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Xirocostas ZA, Ollerton J, Tamme R, Peco B, Lesieur V, Slavich E, Junker RR, Pärtel M, Raghu S, Uesugi A, Bonser SP, Chiarenza GM, Hovenden MJ, Moles AT. The great escape: patterns of enemy release are not explained by time, space or climate. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231022. [PMID: 37583319 PMCID: PMC10427826 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1022] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
When a plant is introduced to a new ecosystem it may escape from some of its coevolved herbivores. Reduced herbivore damage, and the ability of introduced plants to allocate resources from defence to growth and reproduction can increase the success of introduced species. This mechanism is known as enemy release and is known to occur in some species and situations, but not in others. Understanding the conditions under which enemy release is most likely to occur is important, as this will help us to identify which species and habitats may be most at risk of invasion. We compared in situ measurements of herbivory on 16 plant species at 12 locations within their native European and introduced Australian ranges to quantify their level of enemy release and understand the relationship between enemy release and time, space and climate. Overall, plants experienced approximately seven times more herbivore damage in their native range than in their introduced range. We found no evidence that enemy release was related to time since introduction, introduced range size, temperature, precipitation, humidity or elevation. From here, we can explore whether traits, such as leaf defences or phylogenetic relatedness to neighbouring plants, are stronger indicators of enemy release across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe A. Xirocostas
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Jeff Ollerton
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, People's Republic of China
- Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton, Northampton, UK
| | - Riin Tamme
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Global Change, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vincent Lesieur
- CSIRO European Laboratory, 830 Avenue du Campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France
| | - Eve Slavich
- Stats Central, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - S. Raghu
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Akane Uesugi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Biosciences and Food Technology Division, School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
| | - Stephen P. Bonser
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Giancarlo M. Chiarenza
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Mark J. Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Angela T. Moles
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Fricke U, Redlich S, Zhang J, Tobisch C, Rojas-Botero S, Benjamin CS, Englmeier J, Ganuza C, Riebl R, Uhler J, Uphus L, Ewald J, Kollmann J, Steffan-Dewenter I. Plant richness, land use and temperature differently shape invertebrate leaf-chewing herbivory on plant functional groups. Oecologia 2022; 199:407-417. [PMID: 35711067 PMCID: PMC9225970 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05199-4] [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: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Higher temperatures can increase metabolic rates and carbon demands of invertebrate herbivores, which may shift leaf-chewing herbivory among plant functional groups differing in C:N (carbon:nitrogen) ratios. Biotic factors influencing herbivore species richness may modulate these temperature effects. Yet, systematic studies comparing leaf-chewing herbivory among plant functional groups in different habitats and landscapes along temperature gradients are lacking. This study was conducted on 80 plots covering large gradients of temperature, plant richness and land use in Bavaria, Germany. We investigated proportional leaf area loss by chewing invertebrates ('herbivory') in three plant functional groups on open herbaceous vegetation. As potential drivers, we considered local mean temperature (range 8.4-18.8 °C), multi-annual mean temperature (range 6.5-10.0 °C), local plant richness (species and family level, ranges 10-51 species, 5-25 families), adjacent habitat type (forest, grassland, arable field, settlement), proportion of grassland and landscape diversity (0.2-3 km scale). We observed differential responses of leaf-chewing herbivory among plant functional groups in response to plant richness (family level only) and habitat type, but not to grassland proportion, landscape diversity and temperature-except for multi-annual mean temperature influencing herbivory on grassland plots. Three-way interactions of plant functional group, temperature and predictors of plant richness or land use did not substantially impact herbivory. We conclude that abiotic and biotic factors can assert different effects on leaf-chewing herbivory among plant functional groups. At present, effects of plant richness and habitat type outweigh effects of temperature and landscape-scale land use on herbivory among legumes, forbs and grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Fricke
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cynthia Tobisch
- Institute for Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany.,Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Sandra Rojas-Botero
- Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Caryl S Benjamin
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, EcoclimatologyFreising, Germany
| | - Jana Englmeier
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cristina Ganuza
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rebekka Riebl
- Professorship of Ecological Services, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Johannes Uhler
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Uphus
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, EcoclimatologyFreising, Germany
| | - Jörg Ewald
- Institute for Ecology and Landscape, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Freising, Germany
| | - Johannes Kollmann
- Restoration Ecology, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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de Farias RP, da Costa LEN, de Arruda ECP, de Oliveira AFM, Cornelissen T, Mehltreter K. Interactions of gall-formers and leaf-chewers on a tropical tree fern: evidence for non-repulsion and co-occurrence between insect guilds. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:1037-1043. [PMID: 34516716 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13298] [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: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Host plant selection by herbivores is driven by a complex array of cues, including leaf traits and previous leaf damage. Herbivore-associated cues to host selection at the plant and leaf scale aid understanding of mechanisms responsible for host preference that might translate into increased performance, as well as processes structuring herbivore populations mediated by interactions. We investigated how changes induced by a galling insect in the tropical fern Cyathea phalerata act as repellent or attractant cues for sawfly feeding and the effects of leaf size on herbivory levels. We recorded gall abundance, damage by chewers, leaf size, plant nutritional quality, phenolic concentration and leaf anatomical traits between galled and non-galled leaf samples. Galled samples contained less N, higher levels of phenolics and higher C/N ratio. However, leaf-chewing damage did not differ between galled and non-galled leaves. The gall structure was avoided by chewers, as it had high concentrations of phenolics, lignification and suberization. Larger leaves sustained higher gall abundance, but leaf size did not have a significant effect on chewer damage. A co-occurrence index calculated for both guilds indicated that galls and chewers exhibited a distribution that did not differ from random, reinforcing that the two guilds on C. phalerata do not show patterns of repulsion such as those maintained by interspecific competition. Sawflies dismissing chemical cues indicate that the increase in phenolics caused by galling insects does not generate increased protection of the galled pinnules. Our results highlight ferns as key resources for herbivores and as a potential plant group to study new research avenues on plant-insect interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P de Farias
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
- Centro Multidisciplinar, Universidade Federal do Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brazil
| | - L E N da Costa
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - E C P de Arruda
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - A F M de Oliveira
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - T Cornelissen
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - K Mehltreter
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Ecología Funcional, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
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Njovu HK, Steffan-Dewenter I, Gebert F, Schellenberger Costa D, Kleyer M, Wagner T, Peters MK. Plant traits mediate the effects of climate on phytophagous beetle diversity on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ecology 2021; 102:e03521. [PMID: 34449883 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of insect diversity along elevational gradients are well described in ecology. However, it remains little tested how variation in the quantity, quality, and diversity of food resources influence these patterns. Here we analyzed the direct and indirect effects of climate, food quantity (estimated by net primary productivity), quality (variation in the specific leaf area index, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus and leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio), and food diversity (diversity of leaf traits) on the species richness of phytophagous beetles along the broad elevation and land use gradients of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We sampled beetles at 65 study sites located in both natural and anthropogenic habitats, ranging from 866 to 4,550 m asl. We used path analysis to unravel the direct and indirect effects of predictor variables on species richness. In total, 3,154 phytophagous beetles representing 19 families and 304 morphospecies were collected. We found that the species richness of phytophagous beetles was bimodally distributed along the elevation gradient with peaks at the lowest (˜866 m asl) and upper mid-elevations (˜3,200 m asl) and sharply declined at higher elevations. Path analysis revealed temperature- and climate-driven changes in primary productivity and leaf trait diversity to be the best predictors of changes in the species richness of phytophagous beetles. Species richness increased with increases in mean annual temperature, primary productivity, and with increases in the diversity of leaf traits of local ecosystems. Our study demonstrates that, apart from temperature, the quantity and diversity of food resources play a major role in shaping diversity gradients of phytophagous insects. Drivers of global change, leading to a change of leaf traits and causing reductions in plant diversity and productivity, may consequently reduce the diversity of herbivore assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry K Njovu
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Gebert
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - David Schellenberger Costa
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Dornburger Strasse 159, 07743, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany
| | - Thomas Wagner
- Institute of Integrated Sciences - Biology - University Str. 1, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, 56070, Germany
| | - Marcell K Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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Beneficial insects are associated with botanically rich margins with trees on small farms. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15190. [PMID: 34312457 PMCID: PMC8313545 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Beneficial insect communities on farms are influenced by site- and landscape-level factors, with pollinator and natural enemy populations often associated with semi-natural habitat remnants. They provide ecosystem services essential for all agroecosystems. For smallholders, natural pest regulation may be the only affordable and available option to manage pests. We evaluated the beneficial insect community on smallholder bean farms (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and its relationship with the plant communities in field margins, including margin trees that are not associated with forest fragments. Using traps, botanical surveys and transect walks, we analysed the relationship between the floral diversity/composition of naturally regenerating field margins, and the beneficial insect abundance/diversity on smallholder farms, and the relationship with crop yield. More flower visits by potential pollinators and increased natural enemy abundance measures in fields with higher plant, and particularly tree, species richness, and these fields also saw improved crop yields. Many of the flower visitors to beans and potential natural enemy guilds also made use of non-crop plants, including pesticidal and medicinal plant species. Selective encouragement of plants delivering multiple benefits to farms can contribute to an ecological intensification approach. However, caution must be employed, as many plants in these systems are introduced species.
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de Sena FH, Lustosa BM, Santos Silva SR, Falcão HM, de Almeida JS. Herbivory and leaf traits of two tree species from different successional stages in a tropical dry forest. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.1953893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Henrique de Sena
- Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife – PE, Brazil
| | - Bruno Melo Lustosa
- Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife – PE, Brazil
| | - Silvia Roberta Santos Silva
- Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife – PE, Brazil
| | - Hiram Marinho Falcão
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Pernambuco, Garanhuns, Brazil
| | - Jarcilene Silva de Almeida
- Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife – PE, Brazil
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