Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Plant Reproductive Allocation Predicts Herbivore Dynamics Across Spatial And Temporal Scales, Tom E. X. Miller, Andrew J. Tyre, Svata M. Louda
Plant Reproductive Allocation Predicts Herbivore Dynamics Across Spatial And Temporal Scales, Tom E. X. Miller, Andrew J. Tyre, Svata M. Louda
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Life-history theory suggests that iteroparous plants should be flexible in their allocation of resources toward growth and reproduction. Such plasticity could have consequences for herbivores that prefer or specialize on vegetative versus reproductive structures. To test this prediction, we studied the response of the cactus bug (Narnia pallidicornis) to meristem allocation by tree cholla cactus (Opuntia imbricata). We evaluated the explanatory power of demographic models that incorporated variation in cactus relative reproductive effort (RRE; the proportion of meristems allocated toward reproduction). Field data provided strong support for a single model that defined herbivore fecundity as a …
Invasive Insect Abundance Varies Across The Biogeographic Distribution Of A Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand, Svata M. Louda
Invasive Insect Abundance Varies Across The Biogeographic Distribution Of A Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand, Svata M. Louda
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Studies of biogeographic variation in species abundances are fundamental to understanding and predicting the impacts of invasive exotic species. We quantified the abundance of the introduced and now invasive biocontrol weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus, on a newly adopted native host plant, Cirsium canescens (Platte thistle), across the plant’s distributional range. We used regression and structural equation analyses to examine variation in weevil abundance at 92–108 sites over three years in relation to variation in abiotic and biotic parameters hypothesized to be important in insect or plant dynamics and distribution. We found that R. conicus now occurs throughout the majority of …
Invasive Insect Abundance Varies Across The Biogeographic Distribution Of A Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand, Svata M. Louda
Invasive Insect Abundance Varies Across The Biogeographic Distribution Of A Native Host Plant, Tatyana A. Rand, Svata M. Louda
Svata M. Louda Publications
Studies of biogeographic variation in species abundances are fundamental to understanding and predicting the impacts of invasive exotic species. We quantified the abundance of the introduced and now invasive biocontrol weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus, on a newly adopted native host plant, Cirsium canescens (Platte thistle), across the plant’s distributional range. We used regression and structural equation analyses to examine variation in weevil abundance at 92–108 sites over three years in relation to variation in abiotic and biotic parameters hypothesized to be important in insect or plant dynamics and distribution. We found that R. conicus now occurs throughout the majority of …