA. Bottom-up effects of woodland eutrophication: Interacting limiting nutrients determine herbivory frequency in northwestern Patagonia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 816:151608. [PMID: 34774949 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient enrichment disrupts plant-animal interactions and ecosystem functioning globally. In woodland systems, the mechanisms of bottom-up turnover on plant-herbivore interactions remain understudied. Here, we performed a full-factorial field experiment to evaluate the interactive effects of nutrient addition (nitrogen, phosphorus, and/or potassium) on the assemblage of foliar herbivores and the interaction frequency with Berberis microphylla, a dominant shrub species in Patagonian woodlands. Additionally, we assessed whether these effects could be mediated by changes in vegetative traits and microhabitat characteristics (i.e., canopy cover) that may ultimately influence the foraging behavior of herbivores. The addition of nitrogen reduced the herbivory frequency by 41%, yet this effect was diluted in the presence of potassium. We found no effects of phosphorus addition. Our results suggest that the impact of multiple nutrient additions (N and K) on herbivory patterns could be mediated by changes in two important foliar traits, leaf size and leaf density. This study shows how multiple nutrient addition can change the magnitude of antagonistic plant-animal interactions in woodlands. Since herbivory by arthropods has a relevant role in net primary productivity, our results highlight the importance of buffering human-driven woodland eutrophication to maintain important ecological functions (e.g., herbivory) associated with antagonistic plant-animal interactions and avoiding ecosystem dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Pérez-Méndez
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, IRTA-Amposta, Carretera de Balada, Km1, 43870 Amposta, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - M M Fernández
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Dept. of Ecosystem Sciences and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - L van Doorn
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Wageningen University & Research, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - M M Català-Forner
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, IRTA-Amposta, Carretera de Balada, Km1, 43870 Amposta, Tarragona, Spain
| | - L Martínez
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - L A Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
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Light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16868. [PMID: 33037317 PMCID: PMC7547008 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74079-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Unravelling the responses of insect herbivores to light-environment-mediated variation in the traits of their host plants is central to our understanding of the nutritional ecology of, and factors driving the population dynamics in, these species. This study examined the effect of light environment (shaded vs full-sun habitat) on leaf toughness and leaf nutritional quality in Chromolaena odorata (an invasive species in West Africa) and related these attributes to the abundance, herbivory patterns and reproductive performance of a multivoltine specialist moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata (a biological control agent). In this system, plants growing in shaded areas in the field experienced more herbivory and had higher herbivore abundance than those growing in full-sun. In the laboratory, P. pseudoinsulata larvae consumed significantly greater amounts of shaded foliage relative to full-sun foliage. However, reproductive performance metrics such as mating success, pre-oviposition period, number of eggs laid, duration of egg laying, egg hatchability, and adult longevity in P. pseudoinsulata did not differ according to foliage types. Reduced leaf toughness, increased water and nitrogen contents in shaded leaves coincided with increased leaf consumption by the larvae of P. pseudoinsulata. In summary, this study showed for the first time that light environments affect herbivory patterns but not reproductive performance of P. pseudoinsulata and hypothesized that high foliar nitrogen and water contents in shaded leaves resulted in feedback and necessity consumption patterns.
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Augustinus BA, Lommen STE, Fogliatto S, Vidotto F, Smith T, Horvath D, Bonini M, Gentili RF, Citterio S, Müller-Schärer H, Schaffner U. In-season leaf damage by a biocontrol agent explains reproductive output of an invasive plant species. NEOBIOTA 2020. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.55.46874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
One of the biggest challenges in classical biological control of invasive weeds is predicting the likelihood of success. Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a North American plant species that has become invasive in Europe, causes economic losses due to health problems resulting from its huge amount of highly allergenic pollen and as a weed to agricultural crops resulting from high seed densities. Here we assessed whether the pollen and seed output of the annual A. artemisiifolia (at the end of the season) is related to in-season abundance of, or damage by, the accidentally introduced biological control agent Ophraella communa. We monitored the growth and leaf damage of individually labelled A. artemisiifolia plants at four locations in Northern Italy and recorded abundance of different O. communa life stages at regular intervals. We found that the in-season level of leaf damage by O. communa consistently helped to explain seed production in combination with plant volume and site throughout the season. Feeding damage, plant volume and site also explained pollen production by A. artemisiifolia six weeks before male flower formation. At three out of four sites, plants with more than 10% leaf damage in mid-June or early July had a very low likelihood of seed formation. Leaf damage proved to be a better explanatory variable than O. communa abundance. Our results suggest that the monitoring of the in-season leaf damage can help to project the local impact of O. communa on A. artemisiifolia at the end of the season and thus inform management regarding the needs for additional measures to control this prominent invader.
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Piper FI, Altmann SH, Lusk CH. Global patterns of insect herbivory in gap and understorey environments, and their implications for woody plant carbon storage. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frida I. Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP); Moraleda 16 Coyhaique Chile
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Uyi OO, Zachariades C, Heshula LU, Hill MP. Developmental and reproductive performance of a specialist herbivore depend on seasonality of, and light conditions experienced by, the host plant. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190700. [PMID: 29304104 PMCID: PMC5755886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Host plant phenology (as influenced by seasonality) and light-mediated changes in the phenotypic and phytochemical properties of leaves have been hypothesised to equivocally influence insect herbivore performance. Here, we examined the effects of seasonality, through host plant phenology (late growth-season = autumn vs flowering-season = winter) and light environment (shade vs full-sun habitat) on the leaf characteristics of the invasive alien plant, Chromolaena odorata. In addition, the performance of a specialist folivore, Pareuchaetes insulata, feeding on leaves obtained from both shaded and full-sun habitats during autumn and winter, was evaluated over two generations. Foliar nitrogen and magnesium contents were generally higher in shaded plants with much higher levels during winter. Leaf water content was higher in shaded and in autumn plants. Total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) and phosphorus contents did not differ as a function of season, but were higher in shaded foliage compared to full-sun leaves. Leaf toughness was noticeably higher on plants growing in full-sun during winter. With the exception of shaded leaves in autumn that supported the best performance [fastest development, heaviest pupal mass, and highest growth rate and Host Suitability Index (HSI) score], full-sun foliage in autumn surprisingly also supported an improved performance of the moth compared to shaded or full-sun leaves in winter. Our findings suggest that shaded and autumn foliage are nutritionally more suitable for the growth and reproduction of P. insulata. However, the heavier pupal mass, increased number of eggs and higher HSI score in individuals that fed on full-sun foliage in autumn compared to their counterparts that fed on shaded or full-sun foliage in winter suggest that full-sun foliage during autumn is also a suitable food source for larvae of the moth. In sum, our study demonstrates that seasonal and light-modulated changes in leaf characteristics can affect insect folivore performance in ways that are not linear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osariyekemwen O. Uyi
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
- * E-mail:
| | - Costas Zachariades
- ARC–Plant Protection Research Institute, Cedara, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Lelethu U. Heshula
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- Centre for Biological Control, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Martin P. Hill
- Centre for Biological Control, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Moreno ML, Rossetti MR, Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Valladares GR. Edge and herbivory effects on leaf litter decomposability in a subtropical dry forest. Ecol Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-017-1441-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Łukowski A, Giertych MJ, Walczak U, Baraniak E, Karolewski P. Light conditions affect the performance of Yponomeuta evonymellus on its native host Prunus padus and the alien Prunus serotina. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2017; 107:208-216. [PMID: 27628311 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485316000791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The bird cherry ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymellus L., is considered an obligatory monophagous insect pest that feeds only on native European Prunus padus L. In recent years, however, increased larval feeding on alien P. serotina Ehrh. has been observed. In both species, general defoliation is extensive for shade grown trees, whereas it is high in P. padus, but very low in P. serotina, when trees are grown in full light conditions. The aim of the present study was to identify how the plant host species and light conditions affect the performance of Y. evonymellus. The influence of host species and light condition on their growth and development, characterized by the parameters of pupation, adult eclosion, body mass, potential fecundity, and wing size, was measured in a 2 × 2 experimental design (two light treatments, two hosts). In comparison with high light (HL) conditions, a greater percentage of pupation and a longer period and less dynamic adult emerge was observed under low light (LL) conditions. The effect of host species on these parameters was not significant. In contrast, mass, fecundity and all of the studied wing parameters were higher in larvae that grazed on P. padus than on P. serotina. Similarly the same parameters were also higher on shrubs in HL as compared with those grown under LL conditions. In general, light conditions, rather than plant species, were more often and to a greater extent, responsible for differences in the observed parameters of insect development and potential fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Łukowski
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences,Parkowa 5,62-035 Kórnik,Poland
| | - M J Giertych
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences,Parkowa 5,62-035 Kórnik,Poland
| | - U Walczak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology,Adam Mickiewicz University,Umultowska 89,61-614 Poznań,Poland
| | - E Baraniak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology,Adam Mickiewicz University,Umultowska 89,61-614 Poznań,Poland
| | - P Karolewski
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences,Parkowa 5,62-035 Kórnik,Poland
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Adams MO, Fiedler K. Low Herbivory among Targeted Reforestation Sites in the Andean Highlands of Southern Ecuador. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151277. [PMID: 26963395 PMCID: PMC4786223 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect herbivory constitutes an important constraint in the viability and management of targeted reforestation sites. Focusing on young experimental stands at about 2000 m elevation in southern Ecuador, we examined foliar damage over one season as a function of tree species and habitat. Native tree species (Successional hardwood: Cedrela montana and Tabebuia chrysantha; fast-growing pioneer: Heliocarpus americanus) have been planted among prevailing local landcover types (abandoned pasture, secondary shrub vegetation, and a Pinus patula plantation) in 2003/4. Plantation trees were compared to conspecifics in the spontaneous undergrowth of adjacent undisturbed rainforest matched for height and foliar volume. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that H. americanus as a pioneer species suffers more herbivory compared to the two successional tree species, and that damage is inversely related to habitat complexity. Overall leaf damage caused by folivorous insects (excluding leafcutter ants) was low. Average leaf loss was highest among T. chrysantha (7.50% ± 0.19 SE of leaf area), followed by H. americanus (4.67% ± 0.18 SE) and C. montana (3.18% ± 0.15 SE). Contrary to expectations, leaf area loss was highest among trees in closed-canopy natural rainforest, followed by pine plantation, pasture, and secondary shrub sites. Harvesting activity of leafcutter ants (Acromyrmex sp.) was strongly biased towards T. chrysantha growing in open habitat (mean pasture: 2.5%; shrub: 10.5%) where it could result in considerable damage (> 90.0%). Insect folivory is unlikely to pose a barrier for reforestation in the tropical Andean mountain forest zone at present, but leafcutter ants may become problematic if local temperatures increase in the wake of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Oliver Adams
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Division of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Konrad Fiedler
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Division of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Hahn PG, Orrock JL. Spatial arrangement of canopy structure and land-use history alter the effect that herbivores have on plant growth. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00036.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Ghebremariam TT, Krüger K, Reinhardt CF, Robbertse PJ. Abiotically-induced plant morphological changes and host-range expansion in quarantine evaluations of candidate weed biocontrol agents: the case study Conchyloctenia hybrida (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2014; 43:1286-1294. [PMID: 25259692 DOI: 10.1603/en14007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Plant morphological changes mediated by growth conditions are linked to changes in host preference of herbivores. Understanding how these morphological changes influence herbivore feeding is critical in the interpretation of results of host evaluation of candidate weed biocontrol agents in quarantine and improvement of the evaluation system. We determined the effect of plant growth conditions on leaf trichomes and host choice of Conchyloctenia hybrida Boheman, an insect adapted to the removal of trichomes before feeding. The study included four Solanum species: Solanum lichtensteinii Willdenow (natural host of C. hybrida), Solanum mauritianum Scopoli, Solanum melongena L., and Solanum tuberosum L.. Plants were grown in either full sun, shade, a glasshouse, or in a growth-chamber. Plants grown in full sun had a higher leaf trichome density than those in shade or controlled environments. S. mauritianum had the highest trichome density and thickness of trichome layer. In a multiple-choice test using excised leaves, feeding by C. hybrida was higher on Solanum plants grown in the controlled environment as compared with full sun. Trichome removal from leaf surfaces of plants grown in full sun, using adhesive tape, was effective for S. lichtensteinii, S. mauritianum, and S. melongena, but not S. tuberosum. Leaf consumption by C. hybrida increased significantly where manual trichome removal using adhesive tape was effective. Structurally, leaves of S. tuberosum have simple trichomes with basal cells sunken into the mesophyll tissue. When using forceps to remove trichomes of S. tuberosum, mesophyll and vascular tissue remained attached to the trichomes. Generally, the type, density, and mat-thickness of leaf trichomes determined feeding by C. hybrida, but varied with plant species and growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsedal T Ghebremariam
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
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Season and light affect constitutive defenses of understory shrub species against folivorous insects. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Stoepler TM, Lill JT. Direct and indirect effects of light environment generate ecological trade-offs in herbivore performance and parasitism. Ecology 2013; 94:2299-310. [DOI: 10.1890/12-2068.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Sarfraz RM, Kharouba HM, Myers JH. Tent caterpillars are robust to variation in leaf phenology and quality in two thermal environments. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2013; 103:522-529. [PMID: 23464617 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485312000892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The synchrony between emergence of spring-active, insect herbivores and the budburst of their host plants could be affected by warming temperatures with influences on the availability and quality of foliage as it undergoes physical and chemical changes. This can affect the growth and survival of insects. Here, we used sun-exposed and shaded trees to determine whether the synchrony between egg hatch of western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale Dyar (Lepidoptera:Lasiocampidae) and budburst of its host red alder, Alnus rubra Bongard (Betulaceae)changes with different thermal environments (temperature and light together). To explore the potential outcome of a shift in phenological synchrony, we used laboratory assays of larval growth and survival to determine the effect of variation in young, youthful and mature leaves from sun-exposed and shaded trees. While the average higher temperature of sun-exposed trees advanced the timing of budburst and egg hatch, synchrony was not disrupted. Leaf quality had no significant influence on growth or survival in the laboratory for early instars reared as family groups. Later instar larvae, however, performed best on mature leaves from sun-exposed trees. The robust relationship between leaf and larval development of western tent caterpillars suggests that warming climates may not have a strong negative impact on their success through shifts in phenological synchrony, but might influence other aspects of leaf quality and larval condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana M Sarfraz
- Department of Zoology, and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
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Soper Gorden NL, Adler LS. Abiotic conditions affect floral antagonists and mutualists of Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:679-689. [PMID: 23482480 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY While the effect of abiotic factors on leaf herbivory is well known, the relative importance of abiotic conditions influencing both mutualists and antagonists is less well understood. Species interactions could enhance or reduce the direct effects of abiotic factors, depending on how mutualists and antagonists respond to abiotic conditions. METHODS We manipulated soil nutrients and shade in a factorial design and measured soil moisture in the annual Impatiens capensis. We then measured interactions with mutualists (two pollinating species) and antagonists (herbivores, florivores, nectar thieves, and flower bud gallers), as well as plant growth, floral rewards, and plant reproduction. KEY RESULTS Fertilizer increased plant growth, floral attractiveness, mutualist and antagonist interactions, and plant reproduction. Shade had no effects, and soil moisture was negatively associated with plant growth and reproduction. All effects were additive. Mutualist and antagonist floral interactions both increased on fertilized plants, but antagonists increased at a greater rate, leading to a larger ratio of antagonist to mutualist interactions on fertilized plants. Despite having more antagonists, fertilized plants still had significantly higher reproduction, suggesting higher tolerance to antagonists. CONCLUSIONS Abiotic effects can have consistent effects on antagonists and mutualists, and on both floral and leaf antagonists. However, tolerance to antagonisms increased in favorable conditions. Thus, the direct positive effects of favorable abiotic conditions on plants outweighed negative indirect effects via increased antagonisms, which may lead to selection to grow in high-nutrient microsites in spite of increased herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Soper Gorden
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
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Mooney EH, Niesenbaum RA. Population-specific responses to light influence herbivory in the understory shrubLindera benzoin. Ecology 2012; 93:2683-92. [PMID: 23431598 DOI: 10.1890/11-1620.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E H Mooney
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 375 Church Street, North Adams, Massachusetts 01247, USA.
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Stoepler TM, Rehill B. Forest habitat, not leaf phenotype, predicts late-season folivory ofQuercus albasaplings. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02033.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa M. Stoepler
- Department of Biological Sciences; The George Washington University; 2023 G St. NW, Suite 340; Washington; DC; 20052; USA
| | - Brian Rehill
- Department of Chemistry; United States Naval Academy; 572M Holloway Road; Annapolis; MD; 21402; USA
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Salgado-Luarte C, Gianoli E. Herbivores modify selection on plant functional traits in a temperate rainforest understory. Am Nat 2012; 180:E42-53. [PMID: 22766937 DOI: 10.1086/666612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
There is limited evidence regarding the adaptive value of plant functional traits in contrasting light environments. It has been suggested that changes in these traits in response to light availability can increase herbivore susceptibility. We tested the adaptive value of plant functional traits linked with carbon gain in contrasting light environments and also evaluated whether herbivores can modify selection on these traits in each light environment. In a temperate rainforest, we examined phenotypic selection on functional traits in seedlings of the pioneer tree Aristotelia chilensis growing in sun (canopy gap) and shade (forest understory) and subjected to either natural herbivory or herbivore exclusion. We found differential selection on functional traits depending on light environment. In sun, there was positive directional selection on photosynthetic rate and relative growth rate (RGR), indicating that selection favors competitive ability in a high-resource environment. Seedlings with high specific leaf area (SLA) and intermediate RGR were selected in shade, suggesting that light capture and conservative resource use are favored in the understory. Herbivores reduced the strength of positive directional selection acting on SLA in shade. We provide the first demonstration that natural herbivory rates can change the strength of selection on plant ecophysiological traits, that is, attributes whose main function is resource uptake. Research addressing the evolution of shade tolerance should incorporate the selective role of herbivores.
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Attenuation of the jasmonate burst, plant defensive traits, and resistance to specialist monarch caterpillars on shaded common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:893-901. [PMID: 22661306 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0145-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Revised: 05/03/2012] [Accepted: 05/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant responses to herbivory and light competition are often in opposing directions, posing a potential conflict for plants experiencing both stresses. For sun-adapted species, growing in shade typically makes plants more constitutively susceptible to herbivores via reduced structural and chemical resistance traits. Nonetheless, the impact of light environment on induced resistance has been less well-studied, especially in field experiments that link physiological mechanisms to ecological outcomes. Accordingly, we studied induced resistance of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca, a sun-adapted plant), and linked hormonal responses, resistance traits, and performance of specialist monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) in varying light environments. In natural populations, plants growing under forest-edge shade showed reduced levels of resistance traits (lower leaf toughness, cardenolides, and trichomes) and enhanced light-capture traits (higher specific leaf area, larger leaves, and lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) compared to paired plants in full sun. In a field experiment repeated over two years, only milkweeds growing in full sun exhibited induced resistance to monarchs, whereas plants growing in shade were constitutively more susceptible and did not induce resistance. In a more controlled field experiment, plant hormones were higher in the sun (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, indole acidic acid) and were induced by herbivory (jasmonic acid and abscisic acid). In particular, the jasmonate burst following herbivory was halved in plants raised in shaded habitats, and this correspondingly reduced latex induction (but not cardenolide induction). Thus, we provide a mechanistic basis for the attenuation of induced plant resistance in low resource environments. Additionally, there appears to be specificity in these interactions, with light-mediated impacts on jasmonate-induction being stronger for latex exudation than cardenolides.
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Diaz R, Aguirre C, Wheeler GS, Lapointe SL, Rosskopf E, Overholt WA. Differential performance of tropical soda apple and its biological control agent Gratiana boliviana (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in open and shaded habitats. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 40:1437-1447. [PMID: 22217759 DOI: 10.1603/en11203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The leaf feeding beetle Gratiana boliviana Spaeth has been released since 2003 in the southeastern United States for biological control of tropical soda apple, Solanum viarum Dunal. In Florida, G. boliviana can be found on tropical soda apple growing in open pastures as well as in shady wooded areas. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of light intensity on the performance of tropical soda apple and G. boliviana under greenhouse conditions, and to determine the abundance and mortality of G. boliviana in open and shaded habitats. Leaves growing in the shade were less tough, had higher water and nitrogen content, lower soluble sugars, and less dense and smaller glandular trichomes compared with leaves growing in the open. Plants grew slightly taller and wider under shaded conditions but total biomass was significantly reduced compared with plants grown in the open. In the greenhouse, G. boliviana had higher immature survival, greater folivory, larger adult size, and higher fecundity when reared on shaded plants compared with open plants. Sampling of field populations revealed that the overall abundance of G. boliviana was lower but leaf feeding damage was higher in shaded habitats compared with the open habitats. The percentage of eggs surviving to adult was greater in shaded compared with open habitats. The abundance of predators was higher in the open pasture and was positively correlated with the abundance of G. boliviana. These results indicate that not only plant quality but also habitat structure are important to the performance of weed biological control agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Diaz
- Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory, University of Florida, 2199 South Rock Rd., Ft. Pierce, FL 34945, USA.
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Light environment and the impacts of foliage quality on herbivorous insect attack and bird predation. Oecologia 2010; 166:401-9. [PMID: 21104277 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1840-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2010] [Accepted: 10/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Theory predicts that variation in plant traits will modify both the direct interactions between plants and herbivores and the indirect impacts of predators of those herbivores. Light has strong effects on leaf quality, so the impacts of herbivores and predators may differ between plants grown in sun and shade. However, past experiments have often been unable to separate the effects of light environment on plant traits and herbivory from direct effects on herbivores and predators. We first manipulated light availability in an open habitat using a shade cloth pre-treatment to produce oak saplings with different leaf qualities. Leaves on plants exposed to high light were thicker and tougher and had lower nitrogen and water contents, and higher carbon and phenolic contents than leaves on plants under a shade cloth. Then, in the main experiment, we moved all plants to a common shade environment where bird predators were excluded in a factorial design. We measured insect herbivore abundance and leaf damage. Herbivores were significantly more abundant and caused greater leaf damage on sun trees, although these leaf characteristics are usually associated with low-quality food. Bird exclusion did not change herbivore abundance but did increase leaf damage. Contrary to our predictions, the effects of birds did not differ between trees grown in sun and shade conditions. Thus, differences in effects of predators on herbivores and plants between light habitats, when observed, might be due to variation in predator abundance and not bottom-up effects of host plant quality.
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Salgado-Luarte C, Gianoli E. Herbivory on temperate rainforest seedlings in sun and shade: resistance, tolerance and habitat distribution. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11460. [PMID: 20628638 PMCID: PMC2898795 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential herbivory and/or differential plant resistance or tolerance in sun and shade environments may influence plant distribution along the light gradient. Embothrium coccineum is one of the few light-demanding tree species in the temperate rainforest of southern South America, and seedlings are frequently attacked by insects and snails. Herbivory may contribute to the exclusion of E. coccineum from the shade if 1) herbivory pressure is greater in the shade, which in turn can result from shade plants being less resistant or from habitat preferences of herbivores, and/or 2) consequences of damage are more detrimental in the shade, i.e., shade plants are less tolerant. We tested this in a field study with naturally established seedlings in treefall gaps (sun) and forest understory (shade) in a temperate rainforest of southern Chile. Seedlings growing in the sun sustained nearly 40% more herbivore damage and displayed half of the specific leaf area than those growing in the shade. A palatability test showed that a generalist snail consumed ten times more leaf area when fed on shade leaves compared to sun leaves, i.e., plant resistance was greater in sun-grown seedlings. Herbivore abundance (total biomass) was two-fold greater in treefall gaps compared to the forest understory. Undamaged seedlings survived better and showed a slightly higher growth rate in the sun. Whereas simulated herbivory in the shade decreased seedling survival and growth by 34% and 19%, respectively, damaged and undamaged seedlings showed similar survival and growth in the sun. Leaf tissue lost to herbivores in the shade appears to be too expensive to replace under the limiting light conditions of forest understory. Following evaluations of herbivore abundance and plant resistance and tolerance in contrasting light environments, we have shown how herbivory on a light-demanding tree species may contribute to its exclusion from shade sites. Thus, in the shaded forest understory, where the seedlings of some tree species are close to their physiological tolerance limit, herbivory could play an important role in plant establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ernesto Gianoli
- Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
- Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Environmental context determines within- and potential between-generation consequences of herbivory. Oecologia 2010; 163:911-20. [PMID: 20407792 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1634-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2009] [Accepted: 04/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Plant tolerance to herbivory may depend on local environmental conditions. Models predict both increased and decreased tolerance with increasing resources. Transgenerational effects of herbivory may result in cross-generation tolerance. We evaluated within- and potential between-generation consequences of deer browsing in light-gap and understory habitats in the forest-edge herb, Campanulastrum americanum. Plants were assigned to deer-browsed, simulated-herbivory, and control (undamaged) treatments in the two light environments. In light gaps, plants were eaten earlier, more frequently, and had less vegetative recovery relative to uneaten plants than in the understory. As a result, browsed light-gap plants had a greater reduction in flowers and fruit than understory plants. This reduced tolerance was in part because deer browsing damaged plants in light gaps more than those in the understory. However, in the simulated herbivory treatment, where damage levels were similar between light habitats, plants growing in high-resource light gaps also had reduced tolerance of herbivory relative to those in the forest understory. C. americanum's reproductive phenology was delayed by reduced light and the loss of the apical meristem. As a result, deer-browsed plants in the light gap flowered slightly later than uneaten plants in the understory. C. americanum has a polymorphic life history and maternal flowering time influences the frequency of annual and biennial offspring. The later flowering of deer-browsed plants in light gaps will likely result in a reduced frequency of high-fitness annual offspring and an increase in lower fitness biennial offspring. Therefore, additional between-generation costs of herbivory are expected relative to those predicted by fruit number alone.
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Mooney E, Edwards M, Niesenbaum R. Genetic differentiation between sun and shade habitats in populations of
Lindera benzoin
L. POPUL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-010-0197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Mooney
- Department of BiologyMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts375 Church St01247North AdamsMAUSA
| | - Marten Edwards
- Biology DepartmentMuhlenberg College2400W. Chew St18104AllentownPAUSA
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Mooney EH, Tiedeken EJ, Muth NZ, Niesenbaum RA. Differential induced response to generalist and specialist herbivores byLindera benzoin(Lauraceae) in sun and shade. OIKOS 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17228.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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