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Opedal ØH, Ovaskainen O, Saastamoinen M, Laine AL, van Nouhuys S. Host-plant availability drives the spatiotemporal dynamics of interacting metapopulations across a fragmented landscape. Ecology 2020; 101:e03186. [PMID: 32892363 PMCID: PMC7757193 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The dynamics of ecological communities depend partly on species interactions within and among trophic levels. Experimental work has demonstrated the impact of species interactions on the species involved, but it remains unclear whether these effects can also be detected in long‐term time series across heterogeneous landscapes. We analyzed a 19‐yr time series of patch occupancy by the Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia, its specialist parasitoid wasp Cotesia melitaearum, and the specialist fungal pathogen Podosphaera plantaginis infecting Plantago lanceolata, a host plant of the Glanville fritillary. These species share a network of more than 4,000 habitat patches in the Åland islands, providing a metacommunity data set of unique spatial and temporal resolution. To assess the influence of interactions among the butterfly, parasitoid, and mildew on metacommunity dynamics, we modeled local colonization and extinction rates of each species while including or excluding the presence of potentially interacting species in the previous year as predictors. The metapopulation dynamics of all focal species varied both along a gradient in host plant abundance, and spatially as indicated by strong effects of local connectivity. Colonization and to a lesser extent extinction rates depended also on the presence of interacting species within patches. However, the directions of most effects differed from expectations based on previous experimental and modeling work, and the inferred influence of species interactions on observed metacommunity dynamics was limited. These results suggest that although local interactions among the butterfly, parasitoid, and mildew occur, their roles in metacommunity spatiotemporal dynamics are relatively weak. Instead, all species respond to variation in plant abundance, which may in turn fluctuate in response to variation in climate, land use, or other environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øystein H Opedal
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, N-7491, Norway
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Saskya van Nouhuys
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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Foster JG, Ploughe LW, Akin-Fajiye M, Singh JP, Bottos E, Van Hamme J, Fraser LH. Exploring trophic effects of spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe L.) on arthropod diversity using DNA metabarcoding. FOOD WEBS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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3
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War AR, Buhroo AA, Hussain B, Ahmad T, Nair RM, Sharma HC. Plant Defense and Insect Adaptation with Reference to Secondary Metabolites. REFERENCE SERIES IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Terry JCD, Morris RJ, Bonsall MB. Trophic interaction modifications: an empirical and theoretical framework. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1219-1230. [PMID: 28921859 PMCID: PMC6849598 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Consumer-resource interactions are often influenced by other species in the community. At present these 'trophic interaction modifications' are rarely included in ecological models despite demonstrations that they can drive system dynamics. Here, we advocate and extend an approach that has the potential to unite and represent this key group of non-trophic interactions by emphasising the change to trophic interactions induced by modifying species. We highlight the opportunities this approach brings in comparison to frameworks that coerce trophic interaction modifications into pairwise relationships. To establish common frames of reference and explore the value of the approach, we set out a range of metrics for the 'strength' of an interaction modification which incorporate increasing levels of contextual information about the system. Through demonstrations in three-species model systems, we establish that these metrics capture complimentary aspects of interaction modifications. We show how the approach can be used in a range of empirical contexts; we identify as specific gaps in current understanding experiments with multiple levels of modifier species and the distributions of modifications in networks. The trophic interaction modification approach we propose can motivate and unite empirical and theoretical studies of system dynamics, providing a route to confront ecological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca J. Morris
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUK
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonLife Sciences Building 85Highfield CampusSouthamptonSO17 1BJUK
| | - Michael B. Bonsall
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3PSUK
- St. Peter's CollegeNew Inn Hall StreetOxfordOX1 2DLUK
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Barbosa M, Fernandes GW, Lewis OT, Morris RJ. Experimentally reducing species abundance indirectly affects food web structure and robustness. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:327-336. [PMID: 28000211 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the robustness of ecological communities suggest that the loss or reduction in abundance of individual species can lead to secondary and cascading extinctions. However, most such studies have been simulation-based analyses of the effect of primary extinction on food web structure. In a field experiment we tested the direct and indirect effects of reducing the abundance of a common species, focusing on the diverse and self-contained assemblage of arthropods associated with an abundant Brazilian shrub, Baccharis dracunculifolia D.C. (Asteraceae). Over a 5-month period we experimentally reduced the abundance of Baccharopelma dracunculifoliae (Sternorrhyncha: Psyllidae), the commonest galling species associated with B. dracunculifolia, in 15 replicate plots paired with 15 control plots. We investigated direct effects of the manipulation on parasitoids attacking B. dracunculifoliae, as well as indirect effects (mediated via a third species or through the environment) on 10 other galler species and 50 associated parasitoid species. The experimental manipulation significantly increased parasitism on B. dracunculifoliae in the treatment plots, but did not significantly alter either the species richness or abundance of other galler species. Compared to control plots, food webs in manipulated plots had significantly lower values of weighted connectance, interaction evenness and robustness (measured as simulated tolerance to secondary extinction), even when B. dracunculifoliae was excluded from calculations. Parasitoid species were almost entirely specialized to individual galler species, so the observed effects of the manipulation on food web structure could not have propagated via the documented trophic links. Instead, they must have spread either through trophic links not included in the webs (e.g. shared predators) or non-trophically (e.g. through changes in habitat availability). Our results highlight that the inclusion of both trophic and non-trophic direct and indirect interactions is essential to understand the structure and dynamics of even apparently discrete ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milton Barbosa
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - G Wilson Fernandes
- Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/DBG, CP 486, ICB/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Rebecca J Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.,Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Life Sciences Building 85, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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Kaser JM, Ode PJ. Hidden risks and benefits of natural enemy-mediated indirect effects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 14:105-111. [PMID: 27436655 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Polyphagous natural enemies can mediate a variety of indirect interactions between resource populations. Such indirect interactions are often reciprocally negative (i.e. apparent competition), but the sign of effects between resource populations can be any combination of positive (+), negative (-), or neutral (0). In this article we focus on parasitoids to illustrate the importance of natural enemy-mediated indirect interactions in predicting risk and efficacy in biological control. We review recent findings to illustrate how an improved understanding of parasitoid behavioral ecology may increase model accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe M Kaser
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| | - Paul J Ode
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Erb M, Robert CA. Sequestration of plant secondary metabolites by insect herbivores: molecular mechanisms and ecological consequences. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 14:8-11. [PMID: 27436640 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Numerous insect herbivores can take up and store plant toxins as self-defense against their own natural enemies. Plant toxin sequestration is tightly linked with tolerance strategies that keep the toxins functional. Specific transporters have been identified that likely allow the herbivore to control the spatiotemporal dynamics of toxin accumulation. Certain herbivores furthermore possess specific enzymes to boost the bioactivity of the sequestered toxins. Ecologists have studied plant toxin sequestration for decades. The recently uncovered molecular mechanisms in combination with transient, non-transgenic systems to manipulate insect gene expression will help to understand the importance of toxin sequestration for food-web dynamics in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Erb
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christelle Am Robert
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland.
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Lin Y, Hussain M, Avery PB, Qasim M, Fang D, Wang L. Volatiles from Plants Induced by Multiple Aphid Attacks Promote Conidial Performance of Lecanicillium lecanii. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151844. [PMID: 26999795 PMCID: PMC4801321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are clues that help predatory insects search for food. The hypothesis that entomopathogenic fungi, which protect plants, benefit from the release of HIPVs was tested. The plant Arabidopsis thaliana was used as the source of HIPVs. The insect herbivore Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) was used as the inducer, and the fungal pathogen of the aphid Lecanicillium lecanii was exposed to HIPVs to test our hypothesis. When exposed to aphid-induced A. thaliana volatiles, the mortality of aphids pre-treated with a conidial suspension of L. lecanii, the conidial germination and the appressorial formation were significantly increased compared with the control. The decan-3-ol and 4-methylpentyl isothiocyanate that were detected in the headspace seemed to have positive and negative affection, respectively. Moreover, HIPVs generated from groups of eight aphids per plant promoted significantly increased conidial germination and appressorial formation compared with HIPVs from groups of one, two and four aphids per plant. Our results demonstrated that the pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic fungus L. lecanii was enhanced when exposed to HIPVs and that the HIPVs were affected by the number of insect herbivores that induced them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwen Lin
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
| | - Mubasher Hussain
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
| | - Pasco Bruce Avery
- Indian River Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fort Pierce, Florida, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Dalin Fang
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liande Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
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Sanders D, Moser A, Newton J, van Veen FJF. Trophic assimilation efficiency markedly increases at higher trophic levels in four-level host-parasitoid food chain. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20153043. [PMID: 26962141 PMCID: PMC4810866 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.3043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic assimilation efficiency (conversion of resource biomass into consumer biomass) is thought to be a limiting factor for food chain length in natural communities. In host-parasitoid systems, which account for the majority of terrestrial consumer interactions, a high trophic assimilation efficiency may be expected at higher trophic levels because of the close match of resource composition of host tissue and the consumer's resource requirements, which would allow for longer food chains. We measured efficiency of biomass transfer along an aphid-primary-secondary-tertiary parasitoid food chain and used stable isotope analysis to confirm trophic levels. We show high efficiency in biomass transfer along the food chain. From the third to the fourth trophic level, the proportion of host biomass transferred was 45%, 65% and 73%, respectively, for three secondary parasitoid species. For two parasitoid species that can act at the fourth and fifth trophic levels, we show markedly increased trophic assimilation efficiencies at the higher trophic level, which increased from 45 to 63% and 73 to 93%, respectively. In common with other food chains, δ(15)N increased with trophic level, with trophic discrimination factors (Δ(15)N) 1.34 and 1.49‰ from primary parasitoids to endoparasitic and ectoparasitic secondary parasitoids, respectively, and 0.78‰ from secondary to tertiary parasitoids. Owing to the extraordinarily high efficiency of hyperparasitoids, cryptic higher trophic levels may exist in host-parasitoid communities, which could alter our understanding of the dynamics and drivers of community structure of these important systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Sanders
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Moser
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Jason Newton
- NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK
| | - F J Frank van Veen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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