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Frost CJ. Overlaps and trade-offs in the diversity and inducibility of volatile chemical profiles among diverse sympatric neotropical canopy trees. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:3059-3071. [PMID: 37082810 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14594] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A central goal in ecology is to understand the mechanisms by which biological diversity is maintained. The diversity of plant chemical defences and the strategies by which they are deployed in nature may influence biological diversity. Trees in neotropical forests are subject to relatively high herbivore pressure. Such consistent pressure is thought to select for constitutive, non-flexible defence-related phytochemistry with limited capacity for inducible phytochemical responses. However, this has not been explored for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have a relatively low ratio of production costs to ecological benefits. To test this, I sampled VOCs emitted from canopy leaves of 10 phylogenetically diverse tree species (3 Magnoliids and 7 Rosids) in the Peruvian Amazon before and after induction with the phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA). There was no phylogenetic signal in induction or magnitude of MeJA-induced VOC emissions from intact leaves: all trees induced VOC profiles dominated by β-ocimene, linalool, and α-farnesene of varying ratios. Moreover, overall inducibility of VOCs from intact leaves was unrelated to phytochemical diversity or richness. In contrast, experimentally wounded leaves showed considerable phylogeny-based and MeJA-independent variation the richness and diversity of constitutive wound-emitted VOCs. Moreover, VOC inducibility from wounded leaves correlated negatively with phytochemical richness and diversity, potentially indicating a tradeoff in constitutive and inducible defence strategies for non-volatile specialised metabolites but not for inducible VOCs. Importantly, there was no correlation between any chemical profile and either natural herbivory or leaf toughness. The coexistence of multiple phytochemical strategies in a hyper-diverse forest has broad implications for competitive and multitrophic interactions, and the evolutionary forces that maintain the exceptional plant biodiversity in neotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Frost
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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Potapov AM, Beaulieu F, Birkhofer K, Bluhm SL, Degtyarev MI, Devetter M, Goncharov AA, Gongalsky KB, Klarner B, Korobushkin DI, Liebke DF, Maraun M, Mc Donnell RJ, Pollierer MM, Schaefer I, Shrubovych J, Semenyuk II, Sendra A, Tuma J, Tůmová M, Vassilieva AB, Chen T, Geisen S, Schmidt O, Tiunov AV, Scheu S. Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1057-1117. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Frédéric Beaulieu
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Karl‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - Sarah L. Bluhm
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Maxim I. Degtyarev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Miloslav Devetter
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anton A. Goncharov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin B. Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Bernhard Klarner
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniil I. Korobushkin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Dana F. Liebke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Rory J. Mc Donnell
- Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Melanie M. Pollierer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Julia Shrubovych
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS Slawkowska 17 Pl 31‐016 Krakow Poland
- State Museum Natural History of NAS of Ukraine Teatralna 18 79008 Lviv Ukraine
| | - Irina I. Semenyuk
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian‐Vietnamese Tropical Center №3 Street 3 Thang 2, Q10 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Colecciones Entomológicas Torres‐Sala, Servei de Patrimoni Històric, Ajuntament de València València Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Cièncias Experimentals i Socials, Facultat de Magisteri Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 1160/31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Michala Tůmová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna B. Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Ting‐Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Nematology Wageningen University & Research 6700ES Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Büsgenweg 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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Frost CJ. A visual technique used by citizen scientists shows higher herbivory in understory vs. canopy leaves of a tropical forest. Ecology 2021; 103:e03539. [PMID: 34582569 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3539] [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: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Citizen science (CS) initiatives can transform how some ecological data are collected. Herbivory is a fundamental ecological interaction, but herbivory rates in many natural systems are unknown due in part to lack of personnel for monitoring efforts. This limits our ability to understand broad ecological patterns relevant to herbivory. Fortunately, accurate and reliable visual estimation techniques for assessing herbivory could be amenable to CS approaches. In 2008, I developed a CS training initiative (the Million Leaf Project, MLP) to measure herbivory based on a seven-category visual assessment of leaf area removed (LAR). From 2010 to 2018, 394 citizen scientists assessed damage on 175,421 leaves to test the hypothesis that herbivory varies between understory and canopy leaves in a Peruvian tropical forest. In support of this hypothesis, the longitudinal CS data reveal that understory leaves consistently experience more herbivory than do canopy leaves on average (18.3% vs. 12.3%, P < 0.001), a difference that was consistent regardless of CS observer age. Furthermore, data integrity was high, even though younger participants showed some leaf selection bias. The MLP is based on a simple technique, intended to broaden public participation in ecological science, and applicable to any ecological system in which herbivory or leaf damage occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Frost
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, 1657 E. Helen Street, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
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Conrad-Rooney E, Barker Plotkin A, Pasquarella VJ, Elkinton J, Chandler JL, Matthes JH. Defoliation severity is positively related to soil solution nitrogen availability and negatively related to soil nitrogen concentrations following a multi-year invasive insect irruption. AOB PLANTS 2020; 12:plaa059. [PMID: 33324482 PMCID: PMC7724974 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plaa059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding connections between ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling and invasive insect defoliation could facilitate the prediction of disturbance impacts across a range of spatial scales. In this study we investigated relationships between ecosystem N cycling and tree defoliation during a recent 2015-18 irruption of invasive gypsy moth caterpillars (Lymantria dispar), which can cause tree stress and sometimes mortality following multiple years of defoliation. Nitrogen is a critical nutrient that limits the growth of caterpillars and plants in temperate forests. In this study, we assessed the associations among N concentrations, soil solution N availability and defoliation intensity by L. dispar at the scale of individual trees and forest plots. We measured leaf and soil N concentrations and soil solution inorganic N availability among individual red oak trees (Quercus rubra) in Amherst, MA and across a network of forest plots in Central Massachusetts. We combined these field data with estimated defoliation severity derived from Landsat imagery to assess relationships between plot-scale defoliation and ecosystem N cycling. We found that trees in soil with lower N concentrations experienced more herbivory than trees in soil with higher N concentrations. Additionally, forest plots with lower N soil were correlated with more severe L. dispar defoliation, which matched the tree-level relationship. The amount of inorganic N in soil solution was strongly positively correlated with defoliation intensity and the number of sequential years of defoliation. These results suggested that higher ecosystem N pools might promote the resistance of oak trees to L. dispar defoliation and that defoliation severity across multiple years is associated with a linear increase in soil solution inorganic N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Conrad-Rooney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph Elkinton
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Chandler
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jaclyn Hatala Matthes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
- Corresponding author’s e-mail address:
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Kristensen JA, Michelsen A, Metcalfe DB. Background insect herbivory increases with local elevation but makes minor contribution to element cycling along natural gradients in the Subarctic. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11684-11698. [PMID: 33144993 PMCID: PMC7593201 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbivores can exert major controls over biogeochemical cycling. As invertebrates are highly sensitive to temperature shifts (ectothermal), the abundances of insects in high-latitude systems, where climate warming is rapid, is expected to increase. In subarctic mountain birch forests, research has focussed on geometrid moth outbreaks, while the contribution of background insect herbivory (BIH) to elemental cycling is poorly constrained. In northern Sweden, we estimated BIH along 9 elevational gradients distributed across a gradient in regional elevation, temperature, and precipitation to allow evaluation of consistency in local versus regional variation. We converted foliar loss via BIH to fluxes of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from the birch canopy to the soil to compare with other relevant soil inputs of the same elements and assessed different abiotic and biotic drivers of the observed variability. We found that leaf area loss due to BIH was ~1.6% on average. This is comparable to estimates from tundra, but considerably lower than ecosystems at lower latitudes. The C, N, and P fluxes from canopy to soil associated with BIH were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the soil input from senesced litter and external nutrient sources such as biological N fixation, atmospheric deposition of N, and P weathering estimated from the literature. Despite the minor contribution to overall elemental cycling in subarctic birch forests, the higher quality and earlier timing of the input of herbivore deposits to soils compared to senesced litter may make this contribution disproportionally important for various ecosystem functions. BIH increased significantly with leaf N content as well as local elevation along each transect, yet showed no significant relationship with temperature or humidity, nor the commonly used temperature proxy, absolute elevation. The lack of consistency between the local and regional elevational trends calls for caution when using elevation gradients as climate proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe A. Kristensen
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
- Geological Survey of Denmark and GreenlandCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Department of BiologyTerrestrial Ecology SectionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for PermafrostUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Daniel B. Metcalfe
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
- Department of Ecology and Environmental SciencesUmeå Umeå UniversitetUmeåSweden
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Meier AR, Hunter MD. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi mediate herbivore-induction of plant defenses differently above and belowground. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R. Meier
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI 48109-1048 USA
| | - Mark D. Hunter
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI 48109-1048 USA
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Meier AR, Hunter MD. Mycorrhizae Alter Toxin Sequestration and Performance of Two Specialist Herbivores. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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8
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Plant diversity effects on arthropods and arthropod-dependent ecosystem functions in a biodiversity experiment. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin T. Burghardt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
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Madritch MD, Lindroth RL. Condensed tannins increase nitrogen recovery by trees following insect defoliation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 208:410-20. [PMID: 25952793 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
While the importance of plant secondary metabolites to belowground functioning is gaining recognition, the perception remains that secondary metabolites are produced for herbivore defense, whereas their belowground impacts are ecological by-products, or 'afterlife' effects. However, plants invest a significant amount of resources into production of secondary metabolites that have minimal effects on herbivore resistance (e.g. condensed tannins and insect herbivores). We show that genetically mediated variation in condensed tannin concentration is correlated with plant nitrogen recovery following a severe defoliation event. We used single-tree mesocosms labeled with (15) N to track nitrogen through both the frass and litter cycling pathways. High concentrations of leaf tannins in Populus tremuloides were correlated with (15) N recovery from frass within the same growing season and in the following growing season. Likewise, leaf tannin concentrations were also correlated with (15) N recovery from the litter of defoliated trees in the growing season following the defoliation event. Conversely, tannins were not well correlated with nitrogen uptake under conditions of nominal herbivory. Our results suggest that tannins may confer benefits in response to herbivore pressure through conserved belowground nitrogen cycling, rather than via defensive properties. Consequently, tannins may be considered as chemical mediators of tolerance rather than resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Madritch
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Richard L Lindroth
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Piper FI, Gundale MJ, Fajardo A. Extreme defoliation reduces tree growth but not C and N storage in a winter-deciduous species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 115:1093-103. [PMID: 25851136 PMCID: PMC4648455 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS There is a growing concern about how forests will respond to increased herbivory associated with climate change. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) limitation are hypothesized to cause decreasing growth after defoliation, and eventually mortality. This study examines the effects of a natural and massive defoliation by an insect on mature trees' C and N storage, which have rarely been studied together, particularly in winter-deciduous species. METHODS Survival, growth rate, carbon [C, as non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration] and nitrogen (N) storage, defences (tannins and total polyphenols), and re-foliation traits were examined in naturally defoliated and non-defoliated adult trees of the winter-deciduous temperate species Nothofagus pumilio 1 and 2 years after a massive and complete defoliation caused by the caterpillar of Ormiscodes amphimone (Saturniidae) during summer 2009 in Patagonia. KEY RESULTS Defoliated trees did not die but grew significantly less than non-defoliated trees for at least 2 years after defoliation. One year after defoliation, defoliated trees had similar NSC and N concentrations in woody tissues, higher polyphenol concentrations and lower re-foliation than non-defoliated trees. In the second year, however, NSC concentrations in branches were significantly higher in defoliated trees while differences in polyphenols and re-foliation disappeared and decreased, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The significant reduction in growth following defoliation was not caused by insufficient C or N availability, as frequently assumed; instead, it was probably due to growth limitations due to factors other than C or N, or to preventative C allocation to storage. This study shows an integrative approach to evaluating plant growth limitations in response to disturbance, by examining major resources other than C (e.g. N), and other C sinks besides storage and growth (e.g. defences and re-foliation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida I Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Camino Baguales s/n, Coyhaique 5951601, Chile, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago, Chile and Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Michael J Gundale
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Camino Baguales s/n, Coyhaique 5951601, Chile, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago, Chile and Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Camino Baguales s/n, Coyhaique 5951601, Chile, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago, Chile and Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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Wurst S, Ohgushi T. Do plant‐ and soil‐mediated legacy effects impact future biotic interactions? Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Wurst
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences (DCPS) Functional Biodiversity Freie Universität Berlin Königin‐Luise‐Str. 1‐3 14195 Berlin Germany
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Gossner MM, Pašalić E, Lange M, Lange P, Boch S, Hessenmöller D, Müller J, Socher SA, Fischer M, Schulze ED, Weisser WW. Differential responses of herbivores and herbivory to management in temperate European beech. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104876. [PMID: 25119984 PMCID: PMC4132021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest management not only affects biodiversity but also might alter ecosystem processes mediated by the organisms, i.e. herbivory the removal of plant biomass by plant-eating insects and other arthropod groups. Aiming at revealing general relationships between forest management and herbivory we investigated aboveground arthropod herbivory in 105 plots dominated by European beech in three different regions in Germany in the sun-exposed canopy of mature beech trees and on beech saplings in the understorey. We separately assessed damage by different guilds of herbivores, i.e. chewing, sucking and scraping herbivores, gall-forming insects and mites, and leaf-mining insects. We asked whether herbivory differs among different forest management regimes (unmanaged, uneven-aged managed, even-aged managed) and among age-classes within even-aged forests. We further tested for consistency of relationships between regions, strata and herbivore guilds. On average, almost 80% of beech leaves showed herbivory damage, and about 6% of leaf area was consumed. Chewing damage was most common, whereas leaf sucking and scraping damage were very rare. Damage was generally greater in the canopy than in the understorey, in particular for chewing and scraping damage, and the occurrence of mines. There was little difference in herbivory among differently managed forests and the effects of management on damage differed among regions, strata and damage types. Covariates such as wood volume, tree density and plant diversity weakly influenced herbivory, and effects differed between herbivory types. We conclude that despite of the relatively low number of species attacking beech; arthropod herbivory on beech is generally high. We further conclude that responses of herbivory to forest management are multifaceted and environmental factors such as forest structure variables affecting in particular microclimatic conditions are more likely to explain the variability in herbivory among beech forest plots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin M. Gossner
- Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Center for Food and Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Esther Pašalić
- Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Lange
- Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Patricia Lange
- Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Jörg Müller
- University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Markus Fischer
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Center for Food and Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
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14
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Clay NA, Lucas J, Kaspari M, Kay AD. Manna from heaven: Refuse from an arboreal ant links aboveground and belowground processes in a lowland tropical forest. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00220.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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15
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Kaukonen M, Ruotsalainen AL, Wäli PR, Männistö MK, Setälä H, Saravesi K, Huusko K, Markkola A. Moth herbivory enhances resource turnover in subarctic mountain birch forests? Ecology 2013; 94:267-72. [DOI: 10.1890/12-0917.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Lowman MD, Schowalter TD. Plant science in forest canopies--the first 30 years of advances and challenges (1980-2010). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 194:12-27. [PMID: 22348430 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04076.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
As an emerging subdiscipline of forest biology, canopy science has undergone a transition from observational, 'oh-wow' exploration to a more hypothesis-driven, experimental arena for rigorous field biology. Although efforts to explore forest canopies have occurred for a century, the new tools to access the treetops during the past 30 yr facilitated not only widespread exploration but also new discoveries about the complexity and global effects of this so-called 'eighth continent of the planet'. The forest canopy is the engine that fixes solar energy in carbohydrates to power interactions among forest components that, in turn, affect regional and global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem services. Climate change, biodiversity conservation, fresh water conservation, ecosystem productivity, and carbon sequestration represent important components of forest research that benefit from access to the canopy for rigorous study. Although some canopy variables can be observed or measured from the ground, vertical and horizontal variation in environmental conditions and processes within the canopy that determine canopy-atmosphere and canopy-forest floor interactions are best measured within the canopy. Canopy science has matured into a cutting-edge subset of forest research, and the treetops also serve as social and economic drivers for sustainable communities, fostering science education and ecotourism. This interdisciplinary context of forest canopy science has inspired innovative new approaches to environmental stewardship, involving diverse stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret D Lowman
- Nature Research Center, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27603, USA
| | - Timothy D Schowalter
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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Frost CJ, Dean JM, Smyers EC, Mescher MC, Carlson JE, De Moraes CM, Tooker JF. A petiole-galling insect herbivore decelerates leaf lamina litter decomposition rates. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01986.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Kagata H, Ohgushi T. Non-additive effects of leaf litter and insect frass mixture on decomposition processes. Ecol Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-011-0868-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Positive and negative impacts of insect frass quality on soil nitrogen availability and plant growth. POPUL ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-011-0281-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Schowalter TD, Fonte SJ, Geaghan J, Wang J. Effects of manipulated herbivore inputs on nutrient flux and decomposition in a tropical rainforest in Puerto Rico. Oecologia 2011; 167:1141-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2056-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Uselman SM, Snyder KA, Blank RR. Insect biological control accelerates leaf litter decomposition and alters short-term nutrient dynamics in a Tamarix-invaded riparian ecosystem. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18519.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Schuldt A, Baruffol M, Böhnke M, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Lang AC, Nadrowski K, von Oheimb G, Voigt W, Zhou H, Assmann T, Fridley J. Tree diversity promotes insect herbivory in subtropical forests of south-east China. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2010; 98:917-926. [PMID: 20852667 PMCID: PMC2936109 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01659.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2010] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
1.Insect herbivory can strongly affect ecosystem processes, and its relationship with plant diversity is a central topic in biodiversity-functioning research. However, very little is known about this relationship from complex ecosystems dominated by long-lived individuals, such as forests, especially over gradients of high plant diversity.2.We analysed insect herbivory on saplings of 10 tree and shrub species across 27 forest stands differing in age and tree species richness in an extraordinarily diverse subtropical forest ecosystem in China. We tested whether plant species richness significantly influences folivory in these highly diverse forests or whether other factors play a more important role at such high levels of phytodiversity.3.Leaf damage was assessed on 58 297 leaves of 1284 saplings at the end of the rainy season in 2008, together with structural and abiotic stand characteristics.4.Species-specific mean damage of leaf area ranged from 3% to 16%. Herbivory increased with plant species richness even after accounting for potentially confounding effects of stand characteristics, of which stand age-related aspects most clearly covaried with herbivory. Intraspecific density dependence or other abiotic factors did not significantly influence overall herbivory across forest stands.5.Synthesis.The positive herbivory-plant diversity relationship indicates that effects related to hypotheses of resource concentration, according to which a reduction in damage by specialized herbivores might be expected as host plant concentration decreases with increasing plant diversity, do not seem to be major determinants for overall herbivory levels in our phytodiverse subtropical forest ecosystem. We discuss the potential role of host specificity of dominant herbivores, which are often expected to show a high degree of specialization in many (sub)tropical forests. In the forest system we studied, a much higher impact of polyphagous species than traditionally assumed might explain the observed patterns, as these species can profit from a broad dietary mix provided by high plant diversity. Further testing is needed to experimentally verify this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schuldt
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
- *Correspondence author. E-mail:
| | - Martin Baruffol
- University of Zurich, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Winterthuererstr190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Böhnke
- University of Halle, Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical GardenAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108 Halle, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- University of Halle, Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical GardenAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108 Halle, Germany
| | - Werner Härdtle
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Anne C Lang
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Karin Nadrowski
- Max-Planck-Institute for BiogeochemistryPB 100641, D-07740 Jena, Germany
| | - Goddert von Oheimb
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Voigt
- University of Jena, Institute of EcologyDornburger Str. 159, D-07749 Jena, Germany
| | - Hongzhang Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of ZoologyBeijing 100101, China
| | - Thorsten Assmann
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Scharnhorststr1, D-21335 Lüneburg, Germany
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Tank JL, Rosi-Marshall EJ, Griffiths NA, Entrekin SA, Stephen ML. A review of allochthonous organic matter dynamics and metabolism in streams. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1899/08-170.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 520] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Tank
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA
| | | | - Natalie A. Griffiths
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA
| | - Sally A. Entrekin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA
| | - Mia L. Stephen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511;
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Frost CJ, Hunter MD. Herbivore-induced shifts in carbon and nitrogen allocation in red oak seedlings. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2008; 178:835-845. [PMID: 18346100 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02420.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
* A dual-isotope, microcosm experiment was conducted with Quercus rubra (red oak) seedlings to test the hypothesis that foliar herbivory would increase belowground carbon allocation (BCA), carbon (C) rhizodeposition and nitrogen (N) uptake. Plant BCA links soil ecosystems to aboveground processes and can be affected by insect herbivores, though the extent of herbivore influences on BCA is not well understood in woody plants. * Microcosms containing 2-yr-old Q. rubra seedlings and soil collected from the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory (NC, USA) were subjected to herbivory or left as undamaged controls. All microcosms were then injected with 15N-glycine and pulsed with 13CO2. * Contrary to our hypothesis, herbivore damage reduced BCA to fine roots by 63% and correspondingly increased allocation of new C to foliage. However, 13C recoveries in soil pools were similar between treatments, suggesting that exudation of C from roots is an actively regulated component of BCA. Herbivore damage also reduced N allocation to fine roots by 39%, apparently in favor of storage in taproot and stem tissues. * Oak seedlings respond to moderate insect herbivore damage with a complex suite of allocation shifts that may simultaneously increase foliar C, maintain C rhizodeposition and N assimilation, and shift N resources to storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Frost
- Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2202, USA
- Center for Chemical Ecology and Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics, Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2202, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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