1
|
González‐Ramírez I, López‐Gómez V, Cano‐Santana Z, Romero Pérez A, Hernández Cumplido J. Host-plant sex and phenology of Buddleja cordata Kunth interact to influence arthropod communities. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11555. [PMID: 38895571 PMCID: PMC11183185 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in plants is expected to have profound impacts on the arthropod communities associated with them. Because sexual dimorphism in plants is expected to provide consistent variation among individuals of the same species, researchers have often studied the effect it has on associated arthropods. Nevertheless, most studies have focused on the effect of sexual dimorphism in a single or a few herbivores, thus overlooking the potential effects on the whole arthropod community. Our main objective was to evaluate effects of Buddleja cordata's plant-sex on its associated arthropod community. We surveyed 13 pairs of male and female plants every 2 months during a year (June 2010 to April 2011). Every sampling date, we measured plant traits (water content and leaf thickness), herbivory, and the arthropod community. We did not find differences in herbivory between plant sex or through time. However, we found differences in water content through time, with leaf water-content matching the environmental seasonality. For arthropod richness, we found 68 morphospecies associated with female and 72 with male plants, from which 53 were shared by both sexes. We did not observe differences in morphospecies richness; however, we found sex-associated differences in the diversity of all species and differences on the diversity of the most abundant species with an interesting temporal component. During peak flowering season, male plants showed higher values on both parameters, but during the peak fructification season female plants showed the higher values on both diversity parameters. Our research exemplifies the interaction between plant-phenology and plant-sex as drivers of arthropod communities' diversity, even when plant sexual-dimorphism is inconspicuous, and highlighting the importance of accounting for seasonal variation. We stress the need of conducting more studies that test this time-dependent framework in other dioecious systems, as it has the potential to reconcile previous contrasting observations reported in the literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I. González‐Ramírez
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - V. López‐Gómez
- Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio ClimáticoCoordinación General de Contaminación y Salud AmbientalCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | - Z. Cano‐Santana
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | - A. Romero Pérez
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | - J. Hernández Cumplido
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMexico
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Andrade JF, Calixto ES, Demetrio GR, Venâncio H, Meiado MV, de Santana DG, Cuevas-Reyes P, de Almeida WR, Santos JC. Tolerance Mitigates Gall Effects When Susceptible Plants Fail to Elicit Induced Defense. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1472. [PMID: 38891281 PMCID: PMC11174803 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Variations in plant genotypes and phenotypes are expressed in ways that lead to the development of defensive abilities against herbivory. Induced defenses are mechanisms that affect herbivore insect preferences and performance. We evaluated the performance of resistant and susceptible phenotypes of Bauhinia brevipes (Fabaceae) against attacks by the gall-inducing insect Schizomyia macrocapillata (Diptera). We hypothesized that there is a positive relationship between resistance to S. macrocapillata and host plant performance because resistance can have a high adaptive value. We evaluated plant architecture, nutritional leaf quality, leaf fluctuating asymmetry, and reproductive capacity between phenotypes. Plant performance was evaluated at three ontogenetic stages: seed, seedling, and juvenile. Overall, there were no differences in vegetative and reproductive performance or asymmetry between the resistant and susceptible mature plants. We found no relationship between leaf nutritional quality and resistance to S. macrocapillata. Plant performance was consistent across ontogeny for both phenotypes, except for five variables. Contrary to our expectations, the susceptible plants performed equally well or better than the resistant plants, suggesting that tolerance and overcompensation to herbivory in B. brevipes may be mediated by induced defense. Our study highlights the importance of multiple layers of plant defense against herbivory, where plant tolerance acts as a secondary barrier in plants susceptible to gall-inducing insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janete Ferreira Andrade
- Department of Systematics and Ecology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Paraíba, Brazil;
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Entomology and Nematology Department, West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Jay, FL 32565, USA;
| | - Guilherme Ramos Demetrio
- Laboratory of Plant Ecology, U. E. Penedo, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Penedo 57200-000, Alagoas, Brazil;
| | - Henrique Venâncio
- Graduate Program in Entomology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Literature, and Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, São Paulo, Brazil;
| | - Marcos Vinicius Meiado
- Laboratory of Seed Physiology, Biosciences Department, Federal University of Sergipe, Itabaiana 49107-230, Sergipe, Brazil;
| | - Denise Garcia de Santana
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
| | - Pablo Cuevas-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Interacciones Bióticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, Morelia 58004, Michoacán, Mexico;
| | - Wanessa Rejane de Almeida
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49107-230, Sergipe, Brazil;
| | - Jean Carlos Santos
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49107-230, Sergipe, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kozlov MV, Zverev V, Sandner TM, van Nieukerken EJ, Zvereva EL. Poleward increase in feeding efficiency of leafminer Stigmella lapponica (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae) in a latitudinal gradient crossing a boreal forest zone. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:857-866. [PMID: 36269128 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Damage to plant communities imposed by insect herbivores generally decreases from low to high latitudes. This decrease is routinely attributed to declines in herbivore abundance and/or diversity, whereas latitudinal changes in per capita food consumption remain virtually unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the lifetime food consumption by a herbivore individual decreases from low to high latitudes due to a temperature-driven decrease in metabolic expenses. From 2016 to 2019, we explored latitudinal changes in multiple characteristics of linear (gallery) mines made by larvae of the pygmy moth, Stigmella lapponica, in leaves of downy birch, Betula pubescens. The mined leaves were larger than intact leaves at the southern end of our latitudinal gradient (at 60°N) but smaller than intact leaves at its northern end (at 69°N), suggesting that female oviposition preference changes with latitude. No latitudinal changes were observed in larval size, mine length or area, and in per capita food consumption, but the larval feeding efficiency (quantified as the ratio between larval size and mine size) increased with latitude. Consequently, S. lapponica larvae consumed less foliar biomass at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes to reach the same size. Based on space-for-time substitution, we suggest that climate warming will increase metabolic expenses of insect herbivores with uncertain consequences for plant-herbivore interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tobias M Sandner
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang S, Zhou D. Associations between leaf developmental stability, variability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity in
Abutilon theophrasti. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8845. [PMID: 35449585 PMCID: PMC9013853 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shu Wang
- College of Forestry Forest Ecology Research Center Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - Dao‐Wei Zhou
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Castro WACD, Luz RC, Peres CK. Seasonality and forest edge as drivers of Tradescantia zebrina Hort. ex Bosse invasion in the Atlantic Forest. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 82:e238403. [PMID: 33825758 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.238403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of biodiversity and ecosystem service losses associated with biological invasions, there has been growing interest in basic and applied research on invasive species aiming to improve management strategies. Tradescantia zebrina is a herbaceous species increasingly reported as invasive in the understory of disturbed forest ecosystems. In this study, we assess the effect of spatial and seasonal variation on biological attributes of this species in the Atlantic Forest. To this end, we measured attributes of T. zebrina associated with plant growth and stress in the four seasons at the forest edge and in the forest interior of invaded sites in the Iguaçu National Park, Southern Brazil. The invasive plant had higher growth at the forest edge than in the forest interior and lower leaf asymmetry and herbivory in the winter than in the summer. Our findings suggest that the forest edge environment favours the growth of T. zebrina. This invasive species is highly competitive in the understory of semi-deciduous seasonal forests all over the year. Our study contributes to the management of T. zebrina by showing that the summer is the best season for controlling this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W A Chiba de Castro
- Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana - UNILA, Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | - R C Luz
- Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana - UNILA, Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| | - C K Peres
- Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana - UNILA, Instituto Latino-Americano de Ciências da Vida e da Natureza, Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Variation in Leaf Size and Fluctuating Asymmetry of Mountain Birch (Betula pubescens var. pumila) in Space and Time: Implications for Global Change Research. Symmetry (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/sym12101703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental, latitudinal, and historical approaches have been used to explore and/or predict the effects of global change on biota, and each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. The weaknesses of these individual approaches can, potentially, be avoided by applying them simultaneously, but this is rarely done in global change research. Here, we explored the temporal and spatial variations in the leaf size and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of mountain birch (Betula pubescens var. pumila) in the Murmansk region of Russia, with the aim of verifying the predictions derived from the responses of these traits to experimental manipulations of abiotic drivers of global change. The examination of herbarium specimens revealed that leaf length increased during the 20th century, whereas the FA in the number of leaf teeth decreased, presumably reflecting an increase in the carbon and nitrogen availability to plants in that century. Along a northward latitudinal gradient, leaf length decreased whereas FA increased, presumably due to the poleward decreases in air temperature. The study site, collection year, and latitude explained a larger part of the leaf length variation in mountain birch relative to the variation in FA. Leaf length is likely a better indicator than FA in studies addressing global environmental change impacts on plant performance.
Collapse
|
7
|
Sandner TM. Inbreeding and competition, but not abiotic stresses, increase fluctuating asymmetry of Mimulus guttatus flowers. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Genetic and environmental disturbances are expected to increase developmental instability, which may result in higher fluctuating asymmetry (FA), i.e. small random deviations from symmetry. Plant leaves often do not show this pattern, possibly due to high phenotypic plasticity of leaf shape and low adaptive significance of leaf symmetry. In contrast, symmetry in many animal traits but also in flower shape is considered to be under selection, and FA in such traits may better reflect developmental instability. Using geometric morphometrics, I analysed the symmetry of flowers of inbred and outbred Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae) plants grown under five stress treatments with and without grass competition. Flower FA was not increased by abiotic stress, but by inbreeding and competition. As inbreeding and competition affected different principal components of flower FA, different mechanisms may be involved in their effects on FA. FA decreased with individual biomass particularly in selfed offspring, which suggests that inbreeding increased FA particularly when growth was limited by environmental or genetic constraints. Increased flower FA of inbred offspring may explain increased flower handling time and reduced pollinator preference for inbred plants in other M. guttatus studies, and could thus have important consequences for plant demography and plant–pollinator interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias M Sandner
- Plant Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
González-Esquivel JG, Cuevas-Reyes P, González-Rodríguez A, Ávila-Cabadilla LD, Álvarez-Añorve MY, Fagundes M, Maldonado-López Y. Functional attributes of two Croton species in different successional stages of tropical dry forest: effects on herbivory and fluctuating asymmetry patterns. Trop Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s42965-019-00027-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
9
|
Photosynthetic Efficiency is Higher in Asymmetric Leaves than in Symmetric Leaves of the Same Plant. Symmetry (Basel) 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/sym11060834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Symmetry pervades nature, but asymmetry is also rather common. Deviations from genetically programmed symmetry are usually associated with internal or external developmental disturbances and may therefore be related to imperfections in physiological processes. In this study, we test the hypotheses that the photosynthetic efficiency of individual leaves of a plant is negatively related to their asymmetry. We measured chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves of three woody species (Betula pubescens, Populus tremula and Salix caprea) in early and late summer in two localities situated ca. 1000 km apart, and we quantified the asymmetry of these leaves by a multivariate measure based on the relative positions of several landmarks. Contrary to our expectation, we found that the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II was positively correlated with leaf fluctuating asymmetry; this effect was weak but consistent across the studied plant species, localities and seasons. Our finding adds to limited evidence that within-plant variation in leaf asymmetry is associated with variation in leaf physiology. Irrespective of the underlying mechanisms, which remain unknown, the results suggest that trees may benefit even more from their asymmetric leaves, at least in terms of photosynthesis, than they do from their more symmetric leaves.
Collapse
|
10
|
Mendes G, Boaventura MG, Cornelissen T. Fluctuating Asymmetry as a Bioindicator of Environmental Stress Caused by Pollution in a Pioneer Plant Species. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:1479-1484. [PMID: 30256920 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is a widely used tool to detect developmental instability and plants under stressful conditions are expected to exhibit increased values of asymmetry, as well as higher levels of herbivory. This study evaluated whether dust from roads can cause major deviations in the axis of symmetry of leaves of the pioneer plant species Cecropia pachystachya Trécul (Urticaceae). It was also investigated whether plants exposed to dust have greater nitrogen content and higher levels of herbivory levels. Ten leaves of 20 individuals of C. pachystachya were collected on two roads with different levels of dust deposition and a control area. FA was calculated as the size-scaled difference between the right (RW) and left (LW) leaf widths and leaf area removed was determined by the ratio between leaf area removed and total leaf area. C. pachystachya plants in areas under strong influence of dust pollution exhibited the highest FA values (0.279 cm), whereas plants in the control area exhibited the lowest. A positive relationship between levels of leaf area removed by insects and a gradient of dust pollution was also observed. Differences in foliar nitrogen concentration among sampling areas indicated differences in leaf quality and influenced herbivory levels of Cecropia. This study indicated that FA can be used as an indicator of developmental instability of plants and those individuals under the impact of road dust and pollution might be more susceptible to insect attack.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Mendes
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Management of Wildlife (ECMVS) Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais- UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maria Gabriela Boaventura
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei - UFSJ, LEVIN, São João Del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Cornelissen
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei - UFSJ, LEVIN, São João Del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sousa-Souto L, Bocchiglieri A, Dias DDM, Ferreira AS, Filho JPDL. Changes in leaf chlorophyll content associated with flowering and its role in the diversity of phytophagous insects in a tree species from a semiarid Caatinga. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5059. [PMID: 30042875 PMCID: PMC6055590 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytophagous insects choose their feeding resources according to their own requirements, but their feeding preferences in the semiarid Caatinga have rarely been studied. Flowering trees leads to a greater diversity of flower visitors and their predators in the host plant, but little is known about why the diversity of phytophagous insects not associated with flowers is also increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diversity of sap-sucking, wood-boring and leaf-chewing insects associated with leaf chlorophyll content in flowering and non-flowering plants of Poincianella pyramidalis, an endemic tree of Caatinga. We used a leaf chlorophyll index (LCI) as a surrogate for resource quality, and an entomological umbrella to collect phytophagous insects. We show that trees which bloomed demonstrated higher chlorophyll content, greater abundance and a significant difference in the composition of phytophagous insect species when compared to non-flowering trees (p < 0.05). The results suggest that not only the presence of flowers themselves, but also the higher nutritional quality of leaf tissue, can explain the differences in species diversity and abundance of phytophagous insects. Exceptional flowering trees in the Caatinga area studied may thus act as spots of high quality resources, favouring changes in the diversity of insects in this environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Sousa-Souto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Adriana Bocchiglieri
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Douglas de M Dias
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - José P de L Filho
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Local Insect Damage Reduces Fluctuating Asymmetry in Next-year's Leaves of Downy Birch. INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9020056. [PMID: 29751675 PMCID: PMC6023539 DOI: 10.3390/insects9020056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Insect herbivory imposes stress on host plants. This stress may cause an increase in leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA), which is defined as the magnitude of the random deviations from a symmetrical leaf shape. We tested the hypothesis that differences in leaf FA among individual shoots of downy birch, Betula pubescens, are at least partly explained by local damage caused by insects in the previous year. Unexpectedly, we found that in the year following the damage imposed by miners, leafrollers and defoliators, damaged birch shoots produced leaves with lower FAs compared to shoots from the same tree that had not been damaged by insects. This effect was consistent among the different groups of insects investigated, but intra-species comparisons showed that statistical significance was reached only in shoots that had been damaged by the birch leaf roller, Deporaus betulae. The detected decrease in leaf FA in the year following the damage agrees with the increases in shoot performance and in antiherbivore defence. The present results indicate that within-plant variation in leaf FA may have its origin in previous-year damage by insects, and that FA may influence the current-year’s distribution of herbivory.
Collapse
|
13
|
Tucić B, Budečević S, Manitašević Jovanović S, Vuleta A, Klingenberg CP. Phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental heterogeneity contributes to fluctuating asymmetry in plants: first empirical evidence. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:197-210. [PMID: 29134739 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is widely used to quantify developmental instability (DI) in ecological and evolutionary studies. It has long been recognized that FA may not exclusively originate from DI for sessile organisms such as plants, because phenotypic plasticity in response to heterogeneities in the environment might also produce FA. This study provides the first empirical evidence for this hypothesis. We reasoned that solar irradiance, which is greater on the southern side than on the northern side of plants growing in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, would cause systematic morphological differences and asymmetry associated with the orientation of plant parts. We used geometric morphometrics to characterize the size and shape of flower parts in Iris pumila grown in a common garden. The size of floral organs was not significantly affected by orientation. Shape and particularly its asymmetric component differed significantly according to orientation for three different floral parts. Orientation accounted for 10.4% of the total shape asymmetry within flowers in the falls, for 11.4% in the standards and for 2.2% in the style branches. This indicates that phenotypic plasticity in response to a directed environmental factor, most likely solar irradiance, contributes to FA of flowers under natural conditions. That FA partly results from phenotypic plasticity and not just from DI needs to be considered by studies of FA in plants and other sessile organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Branka Tucić
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sanja Budečević
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sanja Manitašević Jovanović
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Vuleta
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Santos JC, de Araujo NAV, Venâncio H, Andrade JF, Alves-Silva E, Almeida WR, Carmo-Oliveira R. How detrimental are seed galls to their hosts? Plant performance, germination, developmental instability and tolerance to herbivory in Inga laurina, a leguminous tree. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:962-972. [PMID: 27543962 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Gall inducers use these structures as shelters and sources of nutrition. Consequently, they cause multiple physiological changes in host plants. We studied the impact caused by seed coat galls of a braconid wasp on the performance of fruits, seeds and seedlings of tree Inga laurina. We tested whether these seed galls are 'nutrient sinks' with respect to the fruit/seed of host plant, and so constrain the reproductive ability and reduce seedling longevity. We measured the influence of such galls on the secondary compounds, fruit and seed parameters, seed viability and germination and seedling performance. Inga laurina has indehiscent legumes with polyembryonic seeds surrounded by a fleshy sarcotesta rich in sugars. The galls formed inside the seed coat and galled tissues presented higher phenol concentrations, around 7-fold that of ungalled tissues. Galls caused a significant reduction in parameters such as fruit and seed size, seed weight and the number of embryos. Fluctuating asymmetry (a stress indicator) was 31% higher in leaves of galled seed plants in comparison to ungalled seed plants. However, the negative effects on fruit and seed parameters were not sufficient to reduce seed germination (except the synchronization index) or seedling performance (except leaf area and chlorophyll content). We attributed these results to the ability of I. laurina to tolerate gall attack on seeds without a marked influence on seedling performance. Moreover, because of the intensity of seed galling on host plant, we suggest that polyembryony may play a role in I. laurina reproduction increasing tolerance to seed damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J C Santos
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - N A V de Araujo
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - H Venâncio
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - J F Andrade
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - E Alves-Silva
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - W R Almeida
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - R Carmo-Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia (InBio), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Leckey EH, Smith DM, Nufio CR, Fornash KF. Oak-insect herbivore interactions along a temperature and precipitation gradient. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
16
|
The effect of fluctuating asymmetry and leaf nutrients on gall abundance and survivorship. Basic Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
17
|
Alves-Silva E, Del-Claro K. Effect of post-fire resprouting on leaf fluctuating asymmetry, extrafloral nectar quality, and ant-plant-herbivore interactions. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:525-32. [PMID: 23625518 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1048-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Fires in the Cerrado savanna are a severe form of disturbance, but some species are capable of resprouting afterwards. It is unknown, however, how and whether post-fire resprouting represents a stressful condition to plants and how their rapid re-growth influences both the production of biochemical compounds, and interactions with mutualistic ants. In this study, we examined the influence of post-fire resprouting on biotic interactions (ant-plant-herbivore relationships) and on plant stress. The study was performed on two groups of the extrafloral nectaried shrub Banisteriopsis campestris (Malpighiaceae); one group was recovering from fire while the other acted as control. With respect to biotic interactions, we examined whether resprouting influenced extrafloral nectar concentration (milligrams per microliter), the abundance of the ant Camponotus crassus and leaf herbivory rates. Plant stress was assessed via fluctuating asymmetry (FA) analysis, which refers to deviations from perfect symmetry in bilaterally symmetrical traits (e.g., leaves) and indicates whether species are under stress. Results revealed that FA, sugar concentration, and ant abundance were 51.7 %, 35.7 % and 21.7 % higher in resprouting plants. Furthermore, C. crassus was significantly associated with low herbivory rates, but only in resprouting plants. This study showed that post-fire resprouting induced high levels of plant stress and influenced extrafloral nectar quality and ant-herbivore relationships in B. campestris. Therefore, despite being a stressful condition to the plant, post-fire resprouting individuals had concentrated extrafloral nectar and sustained more ants, thus strengthening the outcomes of ant-plant mutualism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Estevão Alves-Silva
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Ceará Str. 2D building, Umuarama Campus, Zip-code 38400-902, P.O. box 593, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kokornaczyk MO, Dinelli G, Betti L. Approximate bilateral symmetry in evaporation-induced polycrystalline structures from droplets of wheat grain leakages and fluctuating asymmetry as quality indicator. Naturwissenschaften 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-012-0999-9] [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]
|
19
|
Ishino MN, De Sibio PR, Rossi MN. Edge effect and phenology in Erythroxylum tortuosum (Erythroxylaceae), a typical plant of the Brazilian Cerrado. BRAZ J BIOL 2012; 72:587-94. [DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842012000300023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The edge of a forest fragment can be considered a zone of transition between the interior of the fragment and the surrounding habitat matrix. Plants along the edge are more exposed to disturbance and microclimate variation than interior plants, resulting in the so-called edge effect. In this study, we compared leaf area, fluctuating asymmetry and chemical (water, nitrogen and tannins) leaf traits between Erythroxylum tortuosum plants inhabiting the edge with those growing in the interior of a cerrado fragment in Brazil. We also describe the temporal variation in the vegetative and reproductive phenological events of E. tortuosum plants throughout the season. Nitrogen, leaf area and fluctuating asymmetry did not differ between the two plant groups. Young leaves of the edge plants had significantly higher levels of tannins and lower levels of water than those of interior plants. We suggest that differences in leaf chemical concentrations between edge and interior plants may occur due to factors such as light intensity, wind, temperature and leaf age rather than plant stress. With respect to plant phenology, most reproductive events occurred during the spring. Leaf buds and young leaves prevailed during the rainy season. In the dry season, however, the vegetative events decreased due to leaf senescence followed by leaf abscission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - MN. Rossi
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Cuevas-Reyes P, Fernandes GW, González-Rodríguez A, Pimenta M. Effects of generalist and specialist parasitic plants (Loranthaceae) on the fluctuating asymmetry patterns of ruprestrian host plants. Basic Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2011.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
21
|
Contrasting herbivory patterns and leaf fluctuating asymmetry inHeliocarpus pallidusbetween different habitat types within a Mexican tropical dry forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646741100006x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is considered an important indicator of environmentally induced stress in plants, but the relationship between herbivory and FA levels is not clear. In this study we compared leaf size and shape, leaf area consumed by herbivorous insects, and FA levels between individuals ofHeliocarpus pallidus(Tiliaceae) from two adjacent and contrasting habitat types (deciduous and riparian) in the Chamela–Cuixmala tropical dry-forest biosphere reserve. Ten individuals ofH. palliduswere collected in each habitat type. Leaf shape was assessed using geometric morphometric techniques. Results indicated statistically significant differences in leaf shape between individuals from the two habitat types. In individuals from the riparian habitat leaf area (mean = 42.3 ± 1.2 cm2), herbivory levels (mean = 25.5% ± 1.8%) and FA levels (mean = 0.38 ± 0.04 cm) were significantly higher than in individuals from the deciduous habitat (17.2 ± 3.5 cm2; 9.6% ± 1.0% and 0.18 ± 0.04 cm, respectively). Within habitats, significant correlations were found between total leaf area and percentage leaf area removed by insects (R2= 0.92 in riparian habitats,R2= 0.9 in deciduous habitats), and between percentage leaf area removed and FA (R2= 0.70 in riparian habitats,R2= 0.79 in deciduous habitats). As has been suggested for other plant species, it is possible that the more favourable conditions in the riparian habitat enhance leaf growth, resulting in higher FA. Also, individuals in this habitat might be characterized by lower chemical defence and/or higher nutritional quality, which would explain the higher herbivory levels.
Collapse
|
22
|
ISHINO MARCOSN, DE SIBIO PAULAR, ROSSI MARCELON. Leaf trait variation on Erythroxylum tortuosum (Erythroxylaceae) and its relationship with oviposition preference and stress by a host-specific leaf miner. AUSTRAL ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02139.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
23
|
Telhado C, Esteves D, Cornelissen T, Fernandes GW, Carneiro MAA. Insect herbivores of Coccoloba cereifera do not select asymmetric plants. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2010; 39:849-855. [PMID: 20550798 DOI: 10.1603/en09179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents small, random variations from the symmetric bilateral pattern, and it is a frequently used measurement of plant and animal stresses. Some studies have shown a relationship between FA and herbivory, suggesting that FA might be a reliable indicator of plant quality and plant susceptibility to herbivore attack. In this study, we investigated the relationship between leaf FA of Coccoloba cereifera Schwacke (Polygonaceae) and the pattern of attack by the scale insect Abgrallaspis cyanophylly Signoret (Hemiptera: Diaspididae). Thirty individuals of C. cereifera were marked and followed during 2007 in southeastern Brazil, and all leaves of three shoots per plant were sampled, numbered, and categorized as young, mature, or senescent. We measured right and left widths of all leaves after digitizing the images to determine levels of FA for each leaf sampled per plant. Individuals of A. cyanophylli were counted using a stereoscope in the laboratory to determine infestation levels. Leaves of C. cereifera exhibited true patterns of FA, as shown by the normal distribution of asymmetry values. We observed high variation in attack rates by A. cyanophylly among C. cereifera individuals, with 43.3% of plants with no insects, whereas others exhibited up to 23,000 insects. No statistically significant relationship was observed between variation in FA and variation in A. cyanophylli among plants. These results suggest that FA cannot be used as an indicator of plant quality and susceptibility to herbivore attack but suggest that herbivores themselves might act as plant stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Telhado
- Ecologia Evolutiva and Biodiversidade/DBG, ICB/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lecerf A, Chauvet E. Intraspecific variability in leaf traits strongly affects alder leaf decomposition in a stream. Basic Appl Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2007.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
25
|
Needle asymmetry, pine vigour and pine selection by the processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2007.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
26
|
Cornelissen T, Stiling P. Responses of different herbivore guilds to nutrient addition and natural enemy exclusion. ECOSCIENCE 2006. [DOI: 10.2980/1195-6860(2006)13[66:rodhgt]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
27
|
Abstract
Ecological developmental genetics is the study of how ecologically significant traits originate in the genome and how the allelic combinations responsible are maintained in populations and species. Plant development involves a continuous feedback between growth and environment and the success of individual genotype x environment interactions determines the passage of alleles to the next generation: the adaptive recursion. Outbreeding plants contain a large amount of genetic variation, mostly in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). One of the challenges of eco-devo is to distinguish neutral SNPs from those with ecological consequences. The complete genome sequence of Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray will be a significant aid in this endeavour. Occurring from California to Alaska, this is the first ecologically 'keystone' species to be sequenced. It has a rich natural history and is an obligate outbreeder. The individual sequenced, Nisqually-1, appears to be heterozygous on average about every 100 bp over the c. 500 million bp of the genome. Overlaid on this within-individual variation is some ecologically based between-individual genotypic variation evident across the distribution of the species. The synthesis of information from genomics and ecology is now in prospect. This 'ecomolecular synthesis' is likely to provide a rich insight into the genomic basis of plant adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Q C B Cronk
- Botanical Garden and Center for Plant Research, University of British Columbia, 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
| |
Collapse
|