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Li Y, Du YB, Chen JT, Wang MQ, Guo SK, Schuldt A, Luo A, Guo PF, Mi XC, Liu XJ, Ma KP, Bruelheide H, Chesters D, Liu X, Zhu CD. Tree dissimilarity determines multi-dimensional beta-diversity of herbivores and carnivores via bottom-up effects. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:442-453. [PMID: 36507573 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Global biodiversity decline and its cascading effects through trophic interactions pose a severe threat to human society. Establishing the impacts of biodiversity decline requires a more thorough understanding of multi-trophic interactions and, more specifically, the effects that loss of diversity in primary producers has on multi-trophic community assembly. Within a synthetic conceptual framework for multi-trophic beta-diversity, we tested a series of hypotheses on neutral and niche-based bottom-up processes in assembling herbivore and carnivore communities in a subtropical forest using linear models, hieratical variance partitioning based on linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) and simulation. We found that the observed taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional beta-diversity of both herbivorous caterpillars and carnivorous spiders were significantly and positively related to tree dissimilarity. Linear models and variance partitioning for LMMs jointly suggested that as a result of bottom-up effects, producer dissimilarities were predominant in structuring consumer dissimilarity, the strength of which highly depended on the trophic dependencies on producers, the diversity facet examined, and data quality. Importantly, linear models for standardized beta-diversities against producer dissimilarities implied a transition between niche-based processes such as environmental filtering and competitive exclusion, which supports the role of bottom-up effect in determining consumer community assembly. These findings enrich our mechanistic understanding of the 'Diversity Begets Diversity' hypothesis and the complexity of higher-trophic community assembly, which is fundamental for sustainable biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan-Bao Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Ting Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shi-Kun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Andreas Schuldt
- Forest Nature Conservation, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Arong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng-Fei Guo
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiang-Cheng Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ke-Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Douglas Chesters
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao-Dong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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von Wettstein-Knowles P. Ecophysiology with barley eceriferum (cer) mutants: the effects of humidity and wax crystal structure on yield and vegetative parameters. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:301-313. [PMID: 32361758 PMCID: PMC7380459 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In addition to preventing water loss, plant cuticles must also regulate nutrient loss via leaching. The eceriferum mutants in Hordeum vulgare (barley) potentially influence these functions by altering epicuticular wax structure and composition. METHODS Cultivar 'Bonus' and five of its cer mutants were grown under optimal conditions for vegetative growth and maturation, and nine traits were measured. Nutrient and water amounts going through the soil and the amount of simulated rain as deionized water, affecting phyllosphere humidity, delivered during either the vegetative or maturation phase, were varied. Cer leaf genes and three wilty (wlt) mutations were characterized for reaction to toluidine blue and the rate of non-stomatal water loss. KEY RESULTS Vegetative phase rain on 'Bonus' significantly decreased kernel weight and numbers by 15-30 %, while in cer.j59 and .c36 decreases of up to 42 % occurred. Maturation phase findings corroborated those from the vegetative phase. Significant pleiotropic effects were identified: cer.j59 decreased culm and spike length and 1000-kernel weight, .c36 decreased kernel number and weight, .i16 decreased spike length and .e8 increased culm height. Excepting Cer.zv and .ym mutations, none of the other 27 Cer leaf genes or wlt mutations played significant roles, if any, in preventing water loss. Cer.zv and .ym mutants lost non-stomatal water 13.5 times faster than those of Cer.j, .yi, .ys and .zp and 18.3 times faster than those of four cultivars and the mutants tested here. CONCLUSIONS Using yield to measure the net effect of phyllosphere humidity and wax crystal structure revealed that the former is far more important than the latter. The amenable experimental setup described here can be used to delve deeper. Significant pleiotropic effects were identified for mutations in four Cer genes, of which one is known to participate in wax biosynthesis. Twenty-seven Cer leaf genes and three wlt mutations have little if any effect on water loss.
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Clark RE, Basu S, Lee BW, Crowder DW. Tri-trophic interactions mediate the spread of a vector-borne plant pathogen. Ecology 2019; 100:e02879. [PMID: 31482568 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many insect herbivores are vectors that transmit plant pathogens as they forage. Within food webs, vectors interact with a range of host plants, other herbivores, and predators. Yet, few studies have examined how tri-trophic interactions involving vectors affect the spread of pathogens. Here we assessed effects of food web structure on aphid vectors and the prevalence of an aphid-borne persistent pathogen (Pea enation mosaic virus, PEMV) in pea plants. We experimentally manipulated ladybird predators, alternative host plants, and non-vector herbivores and assessed responses of pea aphids and PEMV using structural equation models. We show that variation in bottom-up, top-down, and horizontal interactions mediated PEMV prevalence. Predators reduced PEMV prevalence by consuming aphids, but an alternative host plant (vetch) had the opposite effect by promoting aphid movement and abundance. Non-vector herbivores (pea leaf weevil) increased PEMV susceptibility in peas. In turn, weevils offset the positive effects of predators on PEMV, but increased the negative effects of vetch. Our results show that tri-trophic interactions within insect and plant food webs can mediate vector biology with synergistic and opposing effects on pathogens. Continuing to assess how community-wide interactions affect vectors will aid in our understanding of vector-borne pathosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Clark
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Saumik Basu
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - Benjamin W Lee
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, USA
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Northfield TD, Barton BT, Schmitz OJ. A spatial theory for emergent multiple predator-prey interactions in food webs. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6935-6948. [PMID: 28904773 PMCID: PMC5587500 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Predator–prey interaction is inherently spatial because animals move through landscapes to search for and consume food resources and to avoid being consumed by other species. The spatial nature of species interactions necessitates integrating spatial processes into food web theory and evaluating how predators combine to impact their prey. Here, we present a spatial modeling approach that examines emergent multiple predator effects on prey within landscapes. The modeling is inspired by the habitat domain concept derived from empirical synthesis of spatial movement and interactions studies. Because these principles are motivated by synthesis of short‐term experiments, it remains uncertain whether spatial contingency principles hold in dynamical systems. We address this uncertainty by formulating dynamical systems models, guided by core habitat domain principles, to examine long‐term multiple predator–prey spatial dynamics. To describe habitat domains, we use classical niche concepts describing resource utilization distributions, and assume species interactions emerge from the degree of overlap between species. The analytical results generally align with those from empirical synthesis and present a theoretical framework capable of demonstrating multiple predator effects that does not depend on the small spatial or temporal scales typical of mesocosm experiments, and help bridge between empirical experiments and long‐term dynamics in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobin D Northfield
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Studies College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Cairns QLD Australia
| | - Brandon T Barton
- Department of Biological Sciences Mississippi State University Starkville MS USA
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University New Haven CT USA
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Onzo A, Sabelis MW, Hanna R. Single versus multiple enemies and the impact on biological control of spider mites in cassava fields in West-Africa. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2014; 62:293-311. [PMID: 24114338 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-013-9742-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
To determine whether to use single or multiple predator species for biological pest control requires manipulative field experiments. We performed such tests in Benin (West Africa) in cassava fields infested by the cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa, and the cotton red mite Oligonychus gossypii. These fields also harboured the cassava apex-inhabiting predator Typhlodromalus aripo and either the leaf-inhabiting predator Amblydromalus manihoti or Euseius fustis. We manipulated predator species composition on individual plants to determine their effect on prey and predator densities. In fields with T. aripo plus A. manihoti, M. tanajoa densities were reduced by T. aripo alone or together with A. manihoti, but neither of these predators, alone or together, reduced O. gossypii densities. In fields with T. aripo plus E. fustis, T. aripo alone or together with E. fustis exerted significant control over O. gossypii, but weak control over M. tanajoa. Densities of any of the predator species were not affected by co-occurring predator species, suggesting a minor role for intraguild predation in the field, contrary to earlier experiments on small plants in the laboratory. We conclude that (1) T. aripo is the most effective predator species in suppressing M. tanajoa, (2) two predator species, T. aripo and E. fustis, are needed to suppress O. gossypii, and (3) predator species together on the same plant do not negatively affect each other nor the extent to which they control their prey. We argue that intraguild predation is reduced due to partial niche separation among predator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Onzo
- Département des Sciences et Techniques de Production Végétale, Faculté d'Agronomie, Université de Parakou, B. P. 123, Parakou, Benin,
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Wilby A, Anglin LA, Nesbit CM. Plant species composition alters the sign and strength of an emergent multi-predator effect by modifying predator foraging behaviour. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70258. [PMID: 23936400 PMCID: PMC3731319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prediction of pest-control functioning by multi-predator communities is hindered by the non-additive nature of species functioning. Such non-additivity, commonly termed an emergent multi-predator effect, is known to be affected by elements of the ecological context, such as the structure and composition of vegetation, in addition to the traits of the predators themselves. Here we report mesocosm experiments designed to test the influence of plant density and species composition (wheat monoculture or wheat and faba bean polyculture) on the emergence of multi-predator effects between Adalia bipunctata and Chrysoperla carnea, in their suppression of populations of the aphid Metopolophium dirhodum. The mesocosm experiments were followed by a series of behavioural observations designed to identify how interactions among predators are modified by plant species composition and whether these effects are consistent with the observed influence of plant species composition on aphid population suppression. Although plant density was shown to have no influence on the multi-predator effect on aphid population growth, plant composition had a marked effect. In wheat monoculture, Adalia and Chrysoperla mixed treatments caused greater suppression of M. dirhodum populations than expected. However this positive emergent effect was reversed to a negative multi-predator effect in wheat and faba bean polyculture. The behavioural observations revealed that although dominant individuals did not respond to the presence of faba bean plants, the behaviour of sub-dominants was affected markedly, consistent with their foraging for extra-floral nectar produced by the faba bean. This interaction between plant composition and predator community composition on the foraging behaviour of sub-dominants is thought to underlie the observed effect of plant composition on the multi-predator effect. Thus, the emergence of multi-predator effects is shown to be strongly influenced by plant species composition, mediated, in this case, by the provision of extra-floral nectar by one of the plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wilby
- Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom.
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