Schön, J.E.; Tiede, Y.; Becker, M.; Donoso, D.A.; Homeier, J.; Limberger, O.; Bendix, J.; Farwig, N. & Brandl, R. (2023): <b>Effects of leaf traits of tropical trees on the abundance and body mass of herbivorous arthropod communities</b>. <i>Plos one</i> <b>18</b>(11), e0288276.
Resource Description
Title:
Effects of leaf traits of tropical trees on the abundance and body mass of herbivorous arthropod communities
FOR816dw ID:
536
Publication Date:
2023-11-30
License and Usage Rights:
Resource Owner(s):
Individual:
Jana E Schön
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Yvonne Tiede
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Marcel Becker
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
David A. Donoso
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Jürgen Homeier
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Oliver Limberger
Contact:
email:
limbergo <at> staff.Uni-Marburg.DE
Georgia [country]
Individual:
Joerg Bendix
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Nina Farwig
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Individual:
Roland Brandl
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> lcrs.de
Abstract:
n tropical forests, herbivorous arthropods remove between 7% up to 48% of leaf area, which has forced plants to evolve defense strategies. These strategies influence the palatability of leaves. Palatability, which reflects a syndrome of leaf traits, in turn influences both the abundance and the mean body mass not only of particular arthropod taxa but also of the total communities. In this study, we tested two hypotheses: (H1) The abundance of two important chewer guilds (‘leaf chewers’ and ‘rostrum chewers’), dominant components of arthropod communities, is positively related to the palatability of host trees. (H2) Lower palatability leads to an increased mean body mass of chewers (Jarman-Bell principle). Arthropods were collected by fogging the canopies of 90 tropical trees representing 31 species in three plots at 1000 m and three at 2000 m a.s.l. Palatability was assessed by measuring several ‘leaf traits’ of each host tree and by conducting a feeding trial with the generalist herbivore Gryllus assimilis (Orthoptera, Gryllidae). Leaf traits provided partial support for H1, as abundance of leaf chewers but not of rostrum chewers was positively affected by the experimentally estimated palatability. There was no support for H2 as neither leaf traits nor experimentally estimated palatability affected the mean body mass of leaf chewers. The mean body mass of rostrum chewers was positively related to palatability. Thus, leaf traits and experimentally estimated palatability influenced the abundance and mean body mass of chewing arthropods on the community level. However, the data were not consistent with the Jarman-Bell principle. Overall, our results suggest that the palatability of leaves is not among the dominant factors influencing abundance and mean body mass of the community of chewing arthropod herbivores. If other factors, such as the microclimate, predation or further (a-)biotic interactions are more important has to be analyzed in refined studies.
Keywords:
| South Ecuador | herbivory | leaf traits |
Literature type specific fields:
ARTICLE
Journal:
Plos one
Volume:
18
Issue:
11
Page Range:
e0288276
Publisher:
Public Library of Science San Francisco, CA USA
Metadata Provider:
Individual:
Jörg Bendix
Contact:
email:
bendix <at> staff.uni-marburg.de
Deutschhausstraße 12
Room No. 02 A 48
35032 Marburg
Faculty of Geography
Germany
