scholarly journals Plant population structure and insect herbivory on Solanum mauritianum Scopoli (Solanaceae) in southern Brazil: a support to biological control

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deise Mari Barboza ◽  
Márcia Cristina Mendes Marques ◽  
José Henrique Pedrosa-Macedo ◽  
Terence Olckers

Solanum mauritianum Scopoli (Solanaceae), a native Brazilian shrub, has become naturalized and invasive in several countries. In South Africa, where invasions are severe, herbivorous insects that attack S. mauritianum in its native area have been considered for introduction as biological control agents. To assess the action of such herbivores on the plant, studies were carried out on a population of S. mauritianum in an area undergoing regeneration in southern Brazil. An analysis of the structure of that population was performed, as well as of herbivory by insects, in particular of Anthonomus (Curculionidae). The population structure showed an "inverted J" pattern in diameter classes, but not in height classes. Individual plants showed an aggregate distribution. The damage caused by Anthonomus did not amount to the loss of a large leaf area, but since it was inflicted on young leaves and in a large proportion, could lead to the survival decrease.

2010 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 637-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda C.G. Cardoso ◽  
Ana P.B. Salvalaggio ◽  
Márcia C.M. Marques

The expectations that shade-tolerant forest species show 1) a population structure composed by a high amount of small individuals, and 2) biomass allocation for diameter higher than for height growth, were tested for Rudgea parquioides, a typical shrub in Southern Brazil. We described the size structure (height and stem diameter) and allometrical relations of a R. parquioides population by counting and measuring all the individuals in a 725m² area in the municipality of Curitiba (25"25'S; 49"19'W). A total of 916 individuals (12,634 ind.ha-1) were recorded in the area. The firstexpectation was supported, since distribution by height and diameter classes showed a predominance of small individuals (skewness coefficients > 1). On the other hand, the regression between height and stem base diameter showed slope β < 1, which indicates that growth in height is higher than in diameter, not supporting the second expectation. These results show that life strategies in shade-tolerant species may imply in more trade-off combinations than previously described.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4772 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-348
Author(s):  
JORGE L. M. MARTICORENA ◽  
GRAZIELLE FURTADO MOREIRA ◽  
GILBERTO JOSÉ DE MORAES

Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till is a laelapid genus composed of free living mites, some of which have been produced commercially for use as biological control agents of pest organisms. They are edaphic and poorly known in Brazil, from where a single species has so far been reported (Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Canestrini)). The objective of this paper is to report the occurrence of three other species from this country, two of which are new to science (G. azul n. sp., G. cerrii n. sp. and G. circularis Hyatt). 


EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Cuda ◽  
Patricia Prade ◽  
Carey R. Minteer-Killian

In the late 1970s, Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), was targeted for classical biological control in Florida because its invasive properties (see Host Plants) are consistent with escape from natural enemies (Williams 1954), and there are no native Schinus spp. in North America. The lack of native close relatives should minimize the risk of damage to non-target plants from introduced biological control agents (Pemberton 2000). [...]


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Philip W. Tipping ◽  
Melissa R. Martin ◽  
Jeremiah R. Foley ◽  
Ryan M. Pierce ◽  
Lyn A. Gettys

AbstractThe potential of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake to reinvade cleared areas was evaluated over a 13-yr period that included two wildfires and the introduction of biological control agents. The first wildfire occurred in 1998 and was followed by a mean of 591.5 recruited seedlings m−2. Recruits from that fire were cleared 7 yr later in July 2005 for a second experiment to evaluate seedling recruitment into cleared areas. Seed rain, seedling recruitment and mortality, and sapling growth rates were measured in four plots located around individual large reproductive trees. A second natural wildfire in 2007 burned through those plots, leading to increases in seed rain followed by a pulse in recruitment of 21.04 seedlings m−2, 96.5% fewer than after the 1998 fire. Recruits in half of the plots around each tree were then treated with regular applications of an insecticide to restrict herbivory by biological control agents, while herbivory was not restricted in the other half. There was no difference in seedling mortality between treatments 1,083 d post-fire (2007) with 96.6% seedling mortality in the unrestricted herbivory treatment and 89.4% mortality in the restricted herbivory treatment. Recruits subjected to the restricted herbivory treatment grew taller than those in the unrestricted herbivory treatment, 101.3 cm versus 37.4 cm. Many of the recruits were attacked by the biological control agents, which slowed their growth. Although solitary M. quinquenervia trees retain some capacity to reinvade areas under specific circumstances, there was a downward trend in their overall invasiveness at this site, with progressively smaller recruitment cohorts due to biological control agents. Land managers should prioritize removing large reproductive trees over treating recently recruited populations, which can be left for many years for the biological control agents to suppress before any additional treatment would be needed.


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