Evolutionary Ecology Across Three Trophic Levels. Goldenrods, Gallmakers, and Natural Enemies

2000 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Trophic Levels

How Does Nutrition Structure Ecosystems?

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Simpson ◽  
David Raubenheimer
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Geometric Framework ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Fundamental Niche ◽  
Biophysical Ecology ◽  
Ecology Of Nutrition

This chapter assesses the consequences of individual nutrition for populations and the assemblages of species that comprise ecological communities. However, the ecological consequences of nutrition are not restricted to the effects of diet on individual organisms but include as well the direct and indirect interactions occurring among individuals within populations and between species. Understanding the complex network of interactions that produce food webs and structure ecosystem dynamics requires the understanding of the participants' differing nutritional requirements, priorities, and regulatory capacities. Geometric Framework analyses have shown that these features differ between species and across trophic levels. Nutritional space is one part of the fundamental niche of an organism, and there is a need to integrate nutrition with the biophysical ecology of organisms. Evolutionary processes also need to be taken into account, and agent-based models offer promise toward development of a new understanding of the evolutionary ecology of nutrition.

scholarly journals Meta-Analysis Suggests Differing Indirect Effects of Viral, Bacterial, and Fungal Plant Pathogens on the Natural Enemies of Insect Herbivores

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Ussawit Srisakrapikoop ◽  
Tara J. Pirie ◽  
Mark D. E. Fellowes
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Plant Quality ◽  
Insect Herbivore ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Fungal Plant Pathogens

Indirect effects are ubiquitous in nature, and have received much attention in terrestrial plant–insect herbivore–enemy systems. In such tritrophic systems, changes in plant quality can have consequential effects on the behavior and abundance of insect predators and parasitoids. Plant quality as perceived by insect herbivores may vary for a range of reasons, including because of infection by plant pathogens. However, plant diseases vary in their origin (viral, bacterial or fungal) and as a result may have differing effects on plant physiology. To investigate if the main groups of plant pathogens differ in their indirect effects on higher trophic levels, we performed a meta-analysis using 216 measured responses from 29 primary studies. There was no overall effect of plant pathogens on natural enemy traits as differences between pathogen types masked their effects. Infection by fungal plant pathogens showed indirect negative effects on the performance and preference of natural enemies via both chewing and piercing-sucking insect herbivore feeding guilds. Infection by bacterial plant pathogens had a positive effect on the natural enemies (parasitoids) of chewing herbivores. Infection by viral plant pathogens showed no clear effect, although parasitoid preference may be positively affected by their presence. It is important to note that given the limited volume of studies to date on such systems, this work should be considered exploratory. Plant pathogens are very common in nature, and tritrophic systems provide an elegant means to examine the consequences of indirect interactions in ecology. We suggest that further studies examining how plant pathogens affect higher trophic levels would be of considerable value.

scholarly journals Comparative ecology of conifer-feeding spruce budworms (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

2015 ◽  
Vol 148 (S1) ◽  
pp. S33-S57 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.G. Nealis
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Comparative Ecology ◽  
Ecological Relationships ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Weather And Climate ◽  
Phylogenetic Constraints

AbstractThe comparative ecology of conifer-feeding budworms in the genusChoristoneuraLederer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Canada is reviewed with emphasis on publications since 1980. Systematics and life history are updated and historical outbreak patterns and their current interpretation summarised. Recent evidence is analysed in the context of ecological interactions among three trophic levels; host plant, budworm herbivore, and natural enemies. The influence of weather and climate are viewed as modulating factors. The population behaviour of budworms is interpreted as the result of tri-trophic interactions that vary at different scales. The result of these multi-scale interactions is that despite shared phylogenetic constraints and common adaptations, different budworm species display different population behaviour because of specific ecological relationships with their respective hosts and natural enemies.

scholarly journals Variably hungry caterpillars: predictive models and foliar chemistry suggest how to eat a rainforest

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1866) ◽  
pp. 20171803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon T. Segar ◽  
Martin Volf ◽  
Brus Isua ◽  
Mentap Sisol ◽  
Conor M. Redmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Foliar Chemistry ◽  
Plant Phylogeny ◽  
Plant Associations ◽  
Trophic Links ◽  
Host Plant Use

A long-term goal in evolutionary ecology is to explain the incredible diversity of insect herbivores and patterns of host plant use in speciose groups like tropical Lepidoptera. Here, we used standardized food-web data, multigene phylogenies of both trophic levels and plant chemistry data to model interactions between Lepidoptera larvae (caterpillars) from two lineages (Geometridae and Pyraloidea) and plants in a species-rich lowland rainforest in New Guinea. Model parameters were used to make and test blind predictions for two hectares of an exhaustively sampled forest. For pyraloids, we relied on phylogeny alone and predicted 54% of species-level interactions, translating to 79% of all trophic links for individual insects, by sampling insects from only 15% of local woody plant diversity. The phylogenetic distribution of host-plant associations in polyphagous geometrids was less conserved, reducing accuracy. In a truly quantitative food web, only 40% of pair-wise interactions were described correctly in geometrids. Polyphenol oxidative activity (but not protein precipitation capacity) was important for understanding the occurrence of geometrids (but not pyraloids) across their hosts. When both foliar chemistry and plant phylogeny were included, we predicted geometrid–plant occurrence with 89% concordance. Such models help to test macroevolutionary hypotheses at the community level.

scholarly journals Multi-trophic communities re-establish with canopy cover and microclimate in a subtropical forest biodiversity experiment

Oecologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Fornoff ◽  
Michael Staab ◽  
Chao-Dong Zhu ◽  
Alexandra-Maria Klein
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Wasp Species

AbstractPlant diversity affects multi-trophic communities, but in young regrowth forests, where forest insects are in the process of re-establishment, other biotic and also abiotic factors might be more important. We studied cavity-nesting bees, wasps and their natural enemies along an experimental tree diversity gradient in subtropical South-East China. We compared insect communities of experimental young forests with communities of established natural forests nearby the experiment and tested for direct and indirect effects of tree diversity, tree basal area (a proxy of tree biomass), canopy cover and microclimate on bee and wasp community composition, abundance and species richness. Finally, we tested if the trophic levels of bees, herbivore-hunting wasps, spider-hunting wasps and their natural enemies respond similarly. Forest bee and wasp community composition re-established towards communities of the natural forest with increasing tree biomass and canopy cover. These factors directly and indirectly, via microclimatic conditions, increased the abundance of bees, wasps and their natural enemies. While bee and wasp species richness increased with abundance and both were not related to tree diversity, abundance increased directly with canopy cover, mediated by tree biomass. Abundance of natural enemies increased with host (bee and wasp) abundance irrespective of their trophic position. In conclusion, although maximizing tree diversity is an important goal of reforestation and forest conservation, rapid closure of canopies is also important for re-establishing communities of forest bees, wasps and their natural enemies.

Variation in natural plant products and the attraction of bodyguards involved in indirect plant defenseThe present review is one in the special series of reviews on animal–plant interactions.

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
pp. 628-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Mumm ◽  
Marcel Dicke
Keyword(s):  
Plant Defense ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Green Leaf Volatiles ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Leaf Volatiles ◽  
Plant Volatile ◽  
Indirect Plant Defense

Plants can respond to feeding or egg deposition by herbivorous arthropods by changing the volatile blend that they emit. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) can attract carnivorous natural enemies of the herbivores, such as parasitoids and predators, a phenomenon that is called indirect plant defense. The volatile blends of infested plants can be very complex, sometimes consisting of hundreds of compounds. Most HIPVs can be classified as terpenoids (e.g., (E)-β-ocimene, (E,E)-α-farnesene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene), green leaf volatiles (e.g., hexanal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate), phenylpropanoids (e.g., methyl salicylate, indole), and sulphur- or nitrogen-containing compounds (e.g., isothiocyanates or nitriles, respectively). One highly intriguing question has been which volatiles out of the complex blend are the most important ones for the carnivorous natural enemies to locate "suitable host plants. Here, we review the methods and techniques that have been used to elucidate the carnivore-attracting compounds. Electrophysiological methods such as electroantennography have been used with parasitoids to elucidate which compounds can be perceived by the antennae. Different types of elicitors and inhibitors have widely been applied to manipulate plant volatile blends. Furthermore, transgenic plants that were genetically modified in specific steps in one of the signal transduction pathways or biosynthetic routes have been used to find steps in HIPV emission crucial for indirect plant defense. Furthermore, we provide an overview on biotic and abiotic factors that influence the emission of HIPVs and how this can affect the interactions between members of different trophic levels. Consequently, we review the progress that has been made in this exciting research field during the past 30 years since the first studies on HIPVs emerged and we highlight important issues to be addressed in the future.

Interactions Among Three Trophic Levels: Influence of Plants on Interactions Between Insect Herbivores and Natural Enemies

1980 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
P W Price ◽  
C E Bouton ◽  
P Gross ◽  
B A McPheron ◽  
J N Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Insect Herbivores

Evolutionary Ecology across Three Trophic Levels

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
WARREN G. ABRAHAMSON ◽  
ARTHUR E. WEIS
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Trophic Levels

scholarly journals Trophic interactions and biodiversity: How natural enemies shape biodiversity: a double-edged sword

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Mestre ◽  
Robert D. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Adaptive Radiation ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Substantial Portion ◽  
Top Down ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Biodiversity Preservation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Regulation Mechanisms

Natural enemies, that is, species that inflict harm on others to feed on them, are fundamental drivers of biodiversity dynamics and represent a substantial portion of it. Along the life history of the Earth, natural enemies have been involved in probably some of the most productive mechanisms of biodiversity genesis; that is, adaptive radiation mediated by enemy-victim coevolutionary processes. At ecological timescales, natural enemies are a fundamental piece of food webs and can contribute to biodiversity preservation by promoting stability and coexistence at lower trophic levels through top-down regulation mechanisms. However, natural enemies often produce dramatic losses of biodiversity wherein, in most cases, humans take part of it.

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