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Alavez V, Santos-Gally R, Gutiérrez-Aguilar M, Del-Val E, Boege K. Influence of phylogenetic diversity of plant communities on tri-trophic interactions. Oecologia 2023; 203:125-137. [PMID: 37777642 PMCID: PMC10615933 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05455-1] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Phylogenetic diversity of plant communities can influence the interaction between plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies. Plant communities with phylogenetically distant species tend to present a wide variety of functional traits and ecological niches, which in turn can influence competitive interactions among plants as well as food and habitat quality for herbivores and their natural enemies. To assess some different mechanisms by which phylogenetic diversity of plant communities can influence herbivores and their natural enemies, we established 12 experimental plots of tropical trees with two treatments: high and low phylogenetic diversity. We measured plant growth and anti-herbivore defenses, herbivore foliar damage, and predator activity in seven species that were present in both treatments. We found significant differences in the expression of plant traits as a function of species identity and their life history, but also depending on the phylogenetic context in which they grew. Pioneer species had higher growth and produced more phenolics in plots with high phylogenetic diversity versus plants in plots with low phylogenetic diversity. Accordingly, herbivore damage in these species was greater in plots with low phylogenetic diversity. Finally, predator activity on caterpillar clay models placed on plants was greater within the low phylogenetic diversity treatment, but only for non-myrmecophytic species. These results suggest that plant phylogenetic diversity can influence the expression of growth and defensive traits and further modify the interaction between plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies. However, such effects depend on plant life history and the presence of mutualistic interaction with ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Alavez
- Instituto de Ecología, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rocio Santos-Gally
- CONAHCYT-Instituto de Ecología, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Manuel Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ek Del-Val
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Karina Boege
- Instituto de Ecología, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
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2
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Hahn PG, Cammarano JH. Environmental context and herbivore traits mediate the strength of associational effects in a meta‐analysis of crop diversity. J Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip G. Hahn
- Department of Entomology & Nematology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Joseph H. Cammarano
- Department of Entomology & Nematology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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3
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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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4
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More phylogenetically diverse polycultures inconsistently suppress insect herbivore populations. Oecologia 2022; 198:1057-1072. [PMID: 35380273 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05153-4] [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: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Because the diet of many herbivorous insects is restricted to closely related taxa with similar chemistry, intercropping with diverse plant communities may reduce both pest populations and reliance on chemical pesticides in agroecosystems. We tested whether the effectiveness of intercropping against herbivorous insects depends on the phylogenetic relatedness of neighboring crops, using butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) as a focal crop species in a series of different intercropping combinations. We found that increased phylogenetic divergence of neighboring plants could reduce abundance of herbivorous insects, but the effect was only detectable mid-season. In addition, we tested two hypothesized mechanisms for a negative association between phylogenetic distance of neighboring plants and reduced herbivore populations: one, we tested using Y-tube olfactometer and choice cage trials whether diverse volatile cues impede host-plant location by the dominant pest of butternut squash in our experiment, striped cucumber beetle Acalymma vittatum. Two, we recorded predator and parasitoid abundance relative to crop phylodiversity to test whether diverse crops support larger natural-enemy populations that can better control pest species. Our results, however, did not support either hypothesis. Striped cucumber beetles preferentially oriented toward non-host-plant volatiles, and predator populations more often decreased with phylodiversity than increased. Thus, the mechanisms driving associations in the field between phylogenetic divergence and herbivore populations remain unclear.
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5
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Jactel H, Moreira X, Castagneyrol B. Tree Diversity and Forest Resistance to Insect Pests: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Prospects. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 66:277-296. [PMID: 32903046 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-041720-075234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecological research conducted over the past five decades has shown that increasing tree species richness at forest stands can improve tree resistance to insect pest damage. However, the commonality of this finding is still under debate. In this review, we provide a quantitative assessment (i.e., a meta-analysis) of tree diversity effects on insect herbivory and discuss plausible mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. We provide recommendations and working hypotheses that can serve to lay the groundwork for research to come. Based on more than 600 study cases, our quantitative review indicates that insect herbivory was, on average, lower in mixed forest stands than in pure stands, but these diversity effects were contingent on herbivore diet breadth and tree species composition. In particular, tree species diversity mainly reduced damage of specialist insect herbivores in mixed stands with phylogenetically distant tree species. Overall, our findings provide essential guidance for forest pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hervé Jactel
- INRAE, University of Bordeaux, BIOGECO, F-33610 Cestas, France;
| | - Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), 36080 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
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6
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Poeydebat C, Jactel H, Moreira X, Koricheva J, Barsoum N, Bauhus J, Eisenhauer N, Ferlian O, Francisco M, Gottschall F, Gravel D, Mason B, Muiruri E, Muys B, Nock C, Paquette A, Ponette Q, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Stokes V, Staab M, Verheyen K, Castagneyrol B. Climate affects neighbour-induced changes in leaf chemical defences and tree diversity-herbivory relationships. Funct Ecol 2020; 35:67-81. [PMID: 33746332 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Associational resistance theory predicts that insect herbivory decreases with increasing tree diversity in forest ecosystems. However, the generality of this effect and its underlying mechanisms are still debated, particularly since evidence has accumulated that climate may influence the direction and strength of the relationship between diversity and herbivory.We quantified insect leaf herbivory and leaf chemical defences (phenolic compounds) of silver birch Betula pendula in pure and mixed plots with different tree species composition across 12 tree diversity experiments in different climates. We investigated whether the effects of neighbouring tree species diversity on insect herbivory in birch, that is, associational effects, were dependent on the climatic context, and whether neighbour-induced changes in birch chemical defences were involved in associational resistance to insect herbivory.We showed that herbivory on birch decreased with tree species richness (i.e. associational resistance) in colder environments but that this relationship faded as mean annual temperature increased.Birch leaf chemical defences increased with tree species richness but decreased with the phylogenetic distinctiveness of birch from its neighbours, particularly in warmer and more humid environments.Herbivory was negatively correlated with leaf chemical defences, particularly when birch was associated with closely related species. The interactive effect of tree diversity and climate on herbivory was partially mediated by changes in leaf chemical defences.Our findings confirm that tree species diversity can modify the leaf chemistry of a focal species, hence its quality for herbivores. They further stress that such neighbour-induced changes are dependent on climate and that tree diversity effects on insect herbivory are partially mediated by these neighbour-induced changes in chemical defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Poeydebat
- INRAE, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, Cestas, France.,Université de Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202, Talence, France
| | - Hervé Jactel
- INRAE, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, Cestas, France.,Université de Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202, Talence, France
| | | | - Julia Koricheva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | - Jürgen Bauhus
- Chair of Silviculture, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olga Ferlian
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Felix Gottschall
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Bill Mason
- Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin Midlothian, UK
| | - Evalyne Muiruri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Bart Muys
- Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charles Nock
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Biology, Department of Geobotany, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alain Paquette
- Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Quentin Ponette
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering & Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Victoria Stokes
- Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin Midlothian, UK
| | - Michael Staab
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Bastien Castagneyrol
- INRAE, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, Cestas, France.,Université de Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202, Talence, France
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7
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Batyrshina ZS, Cna'ani A, Rozenberg T, Seifan M, Tzin V. The combined impacts of wheat spatial position and phenology on cereal aphid abundance. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9142. [PMID: 32518724 PMCID: PMC7258891 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wheat is a staple crop that suffers from massive yield losses caused by cereal aphids. Many factors can determine the abundance of cereal aphids and the damage they cause to plants; among them are the plant’s genetic background, as well as environmental conditions such as spatial position within the plot, the composition and the distance from neighboring vegetation. Although the effects of these factors have been under scrutiny for many years, the combined effect of both factors on aphid populations is not fully understood. The goal of this study was to examine the collective impact of genotype and environment on wheat phenology (developmental stages), chemical diversity (metabolites), and insect susceptibility, as manifested by cereal aphid abundance. Methods To determine the influence of plant genotype on the metrics mentioned above, we measured the phenology, chemical profile, and aphid abundance of four wheat genotypes, including the tetraploid wild emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides cv. Zavitan), tetraploid durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum cv. Svevo), and two hexaploid spring bread (Triticum aestivum), ‘Rotem’ and ‘Chinese Spring’. These genotypes are referred to as “focal” plants. To evaluate the impact of the environment, we scored the distance of each focal plant (spatial position) from two neighboring vegetation types: (i) natural resource and (ii) monoculture wheat resource. Results The results demonstrated that the wild emmer wheat was the most aphid-resistant, while the bread wheat Rotem was most aphid-susceptible. Aphids were more abundant in plants that matured early. The spatial position analysis demonstrated that aphids were more abundant in focal plants located closer to the margin monoculture wheat resource rather than to the natural resource, suggesting a resource concentration effect. The analysis of metabolic diversity showed that the levels of three specialized metabolites from the flavonoid class, differed between the wheat genotypes and some minor changes in central metabolites were shown as well. Altogether, these results demonstrate a combined effect of genetic background and spatial position on wheat phenology and aphid abundance on plants. This exposes the potential role of the marginal vegetation environment in shaping the insect population of desirable crops. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining plant intra-specific variation in the agriculture system because of its potential applications in reducing pest density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaniya S Batyrshina
- French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel
| | - Alon Cna'ani
- French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel.,Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel
| | - Tamir Rozenberg
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel
| | - Merav Seifan
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel
| | - Vered Tzin
- French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer campus, Israel
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8
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Williams EW, Barak RS, Kramer M, Hipp AL, Larkin DJ. In tallgrass prairie restorations, relatedness influences neighborhood-scale plant invasion while resource availability influences site-scale invasion. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Meyer ST, Scheithe L, Hertzog L, Ebeling A, Wagg C, Roscher C, Weisser WW. Consistent increase in herbivory along two experimental plant diversity gradients over multiple years. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian T. Meyer
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group; Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Technical University of Munich; Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2 85354 Freising Germany
| | - Lukas Scheithe
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group; Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Technical University of Munich; Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2 85354 Freising Germany
| | - Lionel Hertzog
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group; Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Technical University of Munich; Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2 85354 Freising Germany
| | - Anne Ebeling
- Institute of Ecology; University of Jena; Dornburger Street 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Cameron Wagg
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Winterthurerstr. 190 8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Physiological Diversity; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group; Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management; School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Technical University of Munich; Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2 85354 Freising Germany
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10
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Egorov E, Gossner MM, Meyer ST, Weisser WW, Brändle M. Does plant phylogenetic diversity increase invertebrate herbivory in managed grasslands? Basic Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Murphy SJ, Xu K, Comita LS. Tree seedling richness, but not neighborhood composition, influences insect herbivory in a temperate deciduous forest community. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6310-9. [PMID: 27648245 PMCID: PMC5016651 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2336] [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] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect herbivores can serve as important regulators of plant dynamics, but their impacts in temperate forest understories have received minimal attention at local scales. Here, we test several related hypotheses about the influence of plant neighborhood composition on insect leaf damage in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA. Using data on seedlings and adult trees sampled at 36 sites over an approximately 900 ha area, we tested for the effects of total plant density, rarefied species richness (i.e., resource concentration and dietary‐mixing hypotheses), conspecific density (i.e., Janzen–Connell hypothesis), and heterospecific density (i.e., herd‐immunity hypothesis), on the proportion of leaf tissue removed from 290 seedlings of 20 species. We also tested for the effects of generic‐ and familial‐level neighborhoods. Our results showed that the proportion of leaf tissue removed ranged from zero to just under 50% across individuals, but was generally quite low (<2%). Using linear mixed models, we found a significant negative relationship between insect damage and rarefied species richness, but no relationship with neighborhood density or composition. In addition, leaf damage had no significant effect on subsequent seedling growth or survival, likely due to the low levels of damage experienced by most individuals. Our results provide some support for the resource concentration hypothesis, but suggest a limited role for insect herbivores in driving local‐scale seedling dynamics in temperate forest understories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Murphy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University 318 W. 12th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43210-1293
| | - Kaiyang Xu
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 195 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511
| | - Liza S Comita
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 195 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Box 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Panama
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12
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Schuldt A, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Assmann T, Li Y, Ma K, von Oheimb G, Zhang J. Early positive effects of tree species richness on herbivory in a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment influence tree growth. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2015; 103:563-571. [PMID: 26690688 PMCID: PMC4672697 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of herbivory for the structure and functioning of species-rich forests, little is known about how herbivory is affected by tree species richness, and more specifically by random vs. non-random species loss. We assessed herbivore damage and its effects on tree growth in the early stage of a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China that features random and non-random extinction scenarios of tree mixtures numbering between one and 24 species. In contrast to random species loss, the non-random extinction scenarios were based on the tree species' local rarity and specific leaf area - traits that may strongly influence the way herbivory is affected by plant species richness. Herbivory increased with tree species richness across all scenarios and was unaffected by the different species compositions in the random and non-random extinction scenarios. Whereas tree growth rates were positively related to herbivory on plots with smaller trees, growth rates significantly declined with increasing herbivory on plots with larger trees. Our results suggest that the effects of herbivory on growth rates increase from monocultures to the most species-rich plant communities and that negative effects with increasing tree species richness become more pronounced with time as trees grow larger. Synthesis. Our results indicate that key trophic interactions can be quick to become established in forest plantations (i.e. already 2.5 years after tree planting). Stronger herbivory effects on tree growth with increasing tree species richness suggest a potentially important role of herbivory in regulating ecosystem functions and the structural development of species-rich forests from the very start of secondary forest succession. The lack of significant differences between the extinction scenarios, however, contrasts with findings from natural forests of higher successional age, where rarity had negative effects on herbivory. This indicates that the effects of non-random species loss could change with forest succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schuldt
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, University of HalleAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5e, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Werner Härdtle
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Assmann
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Ying Li
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Keping Ma
- Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, 100093, China
| | - Goddert von Oheimb
- Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, Technische Universität DresdenPienner Str. 7, D-01737, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Jiayong Zhang
- Institute of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal UniversityYinbing Road 688, 321004, Jinhua, China
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13
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Egorov E, Prati D, Durka W, Michalski S, Fischer M, Schmitt B, Blaser S, Brändle M. Does land-use intensification decrease plant phylogenetic diversity in local grasslands? PLoS One 2014; 9:e103252. [PMID: 25061934 PMCID: PMC4111588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103252] [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: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic diversity (PD) has been successfully used as a complement to classical measures of biological diversity such as species richness or functional diversity. By considering the phylogenetic history of species, PD broadly summarizes the trait space within a community. This covers amongst others complex physiological or biochemical traits that are often not considered in estimates of functional diversity, but may be important for the understanding of community assembly and the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functions. In this study we analyzed the relationship between PD of plant communities and land-use intensification in 150 local grassland plots in three regions in Germany. Specifically we asked whether PD decreases with land-use intensification and if so, whether the relationship is robust across different regions. Overall, we found that species richness decreased along land-use gradients the results however differed for common and rare species assemblages. PD only weakly decreased with increasing land-use intensity. The strength of the relationship thereby varied among regions and PD metrics used. From our results we suggest that there is no general relationship between PD and land-use intensification probably due to lack of phylogenetic conservatism in land-use sensitive traits. Nevertheless, we suggest that depending on specific regional idiosyncrasies the consideration of PD as a complement to other measures of diversity can be useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugen Egorov
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Walter Durka
- Department Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle, Germany
| | - Stefan Michalski
- Department Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Schmitt
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Blaser
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Brändle
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany
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14
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Woody plant phylogenetic diversity mediates bottom–up control of arthropod biomass in species-rich forests. Oecologia 2014; 176:171-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Schuldt A, Assmann T, Bruelheide H, Durka W, Eichenberg D, Härdtle W, Kröber W, Michalski SG, Purschke O. Functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants drive herbivory in a highly diverse forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 202:864-873. [PMID: 24460549 PMCID: PMC4235298 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss may alter ecosystem processes, such as herbivory, a key driver of ecological functions in species-rich (sub)tropical forests. However, the mechanisms underlying such biodiversity effects remain poorly explored, as mostly effects of species richness - a very basic biodiversity measure - have been studied. Here, we analyze to what extent the functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plant communities affect herbivory along a diversity gradient in a subtropical forest. We assessed the relative effects of morphological and chemical leaf traits and of plant phylogenetic diversity on individual-level variation in herbivory of dominant woody plant species across 27 forest stands in south-east China. Individual-level variation in herbivory was best explained by multivariate, community-level diversity of leaf chemical traits, in combination with community-weighted means of single traits and species-specific phylodiversity measures. These findings deviate from those based solely on trait variation within individual species. Our results indicate a strong impact of generalist herbivores and highlight the need to assess food-web specialization to determine the direction of biodiversity effects. With increasing plant species loss, but particularly with the concomitant loss of functional and phylogenetic diversity in these forests, the impact of herbivores will probably decrease - with consequences for the herbivore-mediated regulation of ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schuldt
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Assmann
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, University of HalleAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5e, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Walter Durka
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5e, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZTheodor-Lieser-Str. 4, D-06120, Halle, Germany
| | - David Eichenberg
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, University of HalleAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108, Halle, Germany
| | - Werner Härdtle
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University LüneburgScharnhorststr. 1, D-21335, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Wenzel Kröber
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, University of HalleAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108, Halle, Germany
| | - Stefan G Michalski
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZTheodor-Lieser-Str. 4, D-06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Oliver Purschke
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, University of HalleAm Kirchtor 1, D-06108, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5e, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
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16
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Fabian Y, Sandau N, Bruggisser OT, Aebi A, Kehrli P, Rohr RP, Naisbit RE, Bersier LF. Plant diversity in a nutshell: testing for small-scale effects on trap nesting wild bees and wasps. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00375.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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