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Lockwood DR, Cassell JA, Smith JC, Houpt TA. Patterns of ingestion of rats during chronic oral administration of lithium chloride. Physiol Behav 2024; 275:114454. [PMID: 38161042 PMCID: PMC10878199 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114454] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Chronic lithium administration to rodents is used to explore the potential neural mechanisms of mood stabilization, as well as to model the side effects of chronic lithium on multiple organ systems. Oral administration of lithium in the maintenance diet or drinking water is convenient, but lithium can acutely affect intake and it can mediate acquisition of conditioned taste aversions (CTA). We compared ad libitum food and fluid intake by male rats with LiCl or NaCl solutions as their sole source of fluid across 20 days, with a commonly used dosage of LiCl (24 mM: 1 g / L LiCl). To quantify the pattern of intake, rats were housed in cages equipped with lickometers to detect licks and infrared photobeams to detect food access with 6-s resolution. To determine if rats formed a CTA to LiCl, they were subsequently tested with access to NaCl. Rats showed an immediate avoidance of the LiCl solution, as seen on the first day of access by an increased latency to initiate drinking and a decreased size of drinking bouts. Rats showed a differential response to LiCl vs. NaCl after as few as 5 licks. Chronic consumption of LiCl solution led to significantly decreased food and fluid intake compared to baseline, with concomitant weight loss. The decreased intake was realized by marked changes in the pattern of drinking and feeding bouts: a decrease in per-lick volume and a decrease in licks per drinking bout, and an increase in feeding bout duration resulting in an overall decrease in eating rate. Conversely, chronic NaCl access led to an increase in drinking bout number and licks/bout. The avoidance of LiCl was likely a combination of toxic effects of ingested LiCl and rapid acquisition of a learned aversion to the taste of LiCl, as shown by an extinguishable generalized aversion to NaCl solution during subsequent NaCl test days. The marked effect of chronic oral LiCl on ingestion may impact the oral dosing of lithium as well as the rat's metabolic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denesa R Lockwood
- Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States
| | - Jennifer A Cassell
- Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States
| | - James C Smith
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States
| | - Thomas A Houpt
- Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States.
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Orlando CG, Banks PB, Latty T, McArthur C. To eat, or not to eat: a phantom decoy affects information-gathering behavior by a free-ranging mammalian herbivore. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:759-768. [PMID: 37744169 PMCID: PMC10516680 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
When foraging, making appropriate food choices is crucial to an animal's fitness. Classic foraging ecology theories assume animals choose food of greatest benefit based on their absolute value across multiple dimensions. Consequently, poorer options are considered irrelevant alternatives that should not influence decision-making among better options. But heuristic studies demonstrate that irrelevant alternatives (termed decoys) can influence the decisions of some animals, indicating they use a relative rather than absolute evaluation system. Our aim was to test whether a decoy influenced the decision-making process-that is, information-gathering and food choice-of a free-ranging mammalian herbivore. We tested swamp wallabies, Wallabia bicolor, comparing their behavior toward, and choice of, two available food options over time in the absence or presence of the decoy. We used a phantom decoy-unavailable option-and ran two trials in different locations and seasons. Binary preferences (decoy absent) for the two available food options differed between trials. Irrespective of this difference, across both trials the presence of the decoy resulted in animals more likely to overtly investigate available food options. But, the decoy only shifted food choice, weakly, in one trial. Our results indicate that the decoy influenced the information-gathering behavior during decision-making, providing the first evidence that decoys can affect decision-making process of free-ranging mammalian herbivores in an ecologically realistic context. It is premature to say these findings confirm the use of relative evaluation systems. Whether the foraging outcome is more strongly affected by other decoys, food dimensions, or ecological contexts, is yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Gabriel Orlando
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
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3
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Crowther MS, Rus AI, Mella VSA, Krockenberger MB, Lindsay J, Moore BD, McArthur C. Patch quality and habitat fragmentation shape the foraging patterns of a specialist folivore. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:1007-1017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Research on use of foraging patches has focused on why herbivores visit or quit patches, yet little is known about visits to patches over time. Food quality, as reflected by higher nutritional quality and lower plant defenses, and physical patch characteristics, which offer protection from predators and weather, affect patch use and hence should influence their revisitation. Due to the potentially high costs of moving between patches, fragmented habitats are predicted to complicate foraging decisions of many animals. We aimed to determine how food quality, shelter availability and habitat fragmentation influence tree reuse by a specialist folivore, the koala, in a fragmented agricultural landscape. We GPS-tracked 23 koalas in northern New South Wales, Australia and collated number of revisits, average residence time, and average time-to-return to each tree. We measured tree characteristics including food quality (foliar nitrogen and toxic formylated phloroglucinol compounds, FPCs concentrations), tree size, and tree connectedness. We also modeled the costs of locomotion between trees. Koalas re-visited isolated trees with high leaf nitrogen disproportionately often. They spent longer time in trees with high leaf nitrogen, and in large trees used for shelter. They took longer to return to trees with low leaf nitrogen. Tree connectivity reduced travel costs between patches, being either individual or groups of trees. FPC levels had no detectable effect on patch revisitation. We conclude that food quality and shelter drive koala tree re-visits. Scattered, isolated trees with nutrient-rich leaves are valuable resource patches for koalas despite movement costs to reach them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew S Crowther
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
| | - Adrian I Rus
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
| | - Valentina S A Mella
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
| | - Mark B Krockenberger
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
- The Westmead Institute for Medical Research , 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, New South Wales 2145 , Australia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infectious diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney , 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, New South Wales 2145 , Australia
| | - Jasmine Lindsay
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
| | - Ben D Moore
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University , Richmond, New South Wales 2753 , Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales 2006 , Australia
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4
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Landau S, Provenza F. Of browse, goats, and men: Contribution to the debate on animal traditions and cultures. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Mella VSA, Orr C, Hall L, Velasco S, Madani G. An insight into natural koala drinking behaviour. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina S. A. Mella
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Caitlin Orr
- Koala Clancy Foundation Port Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Lachlan Hall
- Independent Wildlife Ecologist Gerroa New South Wales Australia
| | - Sabrina Velasco
- Independent Wildlife Ecologist Flinders New South Wales Australia
| | - George Madani
- Independent Wildlife Ecologist Hill Top New South Wales Australia
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Boath JM, Dakhal S, Van TTH, Moore RJ, Dekiwadia C, Macreadie IG. Polyphasic Characterisation of Cedecea colo sp. nov., a New Enteric Bacterium Isolated from the Koala Hindgut. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E309. [PMID: 32102268 PMCID: PMC7074957 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cedecea genus is comprised of six rarely isolated species within the Enterobacteriaceae family. Representatives are Gram-negative motile bacilli, and are typically oxidase-negative, lipase-positive and resistant to colistin and cephalothin. In this study, a putative novel Cedecea species (designated strain ZA_0188T), isolated from the koala hindgut, was characterised using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Maximum average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) similarity scores well below thresholds of species demarcation were reported, at 81.1% and 97.9%, respectively. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis indicated strain ZA_0188T was most similar to but divergent from recognised Cedecea species. The isolate's genomic G+C content was determined as 53.0 mol%, >1% lower than previously reported in Cedecea. Phenotypically, strain ZA_0188T was distinct from recognised Cedecea species such as colistin- and cephalothin-sensitive, lipase-, sorbitol-, sucrose-, and Voges-Proskauer-negative, and melibiose-, arabinose-, arginine-, and rhamnose-positive. In preliminary experiments, strain ZA_0188T exhibited cellulase activity and high-level tolerance to eucalyptus oil compared to other enteric species surveyed. Collectively, these findings suggest that strain ZA_0188T represents a novel enteric species, for which the name Cedecea colo is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarryd M. Boath
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; (J.M.B.); (S.D.); (T.T.H.V.); (R.J.M.)
| | - Sudip Dakhal
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; (J.M.B.); (S.D.); (T.T.H.V.); (R.J.M.)
| | - Thi Thu Hao Van
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; (J.M.B.); (S.D.); (T.T.H.V.); (R.J.M.)
| | - Robert J. Moore
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; (J.M.B.); (S.D.); (T.T.H.V.); (R.J.M.)
| | - Chaitali Dekiwadia
- Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia;
| | - Ian G. Macreadie
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia; (J.M.B.); (S.D.); (T.T.H.V.); (R.J.M.)
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Marschner C, Krockenberger MB, Higgins DP, Mitchell C, Moore BD. Ingestion and Absorption of Eucalypt Monoterpenes in the Specialist Feeder, the Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). J Chem Ecol 2019; 45:798-807. [PMID: 31422515 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The koala is a specialist feeder with a diet consisting almost exclusively of potentially toxic eucalypt leaves. Monoterpenes, an abundant class of plant secondary metabolites in eucalypts, are highly lipophilic. Chronic absorption and systemic exposure can be anticipated for the koala, causing health effects in various ways when consumed in high amounts, but particularly causing alterations in immune function in this species. Therefore, careful leaf selection, efficient detoxification pathways, and other specialist adaptations are required to protect animals from acute intoxication. This is the first paper providing insight into the systemic exposure of koalas to these compounds. Profiles of six selected major monoterpenes were investigated in the ingesta of deceased koalas from four different regions of NSW and South-East Queensland. Concentrations of the same compounds were measured in lymphoid tissues of deceased koalas and in the blood of live koalas from other regions of NSW. Analytical methods included liquid extraction and solid-phase micro-extraction, followed by gas-chromatography/ mass-spectrometry. Concentrations in the ingesta of individual animals vary remarkably, though the average proportions of individual monoterpenes in the ingesta of animals from the four different regions are highly comparable. Blood concentrations of the selected monoterpenes also varied considerably. The highest blood concentrations were found for 1,8-cineole, up to 971 ng/ml. There was similarity between circulating monoterpene profiles and ingesta profiles. Based on the observed lack of similarity between blood and lymph tissue concentrations, individual monoterpenes either exhibit different affinities for lymphatic tissue compared to blood or their accumulation in blood and lymph tissue differs temporally. In general, blood monoterpene concentrations found in koalas were low compared to those reported in other marsupial eucalypt feeders, but significant concentrations of monoterpenes were detected in all samples analysed. This data on blood and lymphatic tissue monoterpene concentrations builds the fundamental groundwork for future research into the effects of dietary monoterpenes on various biological processes of specialist herbivores and into the significance of these animals' metabolic and behavioural strategies for coping with these compounds. We have shown that the systemic exposure of koalas to potentially anti-inflammatory eucalypt monoterpenes is continuous, and we provide data on physiological concentrations which will allow realistic future studies of the effects of monoterpenes on immune cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Marschner
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Mark B Krockenberger
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Damien P Higgins
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Ben D Moore
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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8
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dos Santos BM, Zibrandtsen JFS, Gunbilig D, Sørensen M, Cozzi F, Boughton BA, Heskes AM, Neilson EHJ. Quantification and Localization of Formylated Phloroglucinol Compounds (FPCs) in Eucalyptus Species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:186. [PMID: 30863416 PMCID: PMC6399404 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Eucalyptus genus is a hyper-diverse group of long-lived trees from the Myrtaceae family, consisting of more than 700 species. Eucalyptus are widely distributed across their native Australian landscape and are the most widely planted hardwood forest trees in the world. The ecological and economic success of Eucalyptus trees is due, in part, to their ability to produce a plethora of specialized metabolites, which moderate abiotic and biotic interactions. Formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) are an important class of specialized metabolites in the Myrtaceae family, particularly abundant in Eucalyptus. FPCs are mono- to tetra-formylated phloroglucinol based derivatives, often with an attached terpene moiety. These compounds provide chemical defense against herbivory and display various bioactivities of pharmaceutical relevance. Despite their ecological and economic importance, and continued improvements into analytical techniques, FPCs have proved challenging to study. Here we present a simple and reliable method for FPCs extraction, identification and quantification by UHPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The method was applied to leaf, flower bud, and flower samples of nine different eucalypt species, using a small amount of plant material. Authentic analytical standards were used to provide high resolution mass spectra and fragmentation patterns. A robust method provides opportunities for future investigations into the identification and quantification of FPCs in complex biological samples with high confidence. Furthermore, we present for the first time the tissue-based localization of FPCs in stem, leaf, and flower bud of Eucalyptus species measured by mass spectrometry imaging, providing important information for biosynthetic pathway discovery studies and for understanding the role of those compounds in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Marques dos Santos
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Juliane F. S. Zibrandtsen
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Disan Gunbilig
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Sørensen
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Federico Cozzi
- Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Berin A. Boughton
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Allison Maree Heskes
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biology ‘bioSYNergy’, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth Heather Jakobsen Neilson
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VILLUM Center for Plant Plasticity, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biology ‘bioSYNergy’, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth Heather Jakobsen Neilson
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9
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Marples NM, Speed MP, Thomas RJ. An individual-based profitability spectrum for understanding interactions between predators and their prey. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Marples
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Eire
| | - Michael P Speed
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, UK
| | - Robert J Thomas
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK
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10
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Mkhize NR, Heitkӧnig IMA, Scogings PF, Hattas D, Dziba LE, Prins HHT, de Boer WF. Seasonal regulation of condensed tannin consumption by free-ranging goats in a semi-arid savanna. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189626. [PMID: 29293513 PMCID: PMC5749680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although condensed tannins (CTs) are known to reduce forage intake by mammalian herbivores in controlled experiments, few studies have tested these effects in the field. Thus the role of CTs on foraging ecology of free-ranging herbivores is inadequately understood. To investigate the effects of CTs under natural savanna conditions, we pre-dosed groups of goats with polyethylene glycol (PEG, a CT-neutralising chemical), CT powder or water before observing their foraging behaviour. While accounting for the effects of season and time of the day, we tested the hypothesis that herbivores forage in ways that reduce the intake rate (g DM per minute) of CTs. We expected pre-dosing goats with CTs to reduce CT intake rates by (1) consuming diets low in CTs, (2) reducing bite rates, (3) increasing the number of foraging bouts, or (4) reducing the length of foraging bouts. Lastly, (5) expected CT to have no influence the number of dietary forage species. In both wet and dry seasons, pre-dosing goats with CTs resulted in lower CT consumption rates compared to PEG goats which seemed relieved from the stress associated with CT consumption. During dry season, the number of dietary forage species was similar across treatments, although goats that were dosed with PEG significantly increased this number in the wet season. Dosing goats with PEG increased the number and length of browsing bouts compared to goats from the other treatments. Pre-loading goats with PEG also tended to increase bite rates on browse forages, which contributed to increased consumption rates of CTs. Based on the behavioural adjustments made by goats in this study and within the constraints imposed by chemical complexity in savanna systems, we concluded that herbivores under natural conditions foraged in ways that minimised CTs consumption. More research should further elucidate the mechanism through which CTs regulated feeding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ntuthuko R. Mkhize
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Agricultural Research Council, Animal Production Institute, Hilton, South Africa
| | | | - Peter F. Scogings
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, Scottsville, South Africa
| | - Dawood Hattas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, H.W. Pearson building, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Luthando E. Dziba
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Natural Resources and the Environment, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Herbert H. T. Prins
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
| | - Willem F. de Boer
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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11
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Lollback GW, Castley JG, Mossaz AC, Hero JM. Fine-scale changes in spatial habitat use by a low-density koala population in an isolated periurban forest remnant. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/am16036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in south-east Queensland are in decline. Although various studies have looked at broad-scale tree preference and habitat quality, there has been little attempt to quantify fine-scale activity shifts from one year to the next or examination of activity at the mesoscale. This study quantified koala activity levels in a 909-ha forest patch at Karawatha Forest Park, in south Brisbane. The Spot Assessment Technique was used to quantify activity and tree selection on 33 long-term monitoring plots in 2009 and 2010. In total, 843 trees were searched and koala pellets were found underneath 34 and 47 trees in 2009 and 2010, respectively. A higher proportion of pellets was found underneath Eucalyptus tindaliae and E. fibrosa and there was weak selection for larger trees. A low occurrence of revisits and a minor shift in activity distribution from 2009 to 2010 indicate that the koala population exists at a low density. Rapid declines in koala populations are occurring in primary habitats. Hence, stable low-density koala populations are important for maintaining genetic diversity and connectivity in fragmented urban landscapes.
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Reckless HJ, Murray M, Crowther MS. A review of climatic change as a determinant of the viability of koala populations. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) occupies a broad range of eastern and southern Australia, extending over tropical coastal, semiarid inland and temperate regions. In many areas koala populations are under threat, in particular from the direct and indirect effects of ongoing habitat destruction due to increased urbanisation and other anthropogenic processes. Climate change presents additional threats to the integrity of koala habitats because many species of food and non-food trees have narrow climate envelopes and are unable to adapt to altered temperatures and rainfall. Climate extremes also produce physiological stresses in koalas that may increase the likelihood of outbreaks of chlamydiosis and other diseases. Climate change–related increases in the relative content of toxic chemicals in leaves are further stresses to the koala after ingestion. In addition, populations that originated from a small number of founder individuals are at potential risk due to their relatively low genetic diversity. Strategies that maintain residual habitat fragments and promote the construction of new refugia are now being formulated. Modelling of the impact of habitat metrics on koala distribution is providing important information that can be used in the rehabilitation of koala refugia. In future these models could be augmented with metrics that describe koala homeostasis to inform local conservation strategies. These considerations are also relevant for the maintenance of other taxa in the wider ecosystem that are also at risk from habitat destruction and climate change.
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13
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Hansen SC, Stolter C, Imholt C, Jacob J. Plant Secondary Metabolites as Rodent Repellents: a Systematic Review. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:970-983. [PMID: 27613544 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0760-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The vast number of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) produced by higher plants has generated many efforts to exploit their potential for pest control. We performed a systematic literature search to retrieve relevant publications, and we evaluated these according to PSM groups to derive information about the potential for developing plant-derived rodent repellents. We screened a total of 54 publications where different compounds or plants were tested regarding rodent behavior/metabolism. In the search for widely applicable products, we recommend multi-species systematic screening of PSMs, especially from the essential oil and terpenoid group, as laboratory experiments have uniformly shown the strongest effects across species. Other groups of compounds might be more suitable for the management of species-specific or sex-specific issues, as the effects of some compounds on particular rodent target species or sex might not be present in non-target species or in both sexes. Although plant metabolites have potential as a tool for ecologically-based rodent management, this review demonstrates inconsistent success across laboratory, enclosure, and field studies, which ultimately has lead to a small number of currently registered PSM-based rodent repellents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine C Hansen
- Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany. .,University Hamburg, Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Caroline Stolter
- University Hamburg, Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Imholt
- Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
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15
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16
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Moore BD, Wiggins NL, Marsh KJ, Dearing MD, Foley WJ. Translating physiological signals to changes in feeding behaviour in mammals and the future effects of global climate change. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/an14487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mammals cannot avoid ingesting secondary metabolites, often in significant amounts. Thus, their intake must be regulated to avoid intoxication. Three broad mechanisms have been described by which this can be achieved. These are conditioned aversions mediated by nausea, non-conditioned aversions and the recognition of limits to detoxification. Although there is some overlap between these, we know little about the way that mechanisms of toxin avoidance interact with regulation of nutrient intake and whether one has priority over the other. Nonetheless, regulation of meal length and inter-meal length allows the intake of some plant secondary metabolites to be matched with an animal’s capacity for detoxification and its nutritional requirements. Toxicity itself is not a fixed limitation and recent work suggests that ambient temperature can be a major determinant of the toxicity of plant secondary metabolites, largely through effects on liver function. These effects are likely to be of major importance in predicting the impact of global climate change on herbivores.
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17
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Stalenberg E, Wallis IR, Cunningham RB, Allen C, Foley WJ. Nutritional correlates of koala persistence in a low-density population. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113930. [PMID: 25470599 PMCID: PMC4254974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely postulated that nutritional factors drive bottom-up, resource-based patterns in herbivore ecology and distribution. There is, however, much controversy over the roles of different plant constituents and how these influence individual herbivores and herbivore populations. The density of koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations varies widely and many attribute population trends to variation in the nutritional quality of the eucalypt leaves of their diet, but there is little evidence to support this hypothesis. We used a nested design that involved sampling of trees at two spatial scales to investigate how leaf chemistry influences free-living koalas from a low-density population in south east New South Wales, Australia. Using koala faecal pellets as a proxy for koala visitation to trees, we found an interaction between toxins and nutrients in leaves at a small spatial scale, whereby koalas preferred trees with leaves of higher concentrations of available nitrogen but lower concentrations of sideroxylonals (secondary metabolites found exclusively in eucalypts) compared to neighbouring trees of the same species. We argue that taxonomic and phenotypic diversity is likely to be important when foraging in habitats of low nutritional quality in providing diet choice to tradeoff nutrients and toxins and minimise movement costs. Our findings suggest that immediate nutritional concerns are an important priority of folivores in low-quality habitats and imply that nutritional limitations play an important role in constraining folivore populations. We show that, with a careful experimental design, it is possible to make inferences about populations of herbivores that exist at extremely low densities and thus achieve a better understanding about how plant composition influences herbivore ecology and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Stalenberg
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ian R. Wallis
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ross B. Cunningham
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Chris Allen
- National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Far South Coast, New South Wales, Australia
| | - William J. Foley
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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18
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Dai X, Zhang YQ, Jiang LY, Yuan F, Wang AQ, Wei WH, Yang SM. Evaluation of the variations in secondary metabolite concentrations of leymus chinensis seedlings. Isr J Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/15659801.2014.986878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Limited information is available about how mammalian browsing activity influences the dynamic defense mechanisms of plants. Here, we aimed to clarify the response mechanism of a herbaceous plant (Chinese lyme grass, Leymus chinensis) to browsing by a mammalian herbivore (Brandt's vole, Lasiopodomy brandtii). We used high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry to investigate changes in the concentrations of 6-MBOA, total phenol and condensed tannin in Chinese lyme grass seedlings with respect to its ontogeny and different types of damage treatments. 6-MBOA concentrations were higher on day 7 and day 8 than on days 12 and 17 after seedling germination. The concentrations of total phenol and condensed tannin were higher on day 12 than on days 7 and 8 after seedling germination. Compared to the control, higher 6-MBOA concentrations were obtained in the salivation, gnawing and artificial cutting treatment groups. The response of 6-MBOA was delayed in the artificial cutting group compared to the salivation and gnawing groups. In contrast, the concentrations of total phenol and condensed tannin were higher in the artificial cutting and control groups compared to the salivation and gnawing groups. 6-MBOA concentration was negatively correlated with total phenol concentration. The results indicated that 6-MBOA concentration decreased with seedling ontogeny, and that it could be induced by Brandt's vole saliva. In conclusion, our study verified the hypothesis that the browsing by Brandt's vole induces the dynamic defenses of L. chinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Dai
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University
| | - Yan-Qi Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
| | - Lian-Yu Jiang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
| | - Fei Yuan
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
| | - Ai-Qin Wang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
| | - Wan-Hong Wei
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University
| | - Sheng-Mei Yang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University
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19
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Seasonal changes in the concentrations of plant secondary metabolites and their effects on food selection by Microtus oeconomus. Mamm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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20
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Feeding rates of a mammalian browser confirm the predictions of a 'foodscape' model of its habitat. Oecologia 2013; 174:873-82. [PMID: 24253506 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2808-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Adequate nutrition is a fundamental requirement for the maintenance and growth of populations, but complex interactions between nutrients and plant toxins make it difficult to link variation in plant quality to the ecology of wild herbivores. We asked whether a 'foodscape' model of habitat that uses near-infrared spectroscopy to describe the palatability of individual trees in the landscape, predicted the foraging decisions of a mammalian browser, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Specifically, we considered four behavioural decision points at which nutritional quality may influence an animal's decision. These were: which tree to enter, whether to feed from that tree, when to stop eating, and how long to remain in that tree. There were trends for koalas to feed in eucalypt trees that were more palatable than unvisited neighbouring conspecific trees, and than trees that they visited but did not eat. Koalas ate longer meals in more palatable trees, and stayed longer and spent more time feeding per visit to these trees. Using more traditional chemical analyses, we identified that an interaction between the concentrations of formylated phloroglucinol compounds (a group of plant secondary metabolites) and available N (an integrated measure of tannins, digestibility and N) influenced feeding. The study shows that foodscape models that combine spatial information with integrated measures of food quality are a powerful tool to predict the feeding behaviour of herbivores in a landscape.
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21
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Ryan MA, Whisson DA, Holland GJ, Arnould JPY. Activity patterns of free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) revealed by accelerometry. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80366. [PMID: 24224050 PMCID: PMC3817117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An understanding of koala activity patterns is important for measuring the behavioral response of this species to environmental change, but to date has been limited by the logistical challenges of traditional field methodologies. We addressed this knowledge gap by using tri-axial accelerometer data loggers attached to VHF radio collars to examine activity patterns of adult male and female koalas in a high-density population at Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia. Data were obtained from 27 adult koalas over two 7-d periods during the breeding season: 12 in the early-breeding season in November 2010, and 15 in the late-breeding season in January 2011. Multiple 15 minute observation blocks on each animal were used for validation of activity patterns determined from the accelerometer data loggers. Accelerometry was effective in distinguishing between inactive (sleeping, resting) and active (grooming, feeding and moving) behaviors. Koalas were more active during the early-breeding season with a higher index of movement (overall dynamic body acceleration [ODBA]) for both males and females. Koalas showed a distinct temporal pattern of behavior, with most activity occurring from mid-afternoon to early morning. Accelerometry has potential for examining fine-scale behavior of a wide range of arboreal and terrestrial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A. Ryan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Desley A. Whisson
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Greg J. Holland
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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22
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A pharm-ecological perspective of terrestrial and aquatic plant-herbivore interactions. J Chem Ecol 2013; 39:465-80. [PMID: 23483346 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-013-0267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We describe some recent themes in the nutritional and chemical ecology of herbivores and the importance of a broad pharmacological view of plant nutrients and chemical defenses that we integrate as "Pharm-ecology". The central role that dose, concentration, and response to plant components (nutrients and secondary metabolites) play in herbivore foraging behavior argues for broader application of approaches derived from pharmacology to both terrestrial and aquatic plant-herbivore systems. We describe how concepts of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are used to better understand the foraging phenotype of herbivores relative to nutrient and secondary metabolites in food. Implementing these concepts into the field remains a challenge, but new modeling approaches that emphasize tradeoffs and the properties of individual animals show promise. Throughout, we highlight similarities and differences between the historic and future applications of pharm-ecological concepts in understanding the ecology and evolution of terrestrial and aquatic interactions between herbivores and plants. We offer several pharm-ecology related questions and hypotheses that could strengthen our understanding of the nutritional and chemical factors that modulate foraging behavior of herbivores across terrestrial and aquatic systems.
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23
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Marsh KJ, Moore BD, Wallis IR, Foley WJ. Continuous monitoring of feeding by koalas highlights diurnal differences in tree preferences. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/wr13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
It is difficult to measure feeding rates for most wild nocturnal mammalian herbivores. Thus, although koalas are a popular species to study, we have a poor understanding of their activity patterns and feeding ecology. Researchers often assume that the trees that koalas occupy during the day indicate feeding preferences, but they may better reflect preferred resting sites.
Aims
We recorded the activities of koalas, with an emphasis on their feeding, particularly when they fed, the trees that they fed from, the number of meals they consumed and the variability in these measurements.
Methods
We continuously monitored eight koalas by audio- and radio-telemetry for 14 consecutive 24-h periods each. We followed two koalas at a time and recorded the trees they visited, when, where and how long they fed, and the size and nutritional composition of the trees in the landscape.
Key results
Individual koalas varied in how many trees they visited, how many meals they ate and how long they spent feeding during each 24-h period. They preferred Eucalyptus globulus trees during the day, but fed mainly at night, with a preference for E. viminalis. The trees that koalas visited during the day were larger than those that they visited at night.
Conclusions
The trees that koalas occupied during the day were poor indicators of their diet preferences, whereas the daily feeding activities of individual koalas varied widely.
Implications
Predicting a koala’s diet from the trees it occupies during the day is fraught with error. Although the trees that koalas rest in are important in the species ecology for reasons other than feeding, we should refrain from using them to predict an animal’s diet. Because feeding activity is difficult to measure, it is probably best done indirectly by analysing leaf-cuticle fragments or waxes in faeces. The substantial day-to-day variation in koala activities also indicates that behavioural and physiological studies of koalas require long monitoring periods – a week or longer.
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24
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Nersesian CL, Banks PB, McArthur C. Influences of Plant Toxins and Their Spatial Distribution on Foraging by the Common Brushtail Possum, a Generalist Mammalian Herbivore. J Chem Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0218-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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25
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McArthur C, Orlando P, Banks PB, Brown JS. The foraging tightrope between predation risk and plant toxins: a matter of concentration. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01930.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Hattas D, Hjältén J, Julkunen-Tiitto R, Scogings PF, Rooke T. Differential phenolic profiles in six African savanna woody species in relation to antiherbivore defense. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2011; 72:1796-1803. [PMID: 21621803 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 05/06/2011] [Accepted: 05/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Low molecular weight phenolics are suggested to have a role in mediating diet selection in mammalian herbivores. However, very little is known about low molecular weight phenolic profiles of African savanna woody species. We determined low molecular weight phenolic profiles of six woody species with different life history, morphological and functional traits. We investigated interspecific phytochemical variation between species and found that: (1) related Acacia species were chemically dissimilar; (2) similarity percentage analysis revealed that Acacia grandicornuta was most dissimilar from other species and that the evergreen and unpalatable Euclea divinorum had a qualitatively similar chemical profile to the deciduous and palatable Acacia exuvialis and Combretum apiculatum; (3) C. apiculatum had the highest chemical diversity; (4) relative to spineless plants, spinescent plants contained significantly less HPLC phenolics and condensed tannins; and (5) the major quantitative difference between the evergreen and unpalatable E. divinorum and other species was its high myricitrin concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawood Hattas
- Department of Botany, H.W. Pearson Building, University Avenue, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa.
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27
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Torregrossa AM, Azzara AV, Dearing MD. Differential regulation of plant secondary compounds by herbivorous rodents. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01896.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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28
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Moles AT, Wallis IR, Foley WJ, Warton DI, Stegen JC, Bisigato AJ, Cella-Pizarro L, Clark CJ, Cohen PS, Cornwell WK, Edwards W, Ejrnaes R, Gonzales-Ojeda T, Graae BJ, Hay G, Lumbwe FC, Magaña-Rodríguez B, Moore BD, Peri PL, Poulsen JR, Veldtman R, von Zeipel H, Andrew NR, Boulter SL, Borer ET, Campón FF, Coll M, Farji-Brener AG, De Gabriel J, Jurado E, Kyhn LA, Low B, Mulder CPH, Reardon-Smith K, Rodríguez-Velázquez J, Seabloom EW, Vesk PA, van Cauter A, Waldram MS, Zheng Z, Blendinger PG, Enquist BJ, Facelli JM, Knight T, Majer JD, Martínez-Ramos M, McQuillan P, Prior LD. Putting plant resistance traits on the map: a test of the idea that plants are better defended at lower latitudes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2011; 191:777-788. [PMID: 21539574 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03732.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
• It has long been believed that plant species from the tropics have higher levels of traits associated with resistance to herbivores than do species from higher latitudes. A meta-analysis recently showed that the published literature does not support this theory. However, the idea has never been tested using data gathered with consistent methods from a wide range of latitudes. • We quantified the relationship between latitude and a broad range of chemical and physical traits across 301 species from 75 sites world-wide. • Six putative resistance traits, including tannins, the concentration of lipids (an indicator of oils, waxes and resins), and leaf toughness were greater in high-latitude species. Six traits, including cyanide production and the presence of spines, were unrelated to latitude. Only ash content (an indicator of inorganic substances such as calcium oxalates and phytoliths) and the properties of species with delayed greening were higher in the tropics. • Our results do not support the hypothesis that tropical plants have higher levels of resistance traits than do plants from higher latitudes. If anything, plants have higher resistance toward the poles. The greater resistance traits of high-latitude species might be explained by the greater cost of losing a given amount of leaf tissue in low-productivity environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela T Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ian R Wallis
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - William J Foley
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - David I Warton
- School of Mathematics and Statistics and Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - James C Stegen
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Alejandro J Bisigato
- Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Blvd. Brown s/n, 9120 Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | | | - Connie J Clark
- Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA
| | - Philippe S Cohen
- Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
| | - William K Cornwell
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Will Edwards
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Australia
| | - Rasmus Ejrnaes
- National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus, 8420 Rønde, Denmark
| | - Therany Gonzales-Ojeda
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Jr. San Martín 451, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Bente J Graae
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Abisko Naturvetenskapliga Station, 98107 Abisko, Sweden
- Department of Biology, NTNU, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Gregory Hay
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Fainess C Lumbwe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| | - Benjamín Magaña-Rodríguez
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Ben D Moore
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Ecology Group, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Pablo L Peri
- INTA, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, 9400 Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - John R Poulsen
- Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA
| | - Ruan Veldtman
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa
| | - Hugo von Zeipel
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Nigel R Andrew
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Sarah L Boulter
- Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Florencia Fernández Campón
- Laboratorio de Entomología, CCT Mendoza-CONICET Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque Gral. San Martín, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Moshe Coll
- Department of Entomology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | - Jane De Gabriel
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Enrique Jurado
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, University of Nuevo Leon, Linares 67700, Mexico
| | - Line A Kyhn
- National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Bill Low
- Low Ecological Services, PO Box 3130, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia
| | - Christa P H Mulder
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Kathryn Reardon-Smith
- Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
| | - Jorge Rodríguez-Velázquez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia 58190, México
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Vesk
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia
| | - An van Cauter
- Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rhondebosch 7700, South Africa
| | - Matthew S Waldram
- Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X1, Rhondebosch 7700, South Africa
- Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Zheng Zheng
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Pedro G Blendinger
- CONICET and Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Yerba Buena 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Jose M Facelli
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Tiffany Knight
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, Box 1137, St Louis, MO 63105, USA
| | - Jonathan D Majer
- Curtin Institute for Biodiversity and Climate, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Miguel Martínez-Ramos
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia 58190, México
| | - Peter McQuillan
- School of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Lynda D Prior
- School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
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29
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Higgins AL, Bercovitch FB, Tobey JR, Andrus CH. Dietary specialization and Eucalyptus species preferences in Queensland koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). Zoo Biol 2011; 30:52-8. [PMID: 20186726 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Koalas specialize on Eucalyptus leaves, but also feed selectively. Food choice is not random, but depends on various factors that are not well understood, although most research has focused on the role of secondary plant compounds. We studied the feeding choices of four adult male koalas housed at the San Diego Zoo. All subjects had a choice of nine types of Eucalyptus leaves over the eight-week study. The most preferred species was E. camuldulensis, but individual males exhibited different feeding preferences. We conclude that food selectivity among koalas is probably due to multiple factors, rather than only a consequence of secondary plant chemicals. A combination of intrinsic factors, such as developmental trajectory and reproductive state, as well as extrinsic factors, such as leaf chemical fingerprint and moisture, probably interact to shape koala foraging preferences. Koalas forage almost exclusively on Eucalyptus species, but have evolved an adaptive flexibility, enabling them to exploit various Eucalyptus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis L Higgins
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California 92027, USA
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30
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Nersesian CL, Banks PB, McArthur C. Titrating the cost of plant toxins against predators: determining the tipping point for foraging herbivores. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:753-60. [PMID: 21366564 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01822.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Foraging herbivores must deal with plant characteristics that inhibit feeding and they must avoid being eaten. Principally, toxins limit food intake, while predation risk alters how long animals are prepared to harvest resources. Each of these factors strongly affects how herbivores use food patches, and both constraints can pose immediate proximate costs and long-term consequences to fitness. 2. Using a generalist mammalian herbivore, the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), our aim was to quantitatively compare the influence of plant toxin and predation risk on foraging decisions. 3. We performed a titration experiment by offering animals a choice between non-toxic food at a risky patch paired with food with one of five toxin concentrations at a safe patch. This allowed us to identify the tipping point, where the cost of toxin in the safe food patch was equivalent to the perceived predation risk in the alternative patch. 4. At low toxin concentration, animals ate more from the safe than the risky patch. As toxin concentration increased at the safe patch, intake shifted until animals ate mainly from the risky patch. This shift was associated with behavioural changes: animals spent more time and fed longer at the risky patch, while vigilance increased at both risky and safe patches. 5. Our results demonstrate that the variation in toxin concentration, which occurs intraspecifically among plants, can critically influence the relative cost of predation risk on foraging. We show that herbivores quantify, compare and balance these two different but proximate costs, altering their foraging patterns in the process. This has potential ecological and evolutionary implications for the production of plant defence compounds in relation to spatial variation in predation risk to herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn L Nersesian
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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Moore BD, Lawler IR, Wallis IR, Beale CM, Foley WJ. Palatability mapping: a koala's eye view of spatial variation in habitat quality. Ecology 2010; 91:3165-76. [PMID: 21141178 DOI: 10.1890/09-1714.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists trying to understand the value of habitat to animals must first describe the value of resources contained in the habitat to animals and, second, they must describe spatial variation in resource quality at a resolution relevant to individual animal foraging. We addressed these issues in a study of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a Eucalyptus woodland. We measured beneficial and deterrent chemical characteristics as well as the palatability of trees using a near-infrared spectroscopic model based on direct feeding experiments. Tree use by koalas was influenced by tree size and foliar quality but was also context-dependent: trees were more likely to be visited if they were surrounded by small, unpalatable trees or by large, palatable trees. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and several mapping approaches demonstrated that foliar quality is spatially structured in the woodland at a scale relevant to foraging decisions by koalas and that the spatial structure is an important component of habitat quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D Moore
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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Integrating the costs of plant toxins and predation risk in foraging decisions of a mammalian herbivore. Oecologia 2010; 164:349-56. [PMID: 20652597 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1717-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Accepted: 06/24/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Foraging herbivores must satisfy their nutrient requirements in a world of toxic plants while also avoiding predators. Plant toxins and perceived predation risk at food patches should both reduce patch residency time, but the relative strengths of these factors on feeding decisions has rarely been quantified. Using an arboreal generalist herbivore, the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula, we tested the effects on food intake of the plant toxin, cineole, and regurgitated pellets from one of its predators, the powerful owl Ninox strenua at the small spatial scale of the food patch. We used the giving-up density (GUD) framework, with animals harvesting food items (sultanas) in an inedible matrix (small pebbles). We ran two consecutive field experiments in a eucalypt woodland in eastern Australia, 1 month apart in the same location. In experiment 1, there was a significant interaction between cineole [at 17% of dry matter (DM)] and owl pellets. The GUD was lowest in the absence of both cineole and owl pellet, intermediate in the presence of owl pellet; and highest with cineole ± owl pellet. The effect of owl pellet diminished over time. In experiment 2, only cineole (at 10% DM) increased the GUD significantly. The difference in effect of owl pellet was probably due to both habituation and freshness of the cue. Our study demonstrates the importance of synthesising predator-prey and plant-herbivore ecology to better understand the complex set of constraints influencing foraging herbivores. The greater effect of toxin than fear on possums is likely to be due to its high, but ecologically relevant concentration. This highlights the need to explore the relative and net impacts of a range of concentrations of plant toxins and predation risks.
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Forbey JS, Foley WJ. PharmEcology: A pharmacological approach to understanding plant-herbivore interactions: an introduction to the symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2009; 49:267-73. [PMID: 21665819 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icp020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A central goal in understanding the ecology and evolution of animals is to identify factors that constrain or expand breadth of diet. Selection of diet in many animals is often constrained by chemical deterrents (i.e., secondary metabolites) in available food items. The integration of chemistry and ecology has led to a significant understanding of the chemical complexity of prey (e.g., animals, plants, and algae) and the resultant foraging behavior of consumers. However, most of the literature on chemical defenses of marine and terrestrial prey lacks a mechanistic understanding of how consumers tolerate, or avoid, chemically-defended foods. In order to understand ecological patterns of foraging and co-evolutionary relationships between prey and consumers, we must advance our understanding of the physiological mechanisms responsible for chemical interactions. Such mechanistic studies require the integration of the discipline of pharmacology with ecology, which we call "PharmEcology." Pharmacology provides the tools and insight to investigate the fate (what the body does to a chemical) and action (what a chemical does to the body) of chemicals in living organisms, whereas ecology provides the insight into the interactions between organisms (e.g., herbivores) and their environment (e.g., plants). Although, the general concepts of pharmacology were introduced to ecologists studying plant-herbivore interactions over 30 years ago, the empirical use of pharmacology to understand mechanisms of chemical interactions has remained limited. Moreover, many of the recent biochemical, molecular and technical advances in pharmacology have yet to be utilized by ecologists. The PharmEcology symposium held at a meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in January of 2009 was developed to define novel research directions at the interface of pharmacology and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Forbey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Dr, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
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Ellis WAH, Melzer A, Bercovitch FB. Spatiotemporal dynamics of habitat use by koalas: the checkerboard model. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0761-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Swihart RK, DeAngelis DL, Feng Z, Bryant JP. Troublesome toxins: time to re-think plant-herbivore interactions in vertebrate ecology. BMC Ecol 2009; 9:5. [PMID: 19239698 PMCID: PMC2654464 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-9-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2008] [Accepted: 02/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Earlier models of plant-herbivore interactions relied on forms of functional response that related rates of ingestion by herbivores to mechanical or physical attributes such as bite size and rate. These models fail to predict a growing number of findings that implicate chemical toxins as important determinants of plant-herbivore dynamics. Specifically, considerable evidence suggests that toxins set upper limits on food intake for many species of herbivorous vertebrates. Herbivores feeding on toxin-containing plants must avoid saturating their detoxification systems, which often occurs before ingestion rates are limited by mechanical handling of food items. In light of the importance of plant toxins, a new approach is needed to link herbivores to their food base. We discuss necessary features of such an approach, note recent advances in herbivore functional response models that incorporate effects of plant toxins, and mention predictions that are consistent with observations in natural systems. Future ecological studies will need to address explicitly the importance of plant toxins in shaping plant and herbivore communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Swihart
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Donald L DeAngelis
- US Geological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124, USA
| | - Zhilan Feng
- Department of Mathematics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Torregrossa AM, Dearing MD. Nutritional toxicology of mammals: regulated intake of plant secondary compounds. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01523.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Feng Z, Liu R, DeAngelis DL. Plant–herbivore interactions mediated by plant toxicity. Theor Popul Biol 2008; 73:449-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2007.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2007] [Revised: 10/01/2007] [Accepted: 12/01/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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