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Xu C, Silliman BR, Chen J, Li X, Thomsen MS, Zhang Q, Lee J, Lefcheck JS, Daleo P, Hughes BB, Jones HP, Wang R, Wang S, Smith CS, Xi X, Altieri AH, van de Koppel J, Palmer TM, Liu L, Wu J, Li B, He Q. Herbivory limits success of vegetation restoration globally. Science 2023; 382:589-594. [PMID: 37917679 DOI: 10.1126/science.add2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Restoring vegetation in degraded ecosystems is an increasingly common practice for promoting biodiversity and ecological function, but successful implementation is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the processes that limit restoration success. By synthesizing terrestrial and aquatic studies globally (2594 experimental tests from 610 articles), we reveal substantial herbivore control of vegetation under restoration. Herbivores at restoration sites reduced vegetation abundance more strongly (by 89%, on average) than those at relatively undegraded sites and suppressed, rather than fostered, plant diversity. These effects were particularly pronounced in regions with higher temperatures and lower precipitation. Excluding targeted herbivores temporarily or introducing their predators improved restoration by magnitudes similar to or greater than those achieved by managing plant competition or facilitation. Thus, managing herbivory is a promising strategy for enhancing vegetation restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Jianshe Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xincheng Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group and Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Qun Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juhyung Lee
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
- Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, USA
| | - Pedro Daleo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP, CONICETC, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Brent B Hughes
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Holly P Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Rong Wang
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Carter S Smith
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Xinqiang Xi
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Yerseke, Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lingli Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jihua Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bo Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qiang He
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Werger L, Bergmann J, Weber E, Heinze J. Wind intensity affects fine root morphological traits with consequences for plant-soil feedback effects. AOB PLANTS 2020; 12:plaa050. [PMID: 33133480 PMCID: PMC7583724 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plaa050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wind influences the development, architecture and morphology of plant roots and may modify subsequent interactions between plants and soil (plant-soil feedbacks-PSFs). However, information on wind effects on fine root morphology is scarce and the extent to which wind changes plant-soil interactions remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of two wind intensity levels by manipulating surrounding vegetation height in a grassland PSF field experiment. We grew four common plant species (two grasses and two non-leguminous forbs) with soil biota either previously conditioned by these or other species and tested the effect of wind on root:shoot ratio, fine root morphological traits as well as the outcome for PSFs. Wind intensity did not affect biomass allocation (i.e. root:shoot ratio) in any species. However, fine-root morphology of all species changed under high wind intensity. High wind intensity increased specific root length and surface area and decreased root tissue density, especially in the two grasses. Similarly, the direction of PSFs changed under high wind intensity in all four species, but differences in biomass production on the different soils between high and low wind intensity were marginal and most pronounced when comparing grasses with forbs. Because soils did not differ in plant-available nor total nutrient content, the results suggest that wind-induced changes in root morphology have the potential to influence plant-soil interactions. Linking wind-induced changes in fine-root morphology to effects on PSF improves our understanding of plant-soil interactions under changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise Werger
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Institute of Biology, Dahlem Center of Plant Science (DCPS), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Ewald Weber
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Johannes Heinze
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
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Heinze J, Wacker A, Kulmatiski A. Plant-soil feedback effects altered by aboveground herbivory explain plant species abundance in the landscape. Ecology 2020; 101:e03023. [PMID: 32083736 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Relatively little is known about how plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) may affect plant growth in field conditions where factors such as herbivory may be important. Using a potted experiment in a grassland, we measured PSFs with and without aboveground insect herbivory for 20 plant species. We then compared PSF values to plant landscape abundance. Aboveground herbivory had a large negative effect on PSF values. For 15 of 20 species, PSFs were more negative with herbivory than without. This occurred because plant biomass on "home" soils was smaller with herbivory than without. PSF values with herbivory were correlated with plant landscape abundance, whereas PSF values without herbivory were not. Shoot nitrogen concentrations suggested that plants create soils that increase nitrogen uptake, but that greater shoot nitrogen values increase herbivory and that the net effect of positive PSF and greater aboveground herbivory is less aboveground biomass. Results provided clear evidence that PSFs alone have limited power in explaining species abundances and that herbivory has stronger effects on plant biomass and growth on the landscape. Our results provide a potential explanation for observed differences between greenhouse and field PSF experiments and suggest that PSF experiments need to consider important biotic interactions, like aboveground herbivory, particularly when the goal of PSF research is to understand plant growth in field conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Heinze
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, D-14469, Potsdam, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstrasse 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Wacker
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Strasse 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andrew Kulmatiski
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, 84322-5230, Logan, Utah, USA
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The relative importance of plant-soil feedbacks for plant-species performance increases with decreasing intensity of herbivory. Oecologia 2019; 190:651-664. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Heinze J, Joshi J. Plant–soil feedback effects can be masked by aboveground herbivory under natural field conditions. Oecologia 2017; 186:235-246. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3997-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Meissen JC, Galatowitsch SM, Cornett MW. Meeting seed demand for landscape-scale restoration sustainably: the influence of seed harvest intensity and site management. ECOSCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2017.1386482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Meissen
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul,MN, USA
- Tallgrass Prairie Center, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA
| | - Susan M. Galatowitsch
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul,MN, USA
| | - Meredith W. Cornett
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul,MN, USA
- The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Duluth, MN, USA
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Dudenhöffer JH, Pufal G, Roscher C, Klein AM. Plant density can increase invertebrate postdispersal seed predation in an experimental grassland community. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3796-3807. [PMID: 27231530 PMCID: PMC4864194 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Janzen–Connell effects are negative effects on the survival of a plant's progeny at high conspecific densities or close to its conspecifics. Although the role of Janzen–Connell effects on the maintenance of plant diversity was frequently studied, only few studies targeted Janzen–Connell effects via postdispersal seed predation in temperate grassland systems. We examined effects of conspecific density (abundance of conspecific adult plants) on postdispersal seed predation by invertebrates of three grassland species (Centaurea jacea, Geranium pratense, and Knautia arvensis) in experimental plant communities. Additionally, we examined the impact of plant species richness and different seed predator communities on total and relative seed predation (= seed predation of one plant species relative to others). We offered seeds in an exclusion experiment, where treatments allowed access for (1) arthropods and slugs, (2) arthropods only, (3) small arthropods only, and (4) slugs only. Treatments were placed in plots covering a gradient of abundance of conspecific adults at different levels of plant species richness (1, 2, 3, 4, 8 species). Two of the plant species (C. jacea and K. arvensis) experienced higher rates of seed predation and relative predation with increasing abundance of conspecific adults. For C. jacea, this effect was mitigated with increasing plant species richness. Differences in seed predator communities shifted seed predation between the plant species and changed the magnitude of seed predation of one plant species relative to the others. We exemplify density‐dependent increase in seed predation via invertebrates in grassland communities shaping both the total magnitude of species‐specific seed predation and seed predation of one species relative to others. Further differences in seed predator groups shift the magnitude of seed predation between different plant species. This highlights the importance of invertebrate seed predation to structure grasslands via density‐dependent effects and differing preferences of consumer groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Hendrik Dudenhöffer
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Freiburg Tennenbacherstr. 4 79106 Freiburg Germany
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Freiburg Tennenbacherstr. 4 79106 Freiburg Germany
| | - Christiane Roscher
- UFZ Department of Physiological Diversity Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5a 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Alexandra-Maria Klein
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Freiburg Tennenbacherstr. 4 79106 Freiburg Germany
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Stephens EL, Quintana-Ascencio PF. Effects of habitat degradation, microsite, and seed density on the persistence of two native herbs in a subtropical shrubland. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:1978-1995. [PMID: 26620096 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Species in degraded ecosystems may interact differently with their surroundings from those under historic conditions. Understanding factors affecting variation in early life history stages of plants is fundamental to assessing their persistence in intact and degraded habitats, and the value of degraded lands. We evaluated the effect of seed density on the seed dynamics of two herbaceous species (annual, biennial), and considered how seed availability may influence population dynamics in different habitats (degraded, intact Florida scrub) and microsites (bare sand, leaf litter, shrub). METHODS We used data on responses to experimental treatments (seed removal, seedling emergence, establishment) and models to evaluate how effects of these factors may change over time since the last disturbance. KEY RESULTS Probability of any seed removal, emergence, and establishment per unit increased with seed density, although proportion removal for Chamaecrista fasciculata, proportion emergence for Balduina angustifolia, and proportion establishment for both species decreased with density. When animals were given selective access to seeds, invertebrates were primarily responsible for seed removal of both study species. Models with dynamics changing with time-since-disturbance for both species predicted that population growth may decrease slightly if local available seed density increases. CONCLUSIONS Detailed demographic comparisons of populations in intact and degraded conditions can be used to understand the way that environmental conditions (habitat, microsite) combine with seed density effects to influence population dynamics of herb species. Degraded habitat may act as a transitional state in a trajectory toward intact conditions for some species, or as refugia for other native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Stephens
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816-2368 USA
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Tenhumberg B, Suwa T, Tyre AJ, Russell FL, Louda SM. Integral projection models show exotic thistle is more limited than native thistle by ambient competition and herbivory. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00389.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Tenhumberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
| | - Tomomi Suwa
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
- Ecology Evolution and Behavior Biology Program, and Department of Plant Biology at Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Andrew J. Tyre
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
| | - F. Leland Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas 67260 USA
| | - Svata M. Louda
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 USA
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Walsh RP, Arnold PM, Michaels HJ. Effects of pollination limitation and seed predation on female reproductive success of a deceptive orchid. AOB PLANTS 2014; 6:plu031. [PMID: 24916060 PMCID: PMC4094650 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plu031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
For many species of conservation significance, multiple factors limit reproduction. This research examines the contributions of plant height, number of flowers, number of stems, pollen limitation and seed predation to female reproductive success in the deceit-pollinated orchid, Cypripedium candidum. The deceptive pollination strategy employed by many orchids often results in high levels of pollen limitation. While increased floral display size may attract pollinators, C. candidum's multiple, synchronously flowering stems could promote selfing and also increase attack by weevil seed predators. To understand the joint impacts of mutualists and antagonists, we examined pollen limitation, seed predation and the effects of pollen source over two flowering seasons (2009 and 2011) in Ohio. In 2009, 36 pairs of plants size-matched by flower number, receiving either supplemental hand or open pollination, were scored for fruit maturation, mass of seeds and seed predation. Pollen supplementation increased proportion of flowers maturing into fruit, with 87 % fruit set when hand pollinated compared with 46 % for naturally pollinated flowers. Inflorescence height had a strong effect, as taller inflorescences had higher initial fruit set, while shorter stems had higher predation. Seed predation was seen in 73 % of all fruits. A parallel 2011 experiment that included a self-pollination treatment and excluded seed predators found initial and final fruit set were higher in the self and outcross pollination treatments than in the open-pollinated treatment. However, seed mass was higher in both open pollinated and outcross pollination treatments compared with hand self-pollinated. We found greater female reproductive success for taller flowering stems that simultaneously benefited from increased pollination and reduced seed predation. These studies suggest that this species is under strong reinforcing selection to increase allocation to flowering stem height. Our results may help explain the factors limiting seed production in other Cypripedium and further emphasize the importance of management in orchid conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P Walsh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, USA
| | - Paige M Arnold
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, USA
| | - Helen J Michaels
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, USA
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Eckberg JO, Tenhumberg B, Louda SM. Insect herbivory and propagule pressure influence Cirsium vulgare invasiveness across the landscape. Ecology 2012; 93:1787-94. [PMID: 22928407 DOI: 10.1890/11-1583.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A current challenge in ecology is to better understand the magnitude, variation, and interaction in the factors that limit the invasiveness of exotic species. We conducted a factorial experiment involving herbivore manipulation (insecticide-in-water vs. water-only control) and seven densities of introduced nonnative Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) seed. The experiment was repeated with two seed cohorts at eight grassland sites uninvaded by C. vulgare in the central Great Plains, USA. Herbivory by native insects significantly reduced thistle seedling density, causing the largest reductions in density at the highest propagule inputs. The magnitude of this herbivore effect varied widely among sites and between cohort years. The combination of herbivory and lower propagule pressure increased the rate at which new C. vulgare populations failed to establish during the initial stages of invasion. This experiment demonstrates that the interaction between biotic resistance by native insects, propagule pressure, and spatiotemporal variation in their effects were crucial to the initial invasion by this Eurasian plant in the western tallgrass prairie.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O Eckberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA.
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12
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Suwa T, Louda SM. Combined effects of plant competition and insect herbivory hinder invasiveness of an introduced thistle. Oecologia 2011; 169:467-76. [PMID: 22120707 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2207-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2010] [Accepted: 11/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Rose KE, Russell FL, Louda SM. Integral projection model of insect herbivore effects onCirsium altissimumpopulations along productivity gradients. Ecosphere 2011. [DOI: 10.1890/es11-00096.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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