Publikationen
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Hörst, J. (2020): Structural leaf trait effects on the biomass, abundance, community structure and individual sizes of folivorous insects in the canopy of a tropical mountain rainforest ecosystem Philipps-Universität Marburg, master thesis
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Abstract:
Abstract:
Being the most important herbivores in the tropics, insects play a key role in the trophic cascades and nutrient cycles of rainforest ecosystems. It is not fully understood, however, which drivers influence the biomass, abundance, individual size and functional community structure of these secondary consumers. In this study, we investigate the effects of morphological leaf traits such as leaf thickness, water content, physical resistance and specific leaf area on folivorous insect communities in the canopy of a primary tropical montane rainforest in South Ecuador. Via canopy fogging, we collected 52 community samples. Insects were assigned to five feeding guilds and their total and relative biomass, abundance and individual weights were modelled using leaf traits of the respective trees. We found that tree species identity was the main predictor of community structure. Leaf thickness and water content also played a significant role, the latter especially reducing the share of caterpillars within the community. Feeding guilds were differently affected by leaf characteristics: e.g. coleoptera and orthoptera showed no significant reaction to food quality parameters. Caterpillars again were the only group in which individual sizes were affected by leaf parameters. We assume that they respond more directly because of their need for efficient energy extraction and fast biomass accumulation rates. As water content was a main predictor in many of our models, we suggest that it be used as a measure of food quality in future research rather than N levels per dry mass because it better predicts nutrient levels in the fresh weight of leaves and it is fresh leaves that canopy-inhabiting folivorous insects consume.
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Keywords: |
herbivorous insects |
tree species |
species traits |
Adams, M. & Fiedler, K. (2016): Low Herbivory among Targeted Reforestation Sites in the Andean Highlands of Southern Ecuador.. PLoS ONE 11(3), e0151277.
Adams, M. & Fiedler, K. (2015): The value of targeted reforestations for local insect diversity: a case study from the Ecuadorian Andes.. Biodiversity and Conservation 24, 2709-2734.
Strutzenberger, P. & Fiedler, K. (2011): Temporal patterns of diversification in Andean Eois, a species-rich clade of moths (Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24, 919-925.
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DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02216.x
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Abstract:
Abstract:
The timing of the origin of present day Neotropical animal diversity is still a matter of debate. For a long time, a preponderance of glacial (i.e. Pleistocene) radiations has been proposed. However, recent data from molecular clock studies indicate a preglacial origin for most of the examined taxa. We performed a fossil-calibrated molecular dating analysis of the genus Eois, which is a major component of one of the world?s most diverse assemblages of herbivorous insects. We found that diversification of Eois took place in the Miocene following a pattern best explained by density-dependent diversification. A strong slowdown of diversification towards the present was detected. Diversification of Eois does overlap with increased Andean uplift and diversification of the most commonly used host plant genus Piper. These findings match the patterns found for the majority of Neotropical tetrapods and for three other unrelated, ecologically different lepidopteran genera.
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Keywords: |
herbivorous insects |
radiation patterns |
biodiversity hotspots |
density-dependent diversification |
lognormal uncorrelated clock |