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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Strong Feeding Preference Of An Exotic Generalist Herbivore For An Exotic Forb: A Case Of Invasional Antagonism, Kimberly J. La Pierre, W. Stanley Harpole, Katharine N. Suding
Strong Feeding Preference Of An Exotic Generalist Herbivore For An Exotic Forb: A Case Of Invasional Antagonism, Kimberly J. La Pierre, W. Stanley Harpole, Katharine N. Suding
W. Stanley Harpole
Many hypotheses dealing with the success of invasive plant species concern plant–herbivore interactions. The invasional meltdown and enemy inversion hypotheses suggest that non-native herbivores may indirectly facilitate the invasion of a non-native plant species by either favorably changing environmental conditions or reducing competition from native plant species. Our objective was to determine the role of herbivory by the non-native snail Otala lactea in structuring California grassland communities. We conducted two experiments to examine the feeding preferences of O. lactea for eight representative grassland species. Overall, O. lactea preferred Brassica nigra, a non-native forb, over all other species tested. Field monocultures …
Spatial Variation And Tradeoffs In Species Interactions, Holly L. Bernardo
Spatial Variation And Tradeoffs In Species Interactions, Holly L. Bernardo
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
The geographic mosaic theory of coevolution predicts that spatial differences in species interactions result in a patchwork of evolutionary hot and cold spots across a landscape. We used horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L.), a perennial weed with a diverse insect community found in old fields and meadows, to examine local adaptation and resource-mediated selection. The goals of this study were to (1) determine the potential for a selection mosaic by identifying local adaptation through trait-interaction matching with herbivores, pollinations and plant competitors, and (2) determine the potential for indirect selection through resource allocation tradeoffs. The potential for local adaptation was determined …
Snail Grazing Facilitates Growth Of A Bloom-Forming Alga, Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber, Emily Field
Snail Grazing Facilitates Growth Of A Bloom-Forming Alga, Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber, Emily Field
Biology Faculty Publications
Herbivory often has a negative effect on plants. However, there is a growing number of examples, primarily in terrestrial ecosystems, where herbivory causes an increase in plant size, growth rate, and/or reproductive output. In marine ecosystems, the positive effects of herbivores on macroalgae are not as well studied, although limited evidence exists for herbivore-induced increases in macroalgal growth rates via 2 mechanisms: nutrient addition via grazer defecation, and epiphyte removal. In this study, we examined the effects of grazing by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta on Ulva lactuca, the dominant bloom-forming macroalga in many New England estuaries. We found …