1
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Waterton J, Cleland EE. Vertebrate herbivory weakens directional selection for earlier emergence in competition. Evol Lett 2021; 5:265-276. [PMID: 34136274 PMCID: PMC8190447 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The timing of seedling emergence is strongly linked with fitness because it determines the biotic and abiotic environment experienced by plants in this vulnerable life stage. Experiments and observations consistently find that earlier-emerging plants have a competitive advantage over those emerging later. However, substantial genetic and phenotypic variation in emergence timing is harbored within and among plant populations, making it important to characterize the selective agents-including biotic interactions-that contribute to this variation. In seasonal herbaceous communities, we hypothesized that consumption of early-emerging individuals by vertebrates could weaken the strength of directional selection for earlier emergence in competitive environments. To investigate this, we carried out phenotypic selection analyses on emergence timing in two California grass species, the native Stipa pulchra and non-native Bromus diandrus, growing in intraspecific competitive neighborhoods with and without vertebrate herbivore exclusion. Vertebrate herbivores consistently weakened directional selection for earlier emergence. Our results demonstrate that vertebrate herbivores play an underappreciated selective role on phenology in plant populations, with implications for contemporary evolution, such as the potential of species to adapt to global environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Waterton
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Section University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093.,Current Address: Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana 47405
| | - Elsa E Cleland
- Department of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Section University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093
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2
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Ramachandran S, Renault S, Markham J, Verdugo J, Albornoz M, Avila-Sakar G. Lower Nitrogen Availability Enhances Resistance to Whiteflies in Tomato. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E1096. [PMID: 32858912 PMCID: PMC7569811 DOI: 10.3390/plants9091096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Soil nitrogen (N) supplementation via fertilizers may increase crop yields substantially. However, by increasing tissue N content, added N can make plants more attractive to herbivores, effectively reducing their resistance to herbivores (ability to avoid herbivore damage). In turn, greater pest infestation may cause more severe reductions in fruit production than a moderate N scarcity. In this study, we tested whether lower N supplementation results in greater resistance to whiteflies and lower fruit production in four tomato varieties. We assessed the effects of N availability on tolerance to herbivores (degree to which fitness is affected by damage) and tested for the long-hypothesized trade-off between resistance and tolerance. Plants grown at half of an agronomically recommended amount of N had greater resistance without a significant drop in fruit production. Tomato varieties differed in resistance and tolerance to whiteflies, and showed a clear trade-off between these modes of defense. Root:shoot ratios were greater at lower N, but had no clear relation to tolerance. We estimated that the economic benefit of decreasing N addition almost fully compensates for losses due to lower tomato production. Additionally, lower fertilization rates would contribute to reduce environmental costs of large-scale use of agrochemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreedevi Ramachandran
- Department of Biology, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2G3, Canada
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Sylvie Renault
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - John Markham
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Jaime Verdugo
- Escuela de Pedagogía en Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Talca, Linares 3580000, Chile
| | - Marta Albornoz
- Centro Regional de Investigación e Innovación para la Sostenibilidad de la Agricultura y los Territorios Rurales, Centro Ceres, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, Chile
| | - Germán Avila-Sakar
- Department of Biology, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2G3, Canada
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3
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Câmara T, Arnan X, Barbosa VS, Wirth R, Iannuzzi L, Leal IR. Disentangling the effects of foliar vs. floral herbivory of leaf-cutting ants on the plant reproductive success of Miconia nervosa (Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae). BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 110:77-83. [PMID: 31190645 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485319000294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Flower and leaf herbivory might cause relevant and negative impacts on plant fitness. While flower removal or damage by florivores produces direct negative effects on plant fitness, folivores affect plant fitness by reducing resource allocation to reproduction. In this study, we examine the effects of both flower and leaf herbivory by leaf-cutting ants on the reproductive success of the shrub species Miconia nervosa (Smith) Triana (Family Melastomataceae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Northeast Brazil. We conducted a randomized block-designed field experiment with nine replicates (blocks), in which three plants per block were assigned to one of the three following treatments: undamaged plants (ant exclusion), leaf-damaged plants (ant exclusion from reproductive organs, but not from leaves), and flower + leaf-damaged plants (no exclusion of ants). We then measured flower production, fruit set, and fruit production. Our results showed that flower + leaf-damaged plants reduced flower production nearly twofold in relation to undamaged plants, while flower set in leaf-damaged plants remained constant. The number of flowers that turned into fruits (i.e., fruit set), however, increased by 15% in flower + leaf-damaged plants, while it slightly decreased in leaf-damaged compared to undamaged plants. Contrastingly, fruit production was similar between all treatments. Taken together, our results suggest a prominent role of ant floral herbivory across different stages of the reproductive cycle in M. nervosa, with no consequences on final fruit production. The tolerance of M. nervosa to leaf-cutting ant herbivory might explain its high abundance in human-modified landscapes where leaf-cutting ants are hyper-abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Câmara
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - X Arnan
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil
- CREAF, Cerdanyola de Vallès, Catalunya, Spain
| | - V S Barbosa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil
- Centro de Formação de Professores, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Rua Sérgio Moreira de Figueiredo, s/n, Casas Populares, CEP: 58900-000, Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brasil
| | - R Wirth
- Plant Ecology & Systematics, University of Kaiserslautern, PO-Box 3049, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - L Iannuzzi
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/no, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - I R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/no, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil
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4
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Muola A, Stenberg JA. Folivory has long-term effects on sexual but not on asexual reproduction in woodland strawberry. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12250-12259. [PMID: 30598815 PMCID: PMC6303713 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant fitness is often a result of both sexual and asexual reproductive success and, in perennial plants, over several years. Folivory can affect both modes of reproduction. However, little is known about the effects of folivory on resource allocation to the two modes of reproduction simultaneously and across years. In a 2-year common garden experiment, we examined the effects of different levels of folivory by the strawberry leaf beetle, Galerucella tenella, on current growth, as well as current and future sexual and asexual reproduction (runners) of perennial woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca. In addition, we measured the chlorophyll content in leaves in the year of experimental damage to determine whether there was increased photosynthetic activity, and, thus, a compensatory response to herbivory. Finally, we tested whether the previous year's folivory, as a result of its effect on plant fitness, affected the level of natural herbivory the plant experienced during the subsequent year. In the year of experimental damage, plants that were exposed to moderate and high levels of folivory (25% and 50% leaf area consumed, respectively) increased their photosynthetic activity compared to control plants. However, only plants exposed to high folivory exhibited negative effects, with a lower probability of flowering compared to control plants, indicating that plants exposed to low or moderate folivory were able to compensate for the damage. Negative effects of folivory were carried over to the subsequent year. Plants that were exposed to moderate folivory (25% leaf area consumed) during first year produced fewer flowers and fruits in the subsequent year. Runner production was consistently unaffected by folivory. The effects of experimental folivory on the level of natural herbivory were mediated via its effects on plant fitness. Our results show that the negative effects of folivory only influence sexual reproduction in woodland strawberry. Furthermore, even though woodland strawberry can tolerate moderate amounts of folivory in the short term, the negative effects on fitness appear later; this highlights the importance of studying the effects of herbivory over consecutive years in perennial plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Muola
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
- Section of Ecology, Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Johan A. Stenberg
- Department of Plant Protection BiologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
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5
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Ramos YGC, Aximoff IA, Rosa CAD. Capybaras (Rodentia: Cavidae) in highlands: environmental variables related to distribution, and herbivory effects on a common plant species. J NAT HIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1492749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Gabriel Celli Ramos
- Laboratory of Mammal Ecology, Ecology Department, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Izar Araujo Aximoff
- Laboratory of Taxonomy, Ecology and Restoration, Research Department, Research Institute of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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6
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Koski TM, Kalpio M, Laaksonen T, Sirkiä PM, Kallio HP, Yang B, Linderborg KM, Klemola T. Effects of Insect Herbivory on Bilberry Production and Removal of Berries by Frugivores. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:422-432. [PMID: 28374224 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0838-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary purpose of a fleshy fruit is to attract seed dispersers and get the seeds dispersed by frugivorous animals. For this reason, fruits should be highly rewarding to these mutualists. However, insect herbivory can alter plant reproductive success e.g. by decreasing fruit yield or affecting the attractiveness of the fruits to mutualistic seed dispersers. Under natural conditions, we tested the effects of experimental larval-defoliation on berry ripening and consumption of a non-cultivated dwarf shrub, the bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), which produces animal-dispersed berries with high sugar and anthocyanin concentration. Bilberry ramets with high fruit yield were most likely to have their berries foraged, indicating that frugivores made foraging choices based on the abundance of berries. Moreover, the probability for berries being foraged was the lowest for non-defoliated ramets that grew adjacent to larval-defoliated ramets, even though larval-defoliation did not affect the biochemical composition (total concentrations of anthocyanins, sugars and organic acids) or the probability of ripening of berries. We hypothesise that the lower probability for berries being foraged in these ramets may be a consequence of rhizome- or volatile-mediated communication between ramets, resulting in a priming effect of the herbivore defence and lower attractiveness of the non-defoliated ramets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuuli-Marjaana Koski
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland.
| | - Marika Kalpio
- Section of Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
| | - Toni Laaksonen
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
| | - Päivi M Sirkiä
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland.,Finnish Natural History Museum, Zoology Unit, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, FI, Finland
| | - Heikki P Kallio
- Section of Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland.,Centre for Environmental Research, Kevo Subarctic Research Institute, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
| | - Baoru Yang
- Section of Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
| | - Kaisa M Linderborg
- Section of Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
| | - Tero Klemola
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, FI, Finland
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7
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Zhao J, He K, Peng Y, Wu X, Sun S. Net neutral effects of a generalist vertebrate predator on seed production result from simultaneous suppression of plant antagonists and mutualists. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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8
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Tito R, Castellani TT, Fáveri SB, Lopes BC, Vasconcelos HL. From over to undercompensation: Variable responses to herbivory during ontogeny of a Neotropical monocarpic plant. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Tito
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; CCB; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Santa Catarina Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Av. Pará 1720 38405-320 Uberlândia MG Brazil
| | - Tânia T. Castellani
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; CCB; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Santa Catarina Brazil
| | - Sarita B. Fáveri
- Universidade Federal do Pará; Rua Augusto Corrêa 1 Campus Básico 66075-110 Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Benedito C. Lopes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal; Departamento de Botânica; CCB; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Santa Catarina Brazil
| | - Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Av. Pará 1720 38405-320 Uberlândia MG Brazil
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9
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Scholes DR, Wszalek AE, Paige KN. Regrowth patterns and rosette attributes contribute to the differential compensatory responses of Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes to apical damage. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:239-48. [PMID: 26434737 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
A plant's compensatory performance refers to its ability to maintain or increase its reproductive output following damage. The ability of a plant to compensate depends on numerous factors including the type, severity, frequency and timing of damage, the environmental conditions and the plant's genotype. Upon apical damage, a cascade of hormonal and genetic responses often produces dramatic changes in a plant's growth, development, architecture and physiology. All else being equal, this response is largely dependent on a plant's genotype, with different regrowth patterns displayed by different genotypes of a given species. In this study, we compare the architectural and growth patterns of two Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes following apical damage. Specifically, we characterise regrowth patterns of the genotypes Columbia-4 and Landsberg erecta, which typically differ in their compensation to apical meristem removal. We report that Landsberg erecta suffered reductions in the number of stems produced, maximum elongation rate, a delay in reaching this rate, lower average rosette quality throughout the growing period, and ultimately, less aboveground dry biomass and seed production when damaged compared to undamaged control plants. Columbia-4 had no reductions in any of these measures and maintained larger rosette area when clipped relative to when unclipped. Based on the apparent influence of the rosette on these genotypes' compensatory performances, we performed a rosette removal experiment, which confirmed that the rosette contributes to compensatory performance. This study provides a novel characterisation of regrowth patterns following apical damage, with insights into those measures having the largest effect on plant performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Scholes
- Department of Biology, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - A E Wszalek
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - K N Paige
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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10
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Lehndal L, Hambäck PA, Ericson L, Ågren J. Herbivory strongly influences among-population variation in reproductive output of Lythrum salicaria in its native range. Oecologia 2015; 180:1159-71. [PMID: 26678991 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3520-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory can negatively affect several components of plant reproduction. Yet, because of a lack of experimental studies involving multiple populations, the extent to which differences in herbivory contribute to among-population variation in plant reproductive success is poorly known. We experimentally determined the effects of insect herbivory on reproductive output in nine natural populations of the perennial herb Lythrum salicaria along a disturbance gradient in an archipelago in northern Sweden, and we quantified among-population differentiation in resistance to herbivory in a common-garden experiment in the same area. The intensity of leaf herbivory varied >500-fold and mean female reproductive success >400-fold among the study populations. The intensity of herbivory was lowest in populations subject to strong disturbance from ice and wave action. Experimental removal of insect herbivores showed that the effect of herbivory on female reproductive success was correlated with the intensity of herbivory and that differences in insect herbivory could explain much of the among-population variation in the proportion of plants flowering and seed production. Population differentiation in resistance to herbivory was limited. The results demonstrate that the intensity of herbivory is a major determinant of flowering and seed output in L. salicaria, but that differences in herbivory are not associated with differences in plant resistance at the spatial scale examined. They further suggest that the physical disturbance regime may strongly influence the performance and abundance of perennial herbs and patterns of selection not only because of its effect on interspecific competition, but also because of effects on interactions with specialized herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Lehndal
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Peter A Hambäck
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Ericson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jon Ågren
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Lehndal L, Ågren J. Herbivory Differentially Affects Plant Fitness in Three Populations of the Perennial Herb Lythrum salicaria along a Latitudinal Gradient. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135939. [PMID: 26325383 PMCID: PMC4556486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbivory can negatively and selectively affect plant fitness by reducing growth, survival and reproductive output, thereby influencing plant population dynamics and evolution. Latitudinal variation in intensity of herbivory is common, but the extent to which it translates into corresponding variation in effects on plant performance is still poorly known. We tested the hypothesis that variation in the fitness-consequences of herbivory mirror differences in intensity of herbivory among three natural populations of the perennial herb Lythrum salicaria along a latitudinal gradient from southern to northernmost Sweden. We documented intensity of herbivory and examined its effect on survival, growth and reproductive output over two years by experimentally removing herbivores with insecticide. The intensity of herbivory and the effects of herbivory on plant fitness were strongest in the southern population, intermediate in the central population and weakest in the northern population. The mean proportion of the leaf area removed ranged from 11% in the southern to 3% in the northern population. Herbivore removal increased plant height 1.5-fold in the southern and 1.2-fold in the central population, the proportion plants flowering 4-fold in the southern and 2-fold in the central population, and seed production per flower 1.6-fold in the southern and 1.2-fold in the central population, but did not affect plant fitness in the northern population. Herbivore removal thus affected the relative fecundity of plants in the three populations: In the control, seed output per plant was 8.6 times higher in the northern population compared to the southern population, whereas after herbivore removal it was 2.5 times higher in the southern population. The results demonstrate that native herbivores may strongly affect the demographic structure of L. salicaria populations and thereby shape geographic patterns of seed production. They further suggest that the strength of herbivore-mediated selection varies among populations and decreases towards the north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Lehndal
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Jon Ågren
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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12
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Schlinkert H, Westphal C, Clough Y, Ludwig M, Kabouw P, Tscharntke T. Feeding damage to plants increases with plant size across 21 Brassicaceae species. Oecologia 2015; 179:455-66. [PMID: 26025575 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3353-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Plant size is a major predictor of ecological functioning. We tested the hypothesis that feeding damage to plants increases with plant size, as the conspicuousness of large plants makes resource finding and colonisation easier. Further, large plants can be attractive to herbivores, as they offer greater amounts and ranges of resources and niches, but direct evidence from experiments testing size effects on feeding damage and consequently on plant fitness is so far missing. We established a common garden experiment with a plant size gradient (10-130 cm height) using 21 annual Brassicaceae species, and quantified plant size, biomass and number of all aboveground components (flowers, fruits, leaves, stems) and their proportional feeding damage. Plant reproductive fitness was measured using seed number, 1000 seed weight and total seed weight. Feeding damage to the different plant components increased with plant size or component biomass, with mean damage levels being approximately 30 % for flowers, 5 % for fruits and 1 % for leaves and stems. Feeding damage affected plant reproductive fitness depending on feeding damage type, with flower damage having the strongest effect, shown by greatly reduced seed number, 1000 seed weight and total seed weight. Finally, we found an overall negative effect of plant size on 1000 seed weight, but not on seed number and total seed weight. In conclusion, being conspicuous and attractive to herbivores causes greater flower damage leading to higher fitness costs for large plants, which might be partly counterbalanced by benefits such as enhanced competitive/compensatory abilities or more mutualistic pollinator visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hella Schlinkert
- Agroecology, Georg-August-University, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Agroecology, Georg-August-University, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yann Clough
- Agroecology, Georg-August-University, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin Ludwig
- Agroecology, Georg-August-University, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Department Phytomedicine, Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuserstr. 2, 30419, Hannover, Germany
| | - Patrick Kabouw
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Georg-August-University, Grisebachstraße 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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13
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Poore AGB, Gutow L, Pantoja JF, Tala F, Jofré Madariaga D, Thiel M. Major consequences of minor damage: impacts of small grazers on fast-growing kelps. Oecologia 2014; 174:789-801. [PMID: 24100758 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2795-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Damage by small herbivores can have disproportionately large effects on the fitness of individual plants if damage is concentrated on valuable tissues or on select individuals within a population. In marine systems, the impact of tissue loss on the growth rates of habitat-forming algae is poorly understood. We quantified the grazing damage by an isopod Amphoroidea typa on two species of large kelps, Lessonia spicata and Macrocystis pyrifera, in temperate Chile to test whether non-lethal grazing damage could reduce kelp growth rates and photosynthetic efficiency. For L. spicata, grazing damage was widespread in the field, unevenly distributed on several spatial scales (among individuals and among tissue types) and negatively correlated with blade growth rates. In field experiments, feeding by A. typa reduced the concentration of photosynthetic pigments and led to large reductions (~80%) in blade growth rates despite limited loss of kelp biomass (0.5% per day). For M. pyrifera, rates of damage in the field were lower and high densities of grazers were unable to reduce growth rates in field experiments. These results demonstrate that even low per capita grazing rates can result in large reductions in the growth of a kelp, due the spatial clustering of herbivores in the field and the selective removal of photosynthetically active tissues. The impacts of small herbivores on plant performance are thus not easily predicted from consumption rates or abundance in the field, and vary with plant species due to variation in their ability to compensate for damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair G B Poore
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
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