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Moreira X, Van den Bossche A, Moeys K, Van Meerbeek K, Thomaes A, Vázquez-González C, Abdala-Roberts L, Brunet J, Cousins SAO, Defossez E, De Pauw K, Diekmann M, Glauser G, Graae BJ, Hagenblad J, Heavyside P, Hedwall PO, Heinken T, Huang S, Lago-Núñez B, Lenoir J, Lindgren J, Lindmo S, Mazalla L, Naaf T, Orczewska A, Paulssen J, Plue J, Rasmann S, Spicher F, Vanneste T, Verschuren L, Visakorpi K, Wulf M, De Frenne P. Variation in insect herbivory across an urbanization gradient: The role of abiotic factors and leaf secondary metabolites. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 215:109056. [PMID: 39186848 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization impacts plant-herbivore interactions, which are crucial for ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. While some studies have reported reductions in insect herbivory in urban areas (relative to rural or natural forests), this trend is not consistent and the underlying causes for such variation remain unclear. We conducted a continental-scale study on insect herbivory along urbanization gradients for three European tree species: Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, and Fraxinus excelsior, and further investigated their biotic and abiotic correlates to get at mechanisms. To this end, we quantified insect leaf herbivory and foliar secondary metabolites (phenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids) for 176 trees across eight European cities. Additionally, we collected data on microclimate (air temperature) and soil characteristics (pH, carbon, nutrients) to test for abiotic correlates of urbanization effects directly or indirectly (through changes in plant secondary chemistry) linked to herbivory. Our results showed that urbanization was negatively associated with herbivory for Q. robur and F. excelsior, but not for T. cordata. In addition, urbanization was positively associated with secondary metabolite concentrations, but only for Q. robur. Urbanization was positively associated with air temperature for Q. robur and F. excelsior, and negatively with soil nutrients (magnesium) in the case of F. excelsior, but these abiotic variables were not associated with herbivory. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence for indirect effects of abiotic factors via plant defences on herbivory for either Q. robur or F. excelsior. Additional biotic or abiotic drivers must therefore be accounted for to explain observed urbanization gradients in herbivory and their interspecific variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apartado de Correos 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Astrid Van den Bossche
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Karlien Moeys
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arno Thomaes
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Gaverstraat 4, 9500, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Carla Vázquez-González
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apartado de Correos 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Apartado Postal 4-116, Itzimná, 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Sara A O Cousins
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Defossez
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Karen De Pauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Martin Diekmann
- Institute of Ecology, FB 2, University of Bremen, James-Watt-Straße 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Bente J Graae
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jenny Hagenblad
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-581 83, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Paige Heavyside
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per-Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Thilo Heinken
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 3, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Siyu Huang
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), 15374, Muencheberg, Germany
| | - Beatriz Lago-Núñez
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apartado de Correos 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UMR, CNRS 7058 'Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés' (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, F-80037, Amiens, France
| | - Jessica Lindgren
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sigrid Lindmo
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Leonie Mazalla
- Institute of Ecology, FB 2, University of Bremen, James-Watt-Straße 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tobias Naaf
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), 15374, Muencheberg, Germany
| | - Anna Orczewska
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007, Katowice, Poland
| | - Jolina Paulssen
- Institute of Ecology, FB 2, University of Bremen, James-Watt-Straße 1, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jan Plue
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM). Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Fabien Spicher
- UMR, CNRS 7058 'Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés' (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, F-80037, Amiens, France
| | - Thomas Vanneste
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Louis Verschuren
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium; UGent-Woodlab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Centre for X-ray Tomography, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristiina Visakorpi
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Monika Wulf
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), 15374, Muencheberg, Germany
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
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Moreira X, Abdala-Roberts L, Berny Mier y Teran JC, Covelo F, de la Mata R, Francisco M, Hardwick B, Pires RM, Roslin T, Schigel DS, ten Hoopen JPJG, Timmermans BGH, van Dijk LJA, Castagneyrol B, Tack AJM. Impacts of urbanization on insect herbivory and plant defences in oak trees. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, ES-36080 Pontevedra; Galicia Spain
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Depto de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Univ; Autόnoma de Yucatán Mérida Yucatán México
| | | | - Felisa Covelo
- Depto de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Univ. Pablo de Olavide; Sevilla Spain
| | - Raúl de la Mata
- Research Inst. of Food Technology and Agriculture-IRTA; Caldes de Montbui Spain
| | - Marta Francisco
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, ES-36080 Pontevedra; Galicia Spain
| | - Bess Hardwick
- Dept of Agricultural Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Ricardo Matheus Pires
- Inst. de Botânica de São Paulo, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Micologia; São Paulo SP Brasil
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Dept of Agricultural Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
- Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Dmitry S. Schigel
- Dept of Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | | | | | - Laura J. A. van Dijk
- Dept of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm Univ; Stockholm Sweden
| | | | - Ayco J. M. Tack
- Dept of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm Univ; Stockholm Sweden
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Kozlov MV, Lanta V, Zverev V, Rainio K, Kunavin MA, Zvereva EL. Decreased losses of woody plant foliage to insects in large urban areas are explained by bird predation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4354-4364. [PMID: 28317226 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increasing rate of urbanization, the consequences of this process on biotic interactions remain insufficiently studied. Our aims were to identify the general pattern of urbanization impact on background insect herbivory, to explore variations in this impact related to characteristics of both urban areas and insect-plant systems, and to uncover the factors governing urbanization impacts on insect herbivory. We compared the foliar damage inflicted on the most common trees by defoliating, leafmining and gall-forming insects in rural and urban habitats associated with 16 European cities. In two of these cities, we explored quality of birch foliage for herbivorous insects, mortality of leafmining insects due to predators and parasitoids and bird predation on artificial plasticine larvae. On average, the foliage losses to insects were 16.5% lower in urban than in rural habitats. The magnitude of the overall adverse effect of urbanization on herbivory was independent of the latitude of the locality and was similar in all 11 studied tree species, but increased with an increase in the size of the urban area: it was significant in large cities (city population 1-5 million) but not significant in medium-sized and small towns. Quality of birch foliage for herbivorous insects was slightly higher in urban habitats than in rural habitats. At the same time, leafminer mortality due to ants and birds and the bird attack intensity on dummy larvae were higher in large cities than in rural habitats, which at least partially explained the decline in insect herbivory observed in response to urbanization. Our findings underscore the importance of top-down forces in mediating impacts of urbanization on plant-feeding insects: factors favouring predators may override the positive effects of temperature elevation on insects and thus reduce plant damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Kozlov
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Vojtěch Lanta
- Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kalle Rainio
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mikhail A Kunavin
- Department of Human Physiology and Morphology, High School of Natural Sciences and Technologies, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Elena L Zvereva
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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