Vertical stratification and effect of petiole and dry leaf size on arthropod feeding guilds in Cecropia pachystachya(Urticaceae)

AbstractThis study aimed to test for vertical stratification and the effects of dry leaf size on herbivore and predator arthropods and petiole length on insect borers in Cecropia pachystachya. The leaves were sampled in three strata: attached to the plant, suspended on the vegetation and on the ground. We detected vertical stratification only in the guild of predator arthropods associated with dry leaves, with lower richness and abundance in the attached stratum. In addition, larger leaves positively affected the insect herbivore fauna, whereas the richness and abundance of insect borers increased with petiole length. The greater isolation of leaves attached to trees relative to the surrounding vegetation likely creates greater difficulty for dispersal and colonization by non-winged predators such as spiders. Larger dry leaves provide more shelter against predators and climate variations for insect herbivores. Moreover, larger petioles increase the availability of resources and nesting sites for insect borers. These results are consistent with other studies that found a similarity in the structure of feeding guilds across vertical strata and with studies that showed an increase in species richness and abundance of free-feeding insect herbivores with increasing structural complexity of their host.

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The impact of leaf shape on the feeding preference of insect herbivores: experimental and field studies with Capsella and Phyllotreta

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.1996.0149 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 351 (1348) ◽

pp. 1671-1677 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Keyword(s):

Leaf Shape ◽

Laboratory Data ◽

Leaf Size ◽

Field Studies ◽

Feeding Preference ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Flea Beetles ◽

Shape Effects ◽

Leaf Size And Shape ◽

The Impact

Leaves display an enormous array of sizes and shapes. Although these attributes appear to have evolved primarily in response to abiotic conditions in the plant’s habitat, the importance of insect herbivores as additional selective agents is still poorly understood. A necessary requirem ent for leaf size and shape to evolve in response to attack by insects is that insects must respond to and/or be affected by, leaf morphology. We tested leaf-shape preferences in adult flea beetles ( Phyllotreta spp.) feeding on the highly variable rosette leaves of Capsella bursa-pastoris . Contrary to theoretical expectation (Brown & Lawton 1991), leaves with deeply lobed margins were more intensely damaged, both in field-collected and experimental plants. In two ancillary experiments with Capsella , we found that Spodoptera caterpillars showed no preferences for leaf shape, but that adult vine weevils ( Otiorhynchus sulcatus ) did, preferring (as predicted), undivided over divided leaves. We conclude that Brown & Law ton’s (1991) hypothesis is at best weakly supported by laboratory data for vine weevils, refuted by laboratory data for Spodoptera , and consistently refuted by both laboratory and field data for flea beetles. Although the experiment tried to reduce confounding variables to a minimum, interpretation was complicated by correlations between leaf shape and other developmental parameters of the plants, and highlights the difficulty of disentangling leaf-shape effects from other confounding factors.

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Insect herbivores associated with Baccharis dracunculifolia(Asteraceae): responses of gall-forming and free-feeding insects to latitudinal variation

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v0i0.3408 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marcílio Fagundes ◽

G. Wilson Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Latitudinal Variation ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Free Feeding

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The island rule and its application to multiple plant traits

10.26686/wgtn.17136800 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Annemieke Hendriks

Keyword(s):

Plant Traits ◽

Leaf Size ◽

Small Islands ◽

Small Species ◽

Island Rule ◽

Petiole Length ◽

Island Endemics ◽

Species Pairs ◽

Size Diversity ◽

Plant Stature

<p>The Island Rule refers to a continuum of body size changes where large mainland species evolve to become smaller and small species evolve to become larger on islands. Previous work focuses almost solely on animals, with virtually no previous tests of its predictions on plants. I tested for (1) reduced floral size diversity on islands, a logical corollary of the island rule and (2) evidence of the Island Rule in plant stature, leaf size and petiole length. Endemic island plants originated from small islands surrounding New Zealand; Antipodes, Auckland, Bounty, Campbell, Chatham, Kermadec, Lord Howe, Macquarie, Norfolk, Snares, Stewart and the Three Kings. I compared the morphology of 65 island endemics and their closest ‘mainland’ relative. Species pairs were identified. Differences between archipelagos located at various latitudes were also assessed. Floral sizes were reduced on islands relative to the ‘mainland’, consistent with predictions of the Island Rule. Plant stature, leaf size and petiole length conformed to the Island Rule, with smaller plants increasing in size, and larger plants decreasing in size. Results indicate that the conceptual umbrella of the Island Rule can be expanded to plants, accelerating understanding of how plant traits evolve on isolated islands.</p>

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Sweet Potato Canopy Morphology: Leaf Distribution

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.115.1.39 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 115 (1) ◽

pp. 39-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Zana C. Somda ◽

Stanley J. Kays

Keyword(s):

Leaf Area ◽

Sweet Potato ◽

Ipomoea Batatas ◽

Plant Density ◽

Leaf Size ◽

Progressive Increase ◽

Leaf Number ◽

Petiole Length ◽

Plant Densities ◽

Leaf Distribution

Changes in leaf distribution of the sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] cultivar Jewel were assessed bi-weekly for 18 weeks at three plant densities (15, 30, and 45 cm × 96-cm spacing). The distribution of leaves on the branches and the timing at which leaf number stabilized were affected by the plant density. Plant density resulted in significant differences in the number of leaves and percentage of missing leaves during the growing season. Leaf number and total leaf area varied substantially in response to plant density, but individual lamina and petiole lengths and leaf area did not vary. Average petiole and leaf lengths and leaf size increased during the season, with the maximum length and area dependent on the type of branch on which the leaf was formed. Average petiole length per branch and the susceptibility to leaf loss increased with descending branch hierarchy (secondary branch < primary branch < main stem). Leaf losses after the 4th week tended to parallel a progressive increase in petiole length of new leaves, suggesting shading as a primary cause of leaf shedding and the loss of the oldest leaves first.

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Reef Fish Associations with Natural and Artificial Structures in the Florida Keys

Oceans ◽

10.3390/oceans2030036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 634-647

Author(s):

Kara Noonan ◽

Thomas Fair ◽

Kristiaan Matthee ◽

Kelsey Sox ◽

Kylie Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reef Fish ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Structural Complexity ◽

Florida Keys ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

Artificial Structures ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Rugose Coral ◽

Caribbean Coral Reefs ◽

The Caribbean

Throughout the Caribbean, coral reefs are transitioning from rugose, coral-dominated communities to flat, soft coral-dominated habitats, triggering declines in biodiversity. To help mitigate these losses, artificial structures have been used to re-create substrate complexity and support reef inhabitants. This study used natural and artificial structures to investigate the factors influencing the use of habitat by reef fish. During 2018 and 2019, divers added artificial structures and monitored the fish assemblages associating with both the artificial structures and naturally occurring corals. Overall, there were more fish on natural structures than on artificial structures. While structure shape did not influence fish use, there was a non-significant trend for increased use of larger structures. Fish observations did not differ across a gradient of shallow, complex reefs to deeper, flatter reefs; however, analyses of feeding guilds revealed clearer patterns: herbivores and omnivores were positively associated with low rugosity reefs where macroalgal abundance was higher, whereas invertivores preferred more rugose reefs. These results suggest that as reefs lose structural complexity, fish communities may become dominated by herbivores and omnivores. It also appears that the addition of artificial structures of the type used here may not mitigate the effects of structure loss on reef fish assemblages.

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Less Is More: A Mutation in the Chemical Defense Pathway of Erysimum cheiranthoides (Brassicaceae) Reduces Total Cardenolide Abundance but Increases Resistance to Insect Herbivores

10.1101/2020.05.01.072850 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mahdieh Mirzaei ◽

Tobias Züst ◽

Amy P. Hastings ◽

Anurag A. Agrawal ◽

Georg Jander

Keyword(s):

National Science Foundation ◽

Chemical Defenses ◽

Chemical Diversity ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

National Science Foundation Grant ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Less Is More ◽

Chemical Structures ◽

Erysimum Cheiranthoides ◽

National Science

AbstractMany plants produce structurally related defensive metabolites with the same target sites in insect herbivores. Two possible drivers of this chemical diversity are: (i) interacting effects of structurally related compounds increase resistance against individual herbivores, and (ii) variants of the same chemical structures differentially affect diverse herbivore species or feeding guilds. Erysimum cheiranthoides L (Brassicaceae; wormseed wallflower) produces abundant and diverse cardenolide toxins, which are derived from digitoxigenin, cannogenol, and strophanthidin, all of which inhibit Na+/K+-ATPases in animal cells. Here we describe an E. cheiranthoides mutant with 66% lower cardenolide content, resulting from greatly decreased cannogenol- and strophanthidin-derived cardenolides, partially compensated for by increases in digitoxigenin-derived cardenolides. This compositional change created a more even cardenolide distribution, decreased the average cardenolide polarity, but did not impact glucosinolates, a different class of chemical defenses. Growth of generalist herbivores from two feeding guilds, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae; green peach aphid) and Trichoplusia ni Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae; cabbage looper), was decreased on the mutant line compared to wildtype. Both herbivores accumulated cardenolides in proportion to plant content, with T. ni accumulating higher total concentrations than M. persicae. Helveticoside, an abundant cardenolide in E. cheiranthoides, was absent in M. persicae, suggesting that this compound is not present in the phloem. Our results support the hypothesis that cardenolide diversity protects plants against different herbivores, with digitoxigenin-derived compounds providing better protection against insects like M. persicae and T. ni, whereas cannogenol and strophanthidin provide better protection against other herbivores of E. cheiranthoides.FundingThis research was funded by US National Science Foundation awards 1907491 to AAA and 1645256 to GJ and AAA, Swiss National Science Foundation grant PZ00P3-161472 to TZ, and a Triad Foundation grant to GJ.

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Variation in waterlogging response among ecotypes of Trifolium subterraneum ssp. yanninicum and their relationships with site of origin

10.21203/rs.3.rs-896192/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gereltsetseg Enkhbat ◽

Megan H. Ryan ◽

Phillip G. H. Nichols ◽

Kevin J. Foster ◽

Yoshiaki Inukai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Leaf Size ◽

Trifolium Subterraneum ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Phenotypic Traits ◽

Petiole Length ◽

Waterlogging Tolerance ◽

Seedling Traits ◽

Shoot Dry Weight ◽

Summer Temperatures ◽

Length Reduction

Abstract Background and AimsIn the annual pasture legume Trifolium subterraneum, ssp. yanninicum exhibits higher waterlogging tolerance than ssp. brachycalycinum and ssp. subterraneum. This study investigates waterlogging tolerance within ssp. yanninicum ecotypes and explores correlations with seedling phenotypic traits and site of origin eco-geographic variables.MethodsTwenty eight diverse ssp. yanninicum ecotypes collected from the Mediterranean region and four cultivars were grown in a controlled environment glasshouse. After 14 days of growth seedling traits were measured. After 21 days of growth, free-drained (control) and waterlogged treatments were imposed for 28 days. Eco-geographic variables were generated from ‘WorldClim’ using collection site locations.ResultsUnder waterlogging, shoot relative growth rate (RGR) ranged from 87–108% and root RGR ranged from 80–116% of controls. Waterlogging reduced shoot dry weight (DW) in four of 32 genotypes, while root DW was reduced in 13 genotypes. Leaf size was maintained, or even increased, under waterlogging in 31 genotypes. However, petiole length was more affected by waterlogging and has value as a waterlogging tolerance indicator. Waterlogging tolerance was not significantly correlated with seedling DW, flowering time or precipitation at the site of origin, while shoot growth under waterlogging had a positive correlation with summer temperatures at origin.ConclusionsGenotypes of ssp. yanninicum tolerated transient waterlogging and greater tolerance was observed among ecotypes, rather than cultivars. An easy-to-measure indicator of tolerance was found in petiole length reduction. This study highlights untapped genotypic variability for breeders to improve the productivity and persistence of ssp. yanninicum under waterlogging.

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The diversity of leaves and asiaticoside content on three accessions of Centella asiatica with the addition of chicken manure fertilizer

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity ◽

10.13057/biodiv/d210325 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Happy Maratul ◽

YULI WIDYASTUTI ◽

SUPRIYONO ◽

Ahmad Yunus

Keyword(s):

Leaf Morphology ◽

Centella Asiatica ◽

Leaf Size ◽

Chicken Manure ◽

Leaf Width ◽

Petiole Length ◽

Randomized Design ◽

Completely Randomized Design ◽

Chloroform Methanol ◽

Observation Results

Abstract. Mumtazah HM, Supriyono, Widyastuti Y, Yunus A. 2020. The diversity of leaves and asiaticoside content on three accessions of Centella asiatica with the addition of chicken manure fertilizer. Biodiversitas 21: 1035-1040. Centella asiatica (L.) commonly known as an essential medicinal herb. This plant has high diversity, especially in leaf morphology. The main objective of this research was to determine the morphology of leaves and the effect of chicken manure dosage on the increase of asiaticoside content. The leaves of three accessions characterized, and then C. asiatica planted. The research design used a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial, with the first factor is accession (C) with 3 levels (C1: accession 1, C2: accession 2, C3: accession 3). The second factor was chicken manure with 4 levels dosage (P1: 0 ton ha-1, P2: 10 tons ha-1, P3: 15 tons ha-1 and P4: 20 tons ha-1). Asiaticoside analysis used the TLC method with chloroform: methanol: water (65:25:4) as mobile phase. The result from this research showed that the diversity in leaf morphology of three accessions is in leaf size and petiole length. Accession 3 has the widest leaf size (7.3 cm) and the longest petiole (9.8 cm), accession 2 with a leaf width of 5.8 cm and petiole length in 8.5 cm, while the accession 1 has the least leaf width (5.3 cm) and the length of the petiole is the shortest with 7.3 cm. Observation results of asiaticoside showed that the highest content of asiaticoside produced by accession 3 (0.19%), then accession 1 with a content of 0.15%, while accession 2 showed the lowest asiaticoside content (0.13%). The treatment of chicken manure addition significantly increase asiaticoside content in accessions 1 and 3, but in accession 2 it was not significantly increased. The highest content of asiaticoside (0.34%) were in accession 3 with the addition of chicken manure 20 tons ha-1 (P4).

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Bat community structure at Iwokrama Forest, Guyana

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467401001481 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 647-665 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

BURTON K. LIM ◽

MARK D. ENGSTROM

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Forest Canopy ◽

Relative Size ◽

Ground Level ◽

Common Species ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Vertical Stratification ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

Artibeus Lituratus

With 86 species, Iwokrama Forest in central Guyana has the highest reported bat biodiversity for a protected area in the world. Using standardized capture data for 73 of these 86 species, we document community structure of bats in terms of species diversity, relative abundance, gross biomass, feeding guilds, vertical stratification and a trophic-size niche matrix. Based on faunal surveys in 1997, with similar amounts of effort in the forest canopy and at ground level, the greater fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus) was by far the most ecologically dominant species in terms of frequency of capture and biomass. In total, frugivores comprised 70% of the species diversity and 78% of the biomass. The most common species of bat were fully partitioned in a resource niche matrix of size and trophic guild when vertical stratification was included as a variable. We conclude that resource partitioning and species packing differentially affect relative size in tropical bats, and are better summarized and analysed in three dimensions.

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