Download or read book Consequences of Long term Herbivory for a Perennial Plant written by María Uriarte and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Consequences of Herbivory for a Perennial Plant written by Daniel Forest Doak and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Community Level Consequences of Plant Herbivore Interactions written by Tania N. Kim and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: Ecological systems are dynamic, yet many experimental studies examine plant-herbivore interactions as from a simple, static, or single perspective. Reciprocal interactions can have profound effects on communities, and ignoring such feedbacks can result in mismatches between theoretical predictions and experimental results. In this dissertation, I examined reciprocal interactions between two plant species, Solanum carolinense and Solidago altissima and their insect herbivores. In chapter 2, I examined how insect herbivores influenced plant competition and coexistence. Theory suggests that herbivores influence plant communities by altering competitive interactions. Because the outcome of competition is influenced by both the per capita competitive ability of plants and demographic processes including density dependence and intrinsic population growth rates, measuring herbivore effects on all these processes is necessary to understand the mechanisms by which herbivores influence plant communities. I fit alternative competition models to data from a response surface experiment conducted over four years to examine how herbivores affected the outcome of competition between two perennial plants, Solanum carolinense and Solidago altissima . Within a growing season, herbivores reduced Solanum plant size, but did not affect Solidago, which exhibited compensatory growth. Across seasons, herbivores did not affect the density of Solanum but reduced both the density and population growth of Solidago. The best fit models indicated that the effects of herbivores varied with year. In some years, herbivores increased the per capita competitive effects of Solidago on Solanum; in other years herbivores influenced the intrinsic population growth rates of Solidago. I examined herbivore effects on the longer-term outcome of competition (over the time-scale of a typical old-field habitat) using simulations based on the best fit models. In the absence of herbivores, plant coexistence was observed. In the presence of herbivores, Solanum was excluded by Solidago in 60% of the simulations. I demonstrated that herbivores can influence the outcome of competition through both changes in per capita competitive effects and changes in demographic processes. I discuss the implications of these results for ecological succession and biocontrol. In chapter 3, I examined how plant community composition influenced damage patterns on plants. Neighboring plants can increase (associational susceptibility) or decrease (associational resistance) the likelihood of damage to a focal plant but their long-term consequences for plant competition and coexistence are unclear. Neighbor effects on damage can occur through changes in the relative density of the focal plant (i.e., frequency of the focal plant), the absolute density of the focal plant, or through the total density of plants, because the different mechanisms known to influence damage patterns (e.g., pest suppression by predators, herbivore foraging behavior, plant quality) respond to different features of the neighborhood. To examine the long-term consequences of neighbor effects for plant communities, an understanding of how density and frequency of plants influence damage is needed. Using a response surface experimental design, I examined the effects of plant density and frequency on damage to Solanum carolinense. I found non-linear effects of the frequency of heterospecific neighbors (Solidago altissima) on Solanum damage, and a positive effect of Solanum density on damage. The non-linear pattern suggests that multiple mechanisms may be operating to influence damage. Non-linear patterns may be common in other habitats but might be overlooked because traditional neighborhood studies use a very narrow range of densities in their experiments. I encourage future neighborhood studies to use response surface designs to determine the prevalence of non-linear relationships in nature. In chapter 4, I examined how neighborhood composition (i.e. plant density and frequency) influenced four mechanisms known to influence damage to plants (predator suppression, foraging behavior of herbivores, plant quality, and microclimate) using a response surface experimental design. An associational effect was observed between Solanum damage and the frequency of a heterospecific neighbor (Solidago altissima). Predator abundance and richness, soil moisture, and herbivore foraging strategies were all influenced by the frequency of Solidago, suggesting that these mechanisms may contribute to associational susceptibility in this interaction. Other mechanisms (microclimate and plant quality) were influenced by Solidago and total plant densities, respectively. This study showed that different mechanisms can be influenced by different components of the neighborhood and most likely interacts to influence damage to plants. I discuss the implications of these finding for agriculture and for understanding the long-term consequences of damage for plant communities. In chapter 5, I examined how herbivory, herbivore community composition, plant nutrient content, and herbivore performance varied with latitude. A longstanding theory in biogeography is that species interactions, including herbivory, are stronger in southern latitudes compared to those in the north. Because of this, the latitudinal gradients (LG) hypothesis in damage and plant defenses predicts that plants should be better defended in the tropics because selection for plant defenses is greater. Recent empirical studies suggest that the predictions from this hypothesis may be limited to a narrow range of systems (e.g. salt marshes). In efforts to understand why LG in herbivory and plant defenses are not prevalent as once thought, I examined relationships between herbivore abundance and richness, plant nutrient content, and latitude in old-field systems. I also examined latitudinal gradients in herbivore performance using generalist and specialist herbivores. Some relationships with latitude matched predictions from the LG hypothesis (e.g. plant nutrient content, damage to Solidago altissima), while others had opposite relationships (e.g. herbivore abundance and richness, damage to Solanum carolinense), and some relationships varied with leaf longevity. Herbivore responses varied with diet specialization and the exact relationship with latitude (linear, non-linear, positive, negative, or no relationship) varied with herbivore species. These results suggest that the predictions from the LG hypothesis are too simple; a more thorough investigation of relationships between herbivore abundance, damage, and plant resistance in other wide-ranging systems is needed.
Download or read book Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens written by Robert S. Fritz and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-07-15 with total page 601 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Far from being passive elements in the landscape, plants have developed many sophisticated chemical and mechanical means of deterring organisms that seek to prey on them. This volume draws together research from ecology, evolution, agronomy, and plant pathology to produce an ecological genetics perspective on plant resistance in both natural and agricultural systems. By emphasizing the ecological and evolutionary basis of resistance, the book makes an important contribution to the study of how phytophages and plants coevolve. Plant Resistance to Herbivores and Pathogens not only reviews the literature pertaining to plant resistance from a number of traditionally separate fields but also examines significant questions that will drive future research. Among the topics explored are selection for resistance in plants and for virulence in phytophages; methods for studying natural variation in plant resistance; the factors that maintain intraspecific variation in resistance; and the ecological consequences of within-population genetic variation for herbivorous insects and fungal pathogens. "A comprehensive review of the theory and information on a large, rapidly growing, and important subject."—Douglas J. Futuyma, State University of New York, Stony Brook
Download or read book Effects of nitrogen deposition on ecosystems above and belowground written by Hui Wang and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-03-09 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book New Perspectives on Nitrogen Cycling in the Temperate and Tropical Americas written by SCOPE Nitrogen Project and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1999-07-31 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nitpov - An etymology of nitrogen and other related words. Contemporary and pre-industrial global reactive nitrogen budgets. Nitrogen stable isotopic composition of leaves and soil: Tropical versus temperate forests. The globalization of N deposition: ecosystem consequences in tropical environments. A nitrogen budget for late-successional hillslope tabonuco forest, Puerto Rico. The impact of accelerating land-use change on the N-cycle of tropical aquatic ecosystems: Current conditions and projected changes. Nitrogen yields from undisturbed watersheds in the Americas. Nitrogen cycling and anthropogenic impact in the tropical interametican seas. Ecosystem constraints to symbiotic nitrogen fixers: a simple model and its implications. Do top-down and bottom-up controls interact to exclude nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria from the plankton of estuaries? An exploration with a simulation model. The presence of nitrogen fixing legumes in terrestrial communities: Evolutionary vs ecological considerations. Nitrogen limitation in dryland ecosystems: Responses to geographical and temporal variation in precipitation.
Download or read book Plant Ecology written by Michael J. Crawley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-06-22 with total page 741 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plant ecology is the scientific study of the factors influencing the distribution and abundance of plants. This benchmark text, extremely well received in its first edition, shows how pattern and structure at different levels of plant organization--from ecophysiology through population dynamics to community structure and ecosystem function--are influenced by abiotic factors (eg, climate and soils) and by biotic factors (eg, competition and herbivory). Adopting a dynamic approach, this book combines descriptive text with theoretical models and experimental data. It will be invaluable reading for both student and practising ecologist alike. In this second edition, the structure of the book has been completely revised, moving from the small scale to the large scale, in keeping with contemporary teaching methods. This fresh approach allows consideration of several new and important topics such as plant secondary chemistry, herbivory, sex, and breeding systems. Additional chapters address topical applied issues in plant ecology including global warming, pollution and biodiversity. The latest edition of a very widely adopted textbook Written by a team of leading experts and edited by an international authority in the field
Download or read book Plant Reproductive Ecology written by Jon Lovett Doust and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1988 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of reviews by leading investigators examines plant reproduction and sexuality within a framework of evolutionary ecology, providing an up-to-date account of the field. The contributors discuss conceptual issues, showing the importance of sex allocation, sexual selection and inclusive fitness, and the dimensions of paternity and maternity in plants. The evolution, maintenance, and loss of self-incompatibility in plants, the nature of 'sex choice' in plants, and sex dimorphism are all explored in detail. Specific forms of biotic interactions shaping the evolution of plant reproductive strategy are discussed, and a taxonomically based review of the reproductive ecology of non-angiosperm plant groups, such as bryophytes, ferns, and algae, is presented. Together these studies focus on the complexities of plant life cycles and the distinctive reproductive biologies of these organisms, while showing the similarities between nonflowering plants and the more thoroughly documented flowering species.
Download or read book Economic Thresholds for Integrated Pest Management written by Leon G. Higley and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Selected bibliography: economic-decision-level literature, 1959-1993, compiled by Robert K.D. Peterson"--P. 297-312.
Download or read book Long Term Ecological Research written by Michael R. Willig and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program is, in a sense, an experiment to transform the nature of science, and represents one of the most effective mechanisms for catalyzing comprehensive site-based research that is collaborative, multidisciplinary, and long-term in nature. The scientific contributions of the Program are prodigious, but the broader impacts of participation have not been examined in a formal way. This book captures the consequences of participation in the Program on the perspectives, attitudes, and practices of environmental scientists. The edited volume comprises three sections. The first section includes two chapters that provide an overview of the history, goals, mission, and inner workings of the LTER network of sites. The second section comprises three dozen retrospective essays by scientists, data managers or educators who represent a broad spectrum of LTER sites from deserts to tropical forests and from arctic to marine ecosystems. Each essay addresses the same series of probing questions to uncover the extent to which participation has affected the ways that scientists conduct research, educate students, or provide outreach to the public. The final section encompasses 5 chapters, whose authors are biophysical scientists, historians, behavioral scientists, or social scientists. This section analyzes, integrates, or synthesizes the content of the previous chapters from multiple perspectives and uncovers emergent themes and future directions.
Download or read book Large Herbivore Ecology Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation written by Kjell Danell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-05-25 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most large herbivores require some type of management within their habitats. Some populations of large herbivores are at the brink of extinction, some are under discussion for reintroduction, whilst others already occur in dense populations causing conflicts with other land use. Large herbivores are the major drivers for forming the shape and function of terrestrial ecosystems. This 2006 book addresses the scientifically based action plans to manage both the large herbivore populations and their habitats worldwide. It covers the processes by which large herbivores not only affect their environment (e.g. grazing) but are affected by it (e.g. nutrient cycling) and the management strategies required. Also discussed are new modeling techniques, which help assess integration processes in a landscape context, as well as assessing the consequences of new developments in the processes of conservation. This book will be essential reading for all involved in the management of both large herbivores and natural resources.
Download or read book The Ecology and Evolution of Ant Plant Interactions written by Victor Rico-Gray and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ants are probably the most dominant insect group on Earth, representing ten to fifteen percent of animal biomass in terrestrial ecosystems. Flowering plants, meanwhile, owe their evolutionary success to an array of interspecific interactions—such as pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory—that have helped to shape their great diversity. The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions brings together findings from the scientific literature on the coevolution of ants and plants to provide a better understanding of the unparalleled success of these two remarkable groups, of interspecific interactions in general, and ultimately of terrestrial biological communities. The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions synthesizes the dynamics of ant-plant interactions, including the sources of variation in their outcomes. Victor Rico-Gray and Paulo S. Oliveira capture both the emerging appreciation of the importance of these interactions within ecosystems and the developing approaches that place studies of these interactions into a broader ecological and evolutionary context. The collaboration of two internationally renowned scientists, The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions will become a standard reference for understanding the complex interactions between these two taxa.
Download or read book Induced Responses to Herbivory written by Richard Karban and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plants face a daunting array of creatures that eat them, bore into them, and otherwise use virtually every plant part for food, shelter, or both. But although plants cannot flee from their attackers, they are far from defenseless. In addition to adaptations like thorns, which may be produced in response to attack, plants actively alter their chemistry and physiology in response to damage. For instance, young potato plant leaves being eaten by potato beetles respond by producing chemicals that inhibit beetle digestive enzymes. Over the past fifteen years, research on these induced responses to herbivory has flourished, and here Richard Karban and Ian T. Baldwin present the first comprehensive evaluation and synthesis of this rapidly developing field. They provide state-of-the-discipline reviews and highlight areas where new research will be most productive. Their comprehensive overview will be welcomed by a wide variety of theoretical and applied researchers in ecology, evolutionary biology, plant biology, entomology, and agriculture.
Download or read book Plant Defenses Against Mammalian Herbivory written by R. Thomas Palo and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1991-08-12 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume summarizes what is currently known about mammalian herbivore-plant interaction, particularly as governed by plant secondary chemistry, and suggests productive avenues for future research. Topics covered include foraging theory and plant chemistry in mammal herbivory; the evolution of herbivory in relation to plant defenses; factors controlling resource allocation to defenses in plants; mechanisms by which herbivorous mammals can counter plant defenses to gain necessary energy and nutrients; and herbivory in deserts, temperate and tropical forests, and boreal forests. Wildlife biologists, agriculturalists, physiologists, nutritionists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists and other researchers interested in mammalian herbivore-plant interaction will find a tremendous store of useful information in this unique book.
Download or read book Manager s Summary ecological Studies of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range 1992 1997 written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecology of Tropical Savannas written by B. J. Huntley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 677 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Aboveground Belowground Linkages written by Richard D. Bardgett and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-07-29 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aboveground-Belowground Linkages provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive synthesis of recent advances in our understanding of the roles that interactions between aboveground and belowground communities play in regulating the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, and their responses to global change. It charts the historical development of this field of ecology and evaluates what can be learned from the recent proliferation of studies on the ecological and biogeochemical significance of aboveground-belowground linkages. The book is structured around four key topics: biotic interactions in the soil; plant community effects; the role of aboveground consumers; and the influence of species gains and losses. A concluding chapter draws together this information and identifies a number of cross-cutting themes, including consideration of aboveground-belowground feedbacks that occur at different spatial and temporal scales, the consequences of these feedbacks for ecosystem processes, and how aboveground-belowground interactions link to human-induced global change.
