scholarly journals Absence of Consistent Pattern Between Seasons or Among Species in Effects of Leaf Size on Insect Herbivory

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
Li Feng ◽  
Zhiyun Lu ◽  
Bo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Insect Herbivory ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Shaped Pattern

Abstract Insect herbivory on plant leaves is a major determinant of plant fitness, especially the growth and survival of tree seedlings in forests. Leaf size is believed to significantly affect the intensity of herbivory. Studies often assume the relationship between leaf size and herbivory to be monotonic; however, it is influenced by many factors—the magnitude and direction of whose effects are different—indicating a complex non-monotonic pattern. In this study, we investigated the herbivory of 5754 leaves of 422 seedlings belonging to 43 subtropical tree species over two seasons in southwest China. The effects of leaf size on herbivory differed among seasons; a hump-shaped pattern was detected in December, while a pattern of monotonic increase was detected in September. A variety of patterns including complex non-monotonic patterns presenting U-shaped and hump-shaped patterns, as well as patterns indicating monotonic decrease and increase existed, although most species displayed a leaf-size-independent pattern. The relationship between leaf size and insect herbivory does not follow a constant rule, but differs across species and seasons, indicating that the effects of leaf size on the foraging preferences of insect herbivores may be contingent on both external (e.g., temperature) and intrinsic (e.g., other leaf traits) factors. Therefore, a one-off survey focusing a few species may provide misleading understanding on the overall pattern of the effect of leaf size on herbivory. Similar variations may also exist in other ecological processes, which should be given due consideration in future studies on biotic interactions.

scholarly journals Relationships Among the Feeding Behaviors of a Mirid Bug on Cotton Leaves of Different Ages and Plant Biochemical Substances

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Song ◽  
Zhaoke Dong ◽  
Lili Li ◽  
Zengbin Lu ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Leaf Age ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Cotton Leaf ◽  
Young Plant ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Probing Behavior ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Mirid Bug ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae) tends to feed on young plant tissues. To explore the relationship between stylet probing behaviors of adult A. lucorum and conditions of cotton leaves, we conducted an experiment using electropenetrography (EPG). Behaviors were recorded on four cotton varieties, in relation to thickness and biochemical traits of differently-aged leaves. Cotton leaf age had a significant effect on the probing behavior of A. lucorum but cotton variety did not. One-day-old leaves of A. lucorum received the highest mean number of stylet probes (penetrations) per insect, and longest mean durations per insect of combined stylet probing or its components, cell rupture and ingestion behaviors. All of the leaf traits (thickness and biochemical substances) were similar among these four cotton varieties. Leaf thickness had a significantly negative effect on the same four variables above. Gossypol and tannin also had a negative impact on combined probing duration. Redundancy analysis showed that the four EPG variables were closely related to nutrient substances (amino acids, sugar, and water) while they had the opposite relationship with plant defense substances (gossypol and tannin). On cotton in the seedling stages, A. lucorum fed more readily on the youngest, thinnest leaves in our no-choice EPG experiments. Nutrients and chemical resistance substances determined the probing duration of A. lucorum. Our findings can contribute to better understanding of patterns of feeding and host consumption by A. lucorum, ultimately improving cotton resistance to A. lucorum.

scholarly journals Protein utilization, growth and survival in essential-fatty-acid-deficient rats

1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiani Jeyakumar Henry ◽  
Amal Ghusain-Choueiri ◽  
Philip R. Payne
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Coconut Oil ◽  
Deficient Diet ◽  
Protein Utilization ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Retarded Growth ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe relationship between essential fatty acids (EFA) deficiency and the utilization of dietary protein, growth rate and survival of offspring was investigated in rats during development and reproduction. EFA deficiency was induced by feeding a 200 g casein/kg-based diet containing 70 g hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO)/lkg as the only source of fat. The conversion efficiency of dietary protein was assessed as net protein utilization (NPU), using a 10 d comparative carcass technique. Consumption of the deficient diet during the 10 d assay period induced biochemical changes characteristic of mild EFA deficiency in humans (triene:tetraene 0·27 (SD 0·04) compared with 0·026 (SD 0·004) for wn-deficient controls), but there were no significant changes in growth rate or protein utilization. These variables were also unchanged when the deficient diet was fed for an additional 7 d before the assay, although triene: tetraene increased to 0.8 (SD 0·02). Feeding the deficient diet for 63 d before assay produced severe EFA deficiency (triene:tetraene 1.4 (SD 0·3) v. 0·036 (SD 0·005) for controls), a fall in growth rate (25% during assay period), and NPU (31.5 (SD 0·63) v. 39.0 (SD 0·93) for controls). These severely-EFA-deficient animals had a 30% higher fasting-resting rate of energy metabolism than that of age-matched controls. However, there was no change in the rate of endogenous N loss. Voluntary energy consumption was increased in animals fed on deficient diets, either with 200 g protein/kg, or protein free. The reduced efficiency of protein utilization could be entirely accounted for by the restricted amount of energy available for growth and protein deposition. Consumption of an EFA-deficient diet during pregnancy and lactation resulted in high mortality (11% survival rate at weaning compared with 79% for controls) and retarded growth in the preweaning offspring. It is concluded that animals are particularly sensitive to EFA deficiency during reproduction and pre- and post-natal stages of development. However, after weaning only severe EFA deficiency retarded growth, primarily through changes in energy balance.

scholarly journals Testing for local adaptation and evolutionary potential along 1 altitudinal gradients in rainforest Drosophila: beyond laboratory estimates

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor K. O’Brien ◽  
Megan Higgie ◽  
Alan Reynolds ◽  
Ary A. Hoffmann ◽  
Jon R. Bridle
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Environmental Variation ◽  
Species Range ◽  
Altitudinal Gradients ◽  
Low Altitude ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTPredicting how species will respond to the rapid climatic changes predicted this century is an urgent task. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) use the current relationship between environmental variation and species’ abundances to predict the effect of future environmental change on their distributions. However, two common assumptions of SDMs are likely to be violated in many cases: (1) that the relationship of environment with abundance or fitness is constant throughout a species’ range and will remain so in future, and (2) that abiotic factors (e.g. temperature, humidity) determine species’ distributions. We test these assumptions by relating field abundance of the rainforest fruit fly Drosophila birchii to ecological change across gradients that include its low and high altitudinal limits. We then test how such ecological variation affects the fitness of 35 D. birchii families transplanted in 591 cages to sites along two altitudinal gradients, to determine whether genetic variation in fitness responses could facilitate future adaptation to environmental change. Overall, field abundance was highest at cooler, high altitude sites, and declined towards warmer, low altitude sites. By contrast, cage fitness (productivity) increased towards warmer, lower altitude sites, suggesting that biotic interactions (absent from cages) drive ecological limits at warmer margins. In addition, the relationship between environmental variation and abundance varied significantly among gradients, indicating divergence in ecological niche across the species’ range. However, there was no evidence for local adaptation within gradients, despite greater productivity of high altitude than low altitude populations when families were reared under laboratory conditions. Families also responded similarly to transplantation along gradients, providing no evidence for fitness trade-offs that would favour local adaptation. These findings highlight the importance of (1) measuring genetic variation of key traits under ecologically relevant conditions, and (2) considering the effect of biotic interactions when predicting species’ responses to environmental change.

scholarly journals Does insect herbivory suppress ecosystem productivity? Evidence from a temperate woodland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristiina Visakorpi ◽  
Sofia Gripenberg ◽  
Yadvinder Malhi ◽  
Terhi Riutta
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Leaf Gas Exchange ◽  
Insect Herbivory ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Area Loss ◽  
Leaf Area Loss ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractOur current understanding of the relationship between insect herbivory and ecosystem productivity is limited. Previous studies have typically quantified only leaf area loss, or have been conducted during outbreak years. These set-ups often ignore the physiological changes taking place in the remaining plant tissue after insect attack, or may not represent typical, non-outbreak herbivore densities. Here, we estimate the amount of carbon lost to insect herbivory in a temperate deciduous woodland both through leaf area loss and, notably, through changes in leaf gas exchange in non-consumed leaves under non-outbreak densities of insects. We calculate how net primary productivity changes with decreasing and increasing levels of herbivory, and estimate what proportion of the carbon involved in the leaf area loss is transferred further in the food web. We estimate that the net primary productivity of an oak stand under ambient levels of herbivory is 54 - 69% lower than that of a completely intact stand. The effect of herbivory quantified only as leaf area loss (0.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) is considerably smaller than when the effects of herbivory on leaf physiology are included (8.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). We propose that the effect of herbivory on primary productivity is non-linear and mainly determined by changes in leaf gas exchange. We call for replicated studies in other systems to validate the relationship between insect herbivory and ecosystem productivity described here.

scholarly journals Insect herbivory on urban trees: Complementary effects of tree neighbours and predation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Stemmelen ◽  
Alain Paquette ◽  
Marie-Lise Benot ◽  
Yasmine Kadiri ◽  
Hervé Jactel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insect Herbivory ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
List Type ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Predator Attack ◽  
Peer Community ◽  
Survival Tree

AbstractInsect herbivory is an important component of forest ecosystems functioning and can affect tree growth and survival. Tree diversity is known to influence insect herbivory in natural forest, with most studies reporting a decrease in herbivory with increasing tree diversity. Urban ecosystems, on the other hand, differ in many ways from the forest ecosystem and the drivers of insect herbivory in cities are still debated.We monitored 48 urban trees from five species – three native and two exotic – in three parks of Montreal (Canada) for leaf insect herbivory and predator activity on artificial larvae, and linked herbivory with both predation and tree diversity in the vicinity of focal trees.Leaf insect herbivory decreased with increasing tree diversity and with increasing predator attack rate.Our findings indicate that tree diversity is a key determinant of multitrophic interactions between trees, herbivores and predators in urban environments and that managing tree diversity could contribute to pest control in cities.This article has been peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecologyhttps://doi.org/10.24072/pci.ecology.100061

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Flexible Dam Operation and Sediment Replenishment at Managawa Dam, Japan

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 691-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsumi Matsushima ◽  
Makoto Hyodo ◽  
Noriyuki Shibata ◽  
Yoshihiro Shimizu ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flood Pulse ◽  
Demonstration Project ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fluvial Systems ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Dam Operation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

A field demonstration project on flexible dam operation at the Managawa dam in the Kuzuryu River Basin has been implemented since 2000. The goal is to restore flow and sediment regimes in the Managawa River, which flows along the Ono-city and is located below the dam. Flexible dam operation stores inflow discharge into a reservoir, which generally uses part of the flood control capacity and appropriately discharges the stored water to the river, also known as the “flood pulse,” for restoring dynamic fluvial systems and the resulting ecological processes. In addition, other options have been carried out in combination with flexible dam operation, for example, sediment replenishment since 2003 and channel rehabilitation since 2007. This article reveals the positive impacts and effectiveness of flexible dam operation, sediment replenishment, and channel rehabilitation, and discusses challenges and future prospects toward translating the field demonstration project into dam management on the ground level. First, we classified reach types to identify the impact of various management options, e.g., flexible dam operation, sediment replenishment, and channel rehabilitation. These management options can influence respected reaches. We conducted a macro-scale analysis to understand the relationship between the aforementioned management options and dynamic fluvial systems, addressing changes in gravel riverbed, vegetation, and habitat types (riffles and pools). Second, a micro-scale analysis was conducted to understand the relationship between the management option and changes in attached algae to sediment and macro-invertebrates, etc. The results show the effectiveness of the middle-scale flood pulse to restore dynamic fluvial systems, increase habitat diversity, and sustain ecological processes. Furthermore, we discussed the impacts of such options on the flow and sediment regimes in Managawa River and revealed that flexible dam operation reduces the occurrence of low flow and midscale floods. It was also revealed methods such as sediment replenishment and channel rehabilitation play an important role in increasing the effectiveness of the middle-scale flood pulse and restoring dynamic fluvial systems, even though sediment replenishment is not sufficient to restore sediment regimes (i.e., bring then back to pre-dam conditions).

Geophysical, evolutionary and ecological processes interact to drive phylogenetic dispersion in angiosperm assemblages along the longest elevational gradient in the world

2019 ◽  
Vol 190 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Qian ◽  
Brody Sandel ◽  
Tao Deng ◽  
Ole R Vetaas
Keyword(s):  
Plate Tectonics ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
The World ◽  
Net Relatedness Index ◽  
Phylogenetic Dispersion

AbstractEcologists have embraced phylogenetic measures of assemblage structure, in large part for the promise of better mechanistic inferences. However, phylogenetic structure is driven by a wide array of factors from local biotic interactions to biogeographical history, complicating the mechanistic interpretation of a pattern. This may be particularly problematic along elevational gradients, where rapidly changing physical and biological conditions overlap with geological and biogeographical history, potentially producing complex patterns of phylogenetic dispersion (relatedness). We focus on the longest elevational gradient of vegetation in the world (i.e. c. 6000 m in Nepal) to explore patterns of phylogenetic dispersion for angiosperms (flowering plants) along this elevational gradient. We used the net relatedness index to quantify phylogenetic dispersion for each elevational band of 100 m. We found a zig-zag pattern of phylogenetic dispersion along this elevational gradient. With increasing elevation, the phylogenetic relatedness of species decreased for the elevational segment between 0 and c. 2100 m, increased for the elevational segment between 2100 and c. 4200 m, and decreased for the elevational segment above c. 4200 m. We consider this pattern to be a result of the interaction of geophysical (e.g. plate tectonics) and eco-evolutionary processes (e.g. niche conservatism and trait convergence). We speculate on the mechanisms that might have generated this zig-zag pattern of phylogenetic dispersion.

Relationship between sugar maple budburst phenology and pear thrips damage

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1043-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Kolb ◽  
D. A. J. Teulon
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Area Reduction ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Leaf Area Reduction ◽  
Oviposition Sites ◽  
Damage Symptoms ◽  
Budburst Phenology

The relationship between budburst phenology and damage by the pear thrips (Taeniothripsinconsequens (Uzel) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)) to sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) foliage was investigated in two studies. In the first study, seedlings in cages were exposed to adult thrips at different stages of budburst. Compared with uninfested control seedlings, introduction of five adult thrips per bud reduced total leaf area and average leaf size, and caused chlorosis, tattering, and cupping of leaves. Leaf area reduction and damage symptoms were greater for seedlings exposed to thrips when leaf margins were first visible at the tip of the bud compared with earlier and later stages of budburst. In the second study, budburst date and number of thrips oviposition sites on leaves (an index of thrips activity) were measured in a common-garden test of maple saplings from open-pollinated families. Thrips activity was greater on early-breaking than late-breaking buds. Date of opening for these early-breaking buds coincided closely with peak capture of flying thrips. Both budburst date and number of oviposition sites on leaves differed among families. Sugar maple genotypes with late budburst escaped heavy thrips damage. The results indicate that timing of vegetative budburst in sugar maple can influence the degree of thrips damage.

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