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Igarashi S, Yoshida S, Kenzo T, Sakai S, Nagamasu H, Hyodo F, Tayasu I, Mohamad M, Ichie T. No evidence of carbon storage usage for seed production in 18 dipterocarp masting species in a tropical rain forest. Oecologia 2024; 204:717-726. [PMID: 38483587 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05527-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Most canopy species in lowland tropical rain forests in Southeast Asia, represented by Dipterocarpaceae, undergo mast reproduction synchronously at community level during a general flowering event. Such events occur at irregular intervals of 2-10 years. Some species do not necessarily participate in every synchronous mast reproduction, however. This may be due to a lack of carbohydrate resources in the trees for masting. We tested the hypothesis that interspecific differences in the time required to store assimilates in trees for seed production are due to the frequency of masting and/or seed size in each species. We examined the relationship between reproductive frequency and the carbon accumulation period necessary for seed production, and between the seed size and the period, using radiocarbon analysis in 18 dipterocarp canopy species. The mean carbon accumulation period was 0.84 years before seed maturation in all species studied. The carbon accumulation period did not have any significant correlation with reproductive frequency or seed size, both of which varied widely across the species studied. Our results show that for seed production, dipterocarp masting species do not use carbon assimilates stored for a period between the masting years, but instead use recent photosynthates produced primarily in a masting year, regardless of the masting interval or seed size of each species. These findings suggest that storage of carbohydrate resources is not a limiting factor in the masting of dipterocarps, and that accumulation and allocation of other resources is important as a precondition for participation in general flowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Igarashi
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, 783‑8502, Japan.
| | - Shohei Yoshida
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, 783‑8502, Japan
| | - Tanaka Kenzo
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, 305-8686, Japan
| | - Shoko Sakai
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, 15 Baptist University Rd, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan
| | | | - Fujio Hyodo
- Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Ichiro Tayasu
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan
| | - Mohizah Mohamad
- Forest Department Sarawak, 93050, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Tomoaki Ichie
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, 783‑8502, Japan
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Su GF, Chen J, Zhang L. The associational effects of host plant and mistletoe functional traits on leaf herbivory in mistletoe. Oecologia 2024; 204:213-225. [PMID: 38194086 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05508-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Associational effects are a phenomenon in which herbivore damage on co-occurring plant species is influenced by neighboring plants. Mistletoes are a group of shrubs that obtain nutrients from host plants through haustoria. Despite the potential for mistletoe herbivory to be affected by associational effects with their hosts, the effects of host and mistletoe functional traits on mistletoe herbivory have been largely overlooked. This study aimed to evaluate the associational effects of host plants and the direct effects of mistletoe functional traits on mistletoe herbivory. To achieve this, we measured leaf herbivory and leaf traits of three mistletoe species (Dendrophthoe pentandra, Scurrula chingii var. yunnanensis, and Helixanthera parasitica) and their associated 11 host species during both dry and wet seasons. Our results showed that leaf herbivory of D. pentandra and S. chingii var. yunnanensis differed significantly on their respective host species, but H. parasitica did not. The relationships between mistletoe and the paired host herbivory differed between seasons, with a stronger positive relationship observed during the dry season. Furthermore, significant relationships were observed between paired leaf carbon, leaf nitrogen, and condensed tannin in mistletoes and their host plants, indicating that host plants can affect mistletoes' leaf functional traits. A group of mistletoe leaf traits provided significant predictions for leaf herbivory: leaves with higher leaf thickness and leaf total nitrogen showed higher herbivory. Overall, our study reveals that mistletoe leaf herbivory is directly affected by its leaf traits and indirectly affected by host associational effects, primarily through changes in mistletoes' leaf traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Fa Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
- School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 65000, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China.
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Vogado N, Laurance SG, Liddell MJ, Engert JE, Wurster CM, Schiffer M, Thompson A, Nichols C, Cernusak LA. Assessing the effects of a drought experiment on the reproductive phenology and ecophysiology of a wet tropical rainforest community. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad064. [PMID: 37732160 PMCID: PMC10509008 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and occurrence of drought in tropical regions, potentially affecting the phenology and physiology of tree species. Phenological activity may respond to a drying and warming environment by advancing reproductive timing and/or diminishing the production of flowers and fruits. These changes have the potential to disrupt important ecological processes, with potentially wide-ranging effects on tropical forest function. Here, we analysed the monthly flowering and fruiting phenology of a tree community (337 individuals from 30 species) over 7 years in a lowland tropical rainforest in northeastern Australia and its response to a throughfall exclusion drought experiment (TFE) that was carried out from 2016 to 2018 (3 years), excluding approximately 30% of rainfall. We further examined the ecophysiological effects of the TFE on the elemental (C:N) and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) composition of leaves, and on the stable isotope composition (δ13C and δ18O) of stem wood of four tree species. At the community level, there was no detectable effect of the TFE on flowering activity overall, but there was a significant effect recorded on fruiting and varying responses from the selected species. The reproductive phenology and physiology of the four species examined in detail were largely resistant to impacts of the TFE treatment. One canopy species in the TFE significantly increased in fruiting and flowering activity, whereas one understory species decreased significantly in both. There was a significant interaction between the TFE treatment and season on leaf C:N for two species. Stable isotope responses were also variable among species, indicating species-specific responses to the TFE. Thus, we did not observe consistent patterns in physiological and phenological changes in the tree community within the 3 years of TFE treatment examined in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nara Vogado
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
| | - Susan G Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
| | - Michael J Liddell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
| | - Jayden E Engert
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
| | - Christopher M Wurster
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
| | - Michele Schiffer
- Daintree Research Observatory, James Cook University, Cape Tribulation, 4873, Australia
| | - Andrew Thompson
- Daintree Research Observatory, James Cook University, Cape Tribulation, 4873, Australia
| | | | - Lucas A Cernusak
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd Smithfield, Cairns, 4870, Australia
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Wenda C, Nakamura A, Ashton LA. Season and herbivore defence trait mediate tri-trophic interactions in tropical rainforest. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:466-476. [PMID: 36479696 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bottom-up effects from host plants and top-down effects from predators on herbivore abundance and distribution vary with physical environment, plant chemistry, predator and herbivore trait and diversity. Tri-trophic interactions in tropical ecosystems may follow different patterns from temperate ecosystems due to differences in above abiotic and biotic conditions. We sampled leaf-chewing larvae of Lepidoptera (caterpillars) from a dominant host tree species in a seasonal rainforest in Southwest China. We reared out parasitoids and grouped herbivores based on their diet preferences, feeding habits and defence mechanisms. We compared caterpillar abundance with leaf numbers ('bottom-up' effects) and parasitoid abundance ('top-down' effects) between different seasons and herbivore traits. We found bottom-up effects were stronger than top-down effects. Both bottom-up and top-down effects were stronger in the dry season than in the wet season, which were driven by polyphagous rare species and host plant phenology. Contrary to our predictions, herbivore traits did not influence differences in the bottom-up or top-down effects except for stronger top-down effects for shelter-builders. Our study shows season is the main predictor of the bottom-up and top-down effects in the tropics and highlights the complexity of these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wenda
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biological Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Akihiro Nakamura
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
| | - Louise A Ashton
- Ecology and Biodiversity Area, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Coelho da Silva D, Guimarães ZTM, Ferreira Dos Santos VAH, Grandis A, Palacios CE, Ferreira MJ. Herbivory and leaf traits of Amazonian tree species as affected by irradiance. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:229-240. [PMID: 33012123 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13191] [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: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory is one of the major biotic stress factors that affect the establishment of plants. However, the main factors that drive herbivory in seedlings of Amazonian tree species are still not well understood. Here we investigated whether contrasting levels of irradiance influence herbivory according to different herbivory indicators and which leaf traits are most related to interspecific variation in herbivory under contrasting irradiance conditions. We measured the leaf area lost as a result of insect herbivory in five tree species planted in a silvicultural system of secondary forest enrichment according to two indicators, herbivore damage (accumulated since plant germination) and herbivory rate (measured over time), and two irradiance conditions, understorey PPFD 2.6 mol·m-2 ·day-1 ) and gap PPFD 33.1 mol·m-2 ·day-1 . Furthermore, we related the interspecific variation in herbivory to a set of leaf traits: SLA, RWC, sclerophylly, phenolic compound content, tannins, condensed tannins and non-structural carbohydrates. Herbivore damage was significantly affected by light availability and species, with the highest percentage variation observed in the Meliaceae (Carapa guianensis and Swietenia macrophylla). For the herbivory rate, only the interspecific variation was significant, with Bertholletia excelsa having the lowest rates. Chemical characteristics (phenolic compounds and tannins) were most related to herbivory rates, as well as highly influenced by light conditions. Non-structural carbohydrates (starch and sucrose) were also related to the interspecific variation in herbivory. The phenolic compounds and starch, as affected by light quantity, are species dependent. Thus, the selective pressure on herbivores may be driven by species-dependent responses to light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Coelho da Silva
- Department of Forest Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Z T M Guimarães
- Coordination of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute of Amazon Researches, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - V A H Ferreira Dos Santos
- Coordination of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute of Amazon Researches, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - A Grandis
- Department of Botany, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C E Palacios
- Department of Botany, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M J Ferreira
- Department of Forest Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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Kenzo T, Yoneda R, Azani MA. Artificial shade shelters mitigate harsh microclimate conditions and enhance growth in tropical tree seedlings planted in degraded land. TROPICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3759/tropics.ms20-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Reiji Yoneda
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
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