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Reinhardt JR, Marquis RJ. Ecosystem engineering and leaf quality together affect arthropod community structure and diversity on white oak (Quercus alba L.). Oecologia 2023; 203:13-25. [PMID: 37689603 PMCID: PMC10615914 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05439-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Shelter building caterpillars act as ecosystem engineers by creating and maintaining leaf shelters, which are then colonized by other arthropods. Foliage quality has been shown to influence initial colonization by shelter-building caterpillars. However, the effects of plant quality on the interactions between ecosystem engineers and their communities have yet to be studied at the whole plant level. We examined how leaf tying caterpillars, as ecosystem engineers, impact arthropod communities on Quercus alba (white oak), and the modifying effect of foliage quality on these interactions. We removed all leaf tying caterpillars and leaf ties on 35 Q. alba saplings during the season when leaf tying caterpillars were active (June-September), and compared these leaf tie removal trees to 35 control trees whose leaf ties were left intact. Removal of these ecosystem engineers had no impact on overall arthropod species richness, but reduced species diversity, and overall arthropod abundance and that of most guilds, and changed the structure of the arthropod community as the season progressed. There was an increase in plant-level species richness with increasing number of leaf ties, consistent with Habitat Diversity Hypothesis. In turn, total arthropod density, and that of both leaf tying caterpillars and free-feeding caterpillars were affected by foliar tannin and nitrogen concentrations, and leaf water content. The engineering effect was greatest on low quality plants, consistent with the Stress-Gradient Hypothesis. Our results demonstrate that interactions between ecosystem engineering and plant quality together determine community structure of arthropods on Q. alba in Missouri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Reinhardt
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1 University Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA.
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forest and Woodland Ecosystems, 1221 South Main Street, Moscow, ID, 83843, USA.
| | - Robert J Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1 University Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA
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Gabel W, Frederick P, Zabala J. Alligator presence influences colony site selection of long-legged wading birds through large scale facilitative nest protector relationship. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1019. [PMID: 33441857 PMCID: PMC7806806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80185-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive ecological relationships, such as facilitation, are an important force in community organization. The effects of facilitative relationships can be strong enough to cause changes in the distributions of species and in many cases have evolved as a response to predation pressure, however, very little is known about this potential trend in vertebrate facilitative relationships. Predation is an important selective pressure that may strongly influence breeding site selection by nesting birds. The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) facilitates a safer nesting location for wading birds (Ciconiiformes and Pelecaniformes) by deterring mammalian nest predators from breeding sites. However, alligators do not occur throughout the breeding range of most wading birds, and it is unclear whether alligator presence affects colony site selection. We predicted that nesting wading birds change colony site preferences when alligators are not present to serve as nest protectors. Within the northern fringe of alligator distribution we compared colony characteristics in locations where alligator presence was either likely or unlikely while controlling for availability of habitat. Wading birds preferred islands that were farther from the mainland and farther from landmasses > 5 ha when alligator presence was unlikely compared to when alligators were likely. These findings indicate that wading birds are seeking nesting locations that are less accessible to mammalian predators when alligators are not present, and that this requirement is relaxed when alligators are present. This study illustrates how a landscape-scale difference between realized and fundamental niche can result from a facilitative relationship in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wray Gabel
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Peter Frederick
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Jabi Zabala
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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Paz Neto AA, Melo JWS, Lima DB, Gondim Junior MGC, Janssen A. Field distribution patterns of pests are asymmetrically affected by the presence of other herbivores. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 110:611-619. [PMID: 32252842 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485320000103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Because plant phenotypes can change in response to attacks by herbivores in highly variable ways, the distribution of herbivores depends on the occurrence of other herbivore species on the same plant. We carried out a field study to evaluate the co-occurrence of three coconut pests, the mites Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and the moth Atheloca bondari (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The eriophyid mite Ac. guerreronis is the most important coconut pest around the world, whereas S. concavuscutum and At. bondari are economically important only in some areas along the Brazilian coast. A previous study suggested that the necrosis caused by Ac. guerreronis facilitates the infestation of At. bondari larvae. Because all three species infest the area under the perianths on coconuts and S. concavuscutum also causes necrosis that could facilitate At. bondari, we evaluated the co-occurrence of all three species. We found that the occurrence of At. bondari was positively associated with Ac. guerreronis, but negatively associated with S. concavuscutum. In addition, the two mite species showed negative co-occurrence. Atheloca bondari was found on nuts of all ages, but more on nuts that had fallen than on those on the trees, suggesting that nuts infested by At. bondari tend to fall more frequently. We discuss the status of At. bondari as a pest and discuss experiments to test the causes of these co-occurrence patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Paz Neto
- Departamento de Agronomia - Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - J W S Melo
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - D B Lima
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - M G C Gondim Junior
- Departamento de Agronomia - Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - A Janssen
- Evolutionary and Population Biology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Harvey JA, Ode PJ, Gols R. Population- and Species-Based Variation of Webworm-Parasitoid Interactions in Hogweeds (Heracelum spp.) in the Netherlands. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:924-930. [PMID: 32457993 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In three Dutch populations of the native small hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium L. [Apiales: Apiaceae]), and one of the invasive giant hogweed (H. mantegazzianum Sommeier & Levier [Apiales: Apiaceae]), interactions between a specialist herbivore, the parsnip webworm (Depressaria radiella), and its associated parasitoids were compared during a single growing season. We found host plant species-related differences in the abundance of moth pupae, the specialist polyembryonic endoparasitoid, Copidosoma sosares, the specialist pupal parasitoid, Barichneumon heracliana, and a potential hyperparasitoid of C. sosares, Tyndaricus scaurus Walker (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Adult D. radiella body mass was similar across the three small hogweed populations, but moths and their pupal parasitoid B. heracliana were smaller when developing on giant than on small hogweeds where the two plants grew in the same locality (Heteren). Mixed-sex and all-male broods of C. sosares were generally bigger than all-female broods. Furthermore, adult female C. sosares were larger than males and adult female mass differed among the three small hogweed populations. The frequency of pupal parasitism and hyperparasitism also varied in the different H. sphondylium populations. These results show that short-term (intra-seasonal) effects of plant population on multitrophic insects are variable among different species in a tightly linked food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Section Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J Ode
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Harvey JA, Gols R, Smith B, Ode PJ. Invasive moth facilitates use of a native food plant by other native and invasive arthropods. Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Harvey
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Section Animal Ecology VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology Wageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Brittany Smith
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management/Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado
| | - Paul J. Ode
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management/Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado
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Novais S, Calderón-Cortés N, Sánchez-Montoya G, Quesada M. Arthropod Facilitation by Wood-Boring Beetles: Spatio-temporal Distribution Mediated by a Twig-girdler Ecosystem Engineer. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2018; 18:5131635. [PMID: 30321402 PMCID: PMC6187340 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The twig-girdler beetle Oncideres albomarginata chamela (Chemsak and Giesbert) (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) detaches branches of Spondias purpurea L. (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) that fall on the forest floor or remain suspended on vegetation. Many wood-boring beetles also oviposit in these branches and larval development creates cavities that are abandoned when the adults emerge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of wood-boring beetles as facilitators by creating new habitats for arthropods, and test for vertical stratification and temporal variation of arthropods associated with S. purpurea branches that were previously engineered by O. albomarginata chamela in a tropical dry forest (TDF) in Jalisco, Mexico. In order to determine the effects of vertical strata and seasons on branch colonization by arthropods, we placed 60 branches on the forest floor (ground stratum) and 60 were placed in trees (vegetation stratum) from February to April (dry season), and from August to October 2016 (rainy season), for 240 branch samples in total. We collected 8,008 arthropods, which included 7,753 ants (14 species) and 255 nonsocial arthropods (80 species) from 13 different orders. We observed a greater arthropod abundance in the branches in the vegetation stratum in the dry season compared with the rainy season, whereas the richness and abundance of arthropods in the ground stratum were greater in the rainy season compared with the dry season. We concluded that wood-boring beetles are important habitat facilitators for arthropods, and that the vertical position of branches and the seasonal variations in TDFs differently affect the colonization of the abandoned cavities by arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Novais
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, México
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Nancy Calderón-Cortés
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| | - Gumersindo Sánchez-Montoya
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, México
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Mauricio Quesada
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, México
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México
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