黑河上游蝗虫与植被关系的CCA分析

蝗虫与植物间存在复杂的耦合关系,能够反映蝗虫对生境的选择和适应能力以及种群内部的协同关系。2009年6-8月在野外实地采样的基础上,采用DCA除趋势对应分析（Detrended correspondence analysis）和CCA典范对应分析（Canonical correspondence analysis）方法,研究了草地蝗虫种类组成、蝗虫群落分类、优势植物与蝗虫的对应关系。结果表明：研究区的13种蝗虫分为6个类群,不同群组间蝗虫的种类数、食性和栖境选择存在较大差异,同组内的蝗虫在发生时间、生活型和营养生态位上不重叠;蝗虫的多度与优势植物盖度之间表现出极显著相关、显著相关和不相关的复杂关系,植物对蝗虫的影响更多的表现在为蝗虫提供适宜的栖息地而不完全是食物资源,禾本科和菊科植物对蝗虫空间分布的影响最大。蝗虫分布格局受自身的生物学特性和植物群落组成差异的影响,蝗虫与植物群落和优势植物之间的关系,能够为蝗虫灾害发生与防治提供可借鉴依据。     

不同放牧强度下的内蒙古草原蝗虫群落动态

本文研究了内蒙古草原蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度下的动态变化。植物和蝗虫的取样涉及3种植物群落类型。每一种群落类型又根据放牧强度的不同,划分为5个放牧梯度。随着放牧强度的增加,蝗虫群落的组成和结构均发生了明显的变化。使用贴近度分析及择近原则的方法,阐明了蝗虫种的优势度变化及替代种的替代次序。通过灰色关联及系统聚类分析方法的结合,分析了11个蝗虫种对不同放牧强度的反应。对应性分析和多元逐步回归分析说明,蝗虫群落的变化是与某些植被因子和土壤因子密切相关,特别是植物种类数、生物量、高度以及土壤硬度和含水量等。某些蝗虫种的生态指示意义也在文中进行了讨论。     

内蒙古草原蝗虫个体大小及生活型划分的探讨

根据内蒙古锡林河流域草原蝗虫的形态测量指标,对２３种蝗虫进行了个体大小及生活型量化划分的探讨,结果表明,２３种蝗虫可以划分为大、中、小３个类群,生活型表现为从典型的地栖型到典型的植栖型的渐为特征。个体在小与生活型紧密相关,个体大的种类常为地本型,而个体小的种类多为植栖型。     

放牧干扰下的蝗虫－植物相互作用关系

本文研究了内蒙古典型草原植物和蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度影响下的多样性、均匀性和丰盛度变化。比较了蝗虫群落与植物群落在放牧梯度上的相互作用关系。研究发现,放牧干扰活动会明显地影响植物和蝗虫群落结构,但蝗虫群落结构的变化趋势并非与植物完全同步。蝗虫与植物间的联系更多地表现在植物起着蝗虫栖息地条件的作用,而并不完全是食料植物的作用。文中对放牧实践与多样性保护的关系进行了讨论。     

雌全同株植物三脉紫菀花期偏雄的个体大小依赖的性别分配

经典的虫媒传粉植物个体大小依赖的性别分配模型通常预期:分配给雌性功能的资源比例将随着个体大小的增大而增加;但一些研究表明,花期个体大小依赖的性别分配模式表现出随个体大小增大而偏雄的趋势.我们以植株高度衡量个体大小,从花和花序两个水平上研究了雌花、两性花同株植物三脉紫菀(Aster ageratoides)花期个体大小依赖的性别分配策略.随着植株高度的增大,植株产生的头状花序数量增加,表明三脉紫菀投入到繁殖的资源不是固定不变的,而是随个体大小增大而增加的.在花和花序水平上,繁殖资源在雌雄性别功能之间的分配均表现为随个体大小的增大而更偏雄的模式,即花粉/胚珠比增加,产生花粉的两性花占两性花和雌花总花数的比例升高.这些结果与花期个体越大、性别分配越偏雄的预期一致.花期更偏雄的性别分配可能有助于植物在花期通过输出花粉提高雄性适合度,从而实现个体适合度的最大化.     

放牧干扰下的蝗虫－植物相互作用关系

本文研究了内蒙古典型草原植物和蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度影响下的多样性、均匀性和丰盛度变化。比较了蝗虫群落与植物群落在放牧梯度上的相互作用关系。研究发现,放牧干扰活动会明显地影响植物和蝗虫群落结构,但蝗虫群落结构的变化趋势并非与植物完全同步。蝗早与植物间的联系列多地表现在植物起着蝗虫栖息地条件的作用,而并不完全是食料植物作用。文中对放牧实践与多样性保护的关系进行了讨论。     

异质生境水位差异对小叶章有性繁殖分配的影响

以三江平原湿地代表植物小叶章为对象,通过对杂类草草甸、典型草甸、沼泽化草甸、沼泽生境中小叶章个体大小与生物量差异及繁殖构件与植株生物量之间相关关系的分析,研究不同生境中水位对小叶章个体生物量与繁殖分配的影响。结果表明: 小叶章个体大小、高度及有性繁殖特征随水位升高而显著降低;杂类草草甸、典型草甸、沼泽化草甸和沼泽中小叶章的繁殖阈值分别为0.245、0.149、0.148和0.157 g;除沼泽化草甸外,其他3种生境中小叶章植株个体大小与繁殖分配均呈显著负相关;相较于个体大小,土壤含水量对于小叶章有性繁殖分配影响更大,不同生境中小叶章对个体大小和繁殖分配的差异投资是其具有良好生态适应性的基础条件。     

林木个体大小差异对群落地上生物量及物种多样性的影响

植物个体大小差异在植物种群中普遍存在,研究其与群落生产力及物种多样性的相关关系对天然次生林的生态抚育具有重要意义。本文在江苏省南京市溧水县林场选取7块有一定代表性的天然次生林样地作为研究对象,对群落中立木高度、立木径级的变异系数与地上生物量、物种多样性指数(Shannon指数)的相关关系进行了研究。结果发现:(1)立木高度的变异系数总体上小于立木胸径的变异系数,但其对群落地上生物量及群落物种多样性的影响总体上高于立木胸径差异性的影响;(2)郁闭度较低的松-阔混交林中林木个体大小的变异系数与群落地上生物量水平呈正相关,而在郁闭度较高的落叶阔叶林及杉-阔混交林中呈负相关;(3)立木个体大小的差异性与群落物种多样性指数均呈正相关,但在郁闭度相对较小的群落(松-阔混交林)中相关性较小。总体上,个体大小差异性的增加有利于增加群落的物种多样性,并对郁闭度较小群落的地上生物量水平有一定的促进作用。     

水蓼花大小在花序和个体上的变化及其与数量权衡关系研究

探讨一年生植物水蓼花大小在花序上和个体上的变化及花大小与花数量的权衡关系。在54株植物个体上随机选取一花序,在花序的基部、中部和顶部各选取1～2朵花,花大小(生物量)以基部最大(0.851mg),顶部最小(0.715mg),可能是由结构效应引起的。在每个体上随机采集4～20朵花,以其均值表示植物个体的花大小,花大小不随植物个体大小变化而变化。花朵展示和总花数均随个体增大而增加。在控制植物个体大小(地上部分营养器官生物量)后,没有发现花朵展示或花数量与花大小之间的权衡关系,表明个体资源水平的差异可能掩盖了花数量与大小间的权衡关系。     

环青海湖地区草地生境的蝗虫潜在发生可能性评价

环青海湖地区是青海省草地蝗虫最集中的区域,主要有10种,它们对草地造成了很大危害,草地蝗虫的发生与由植被、地形、土壤等组成的生境类型存在密切的关系。论述了草地蝗虫生境类型划分的原因,并提出了生境分类方案,在此基础上,提出了各类生境针对草地蝗虫潜在发生可能性的评价原理,方法和评价指标体系,并据其对野外实地调查样点进行了评价,结果表明,草地蝗虫潜在发生可能性指数与草地蝗虫密度间的相关系数高达0．90,研究区受草地蝗虫严重危害或较严重危害的生境类型是芨芨草草原,克氏针茅草原及紫花针草原,高寒草甸属一般危害,高寒灌丛草甸则不发生危害。     

Discriminating tastes: self‐selection of macronutrients in two populations of grasshoppers

Abstract The capacity to self‐select an optimal balance of macronutrients (protein and carbohydrate) is studied in two populations of Melanoplus sanguinipes F. (Orthoptera: Acrididae). One population derives from the subarctic (interior of Alaska) and the other from the temperate zone (Idaho, U.S.A.). Over the duration of the fourth and fifth stadia, Alaskan grasshoppers consistently self‐select a diet centred on a 0.90 ratio of protein : carbohydrate, whereas protein and carbohydrate intake by the Idaho grasshoppers is contingent on the particular food choices presented to them. When restricted to imbalanced diets, the Alaskan grasshoppers develop more rapidly than the Idaho grasshoppers, regardless of diet composition. The Idaho grasshoppers also have a greater amount of lipid than the Alaskan grasshoppers across all diets. Performance measures (body mass, survival, developmental times) are more sensitive to dietary imbalances in the Alaskan grasshoppers than in the Idaho grasshoppers. When fed diets with low, but balanced, proportions of protein and carbohydrate, grasshoppers of both populations are able to increase consumption to compensate for the low concentration of nutrients. The results suggest that demographic responses of insects to changes in host plant quality, such as may result from climate change, may differ among populations within a species.     

Differential herbivory on C3 versus C4 grasses by the grasshopper Ageneotettix deorum (Orthoptera: acrididae)

Summary The hypothesis that graminivorous grasshoppers select C₃ grasses over C₄ grasses was tested with experiments in the field. It was found that the generalist, graminivorous grasshopper Ageneotettix deorum typically chooses C₃ as opposed to C₄ grasses when both types are equally available. This preference is attributed to the differences in leaf anatomies of C₃ and C₄ plants since crude protein, water, lignin, fiber, and silicon content or the size of the individual leaves tested do not explain the observed feeding pattern. However, examination of the actual food plant selection of actual field inhabiting grasshoppers indicates that food plant prefernce may only be a minor component of food selection in natural settings.     

DYNAMICS OF GRASSHOPPER COMMUNITIES UNDER DIFFERENT GRAZING INTENSITIES IN INNER MONGOLIAN STEPPES

Abstract Vegetation and grasshopper community variables were monitored on the natural steppes grazed by livestock in Inner Mongolia, China. The sites sampled belong to 3 vegetation types laid separately in 3 continuums from different grazing intensities. Each continuum consisted of 5 plots along grazing gradients. Within the plots, the species composition, population number and population calorific value of grasshoppers that was converted from their biomass varied sensitively with increase of grazing intensities. The methods of neartude and choosing rules of fuzzy mathematics were used to analyze successive populations of grasshoppers. By combining the gray relation with hierarchic cluster analysis, eleven grasshopper species were divided into 3 grazing guilds based on their responses to grazing. The results from detrended correspondence and the multivariate regression analysis proved that there were close successive relationships among the grasshopper species that varied with the changes of plant species, biomass, height and coverage. The importance of some grasshopper indicators to grassland change is discussed.     

Reduced resistance of invasive varieties of the alien tree<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Sapium sebiferum</Emphasis> to a generalist herbivore

Invasive plants are often larger in their introduced range compared to their native range. This may reflect an evolved reduction in defense and increase in growth in response to low herbivory in their introduced range. Key elements of this scenario include genetic differences in defense and growth yet uniformly low rates of herbivory in the field that dissociate defense and herbivore damage for alien species. We conducted a laboratory experiment with Melanoplus angustipennis grasshoppers and Chinese Tallow Tree seedlings ( Sapium sebiferum) from its native range (China) and its introduced range (Texas, USA) where it is invasive. We caged grasshoppers with pairs of Sapium seedlings from the same continent or different continents. The amounts of leaf area removed from Texas and China seedlings, and their height growth rates, were indistinguishable when both seedlings in the pair were from the same continent. However, when grasshoppers had a choice between seedlings from different continents, they removed more Texas Sapium foliage than China Sapium foliage and height growth rates were higher for China Sapium seedlings compared to Texas seedlings. Grasshopper growth rates increased with greater Sapium foliage consumption. In a common garden in Texas, Sapium seedlings from Texas grew 40% faster than those from China. Chewing insect herbivores removed little Sapium foliage in the field experiment. Although grasshoppers preferred to feed on Texas Sapium when offered a choice in the laboratory, extremely low herbivory levels in the field may have allowed the Texas seedlings to outperform the China seedlings in the common garden. These results demonstrate post-invasion genetic differences in herbivore resistance and growth of an invasive plant species together with a decoupling of defense and herbivore choice in the introduced range.     

Above- and belowground insect herbivores differentially affect soil nematode communities in species-rich plant communities

Interactions between above‐ and belowground invertebrate herbivores alter plant diversity, however, little is known on how these effects may influence higher trophic level organisms belowground. Here we explore whether above‐ and belowground invertebrate herbivores which alter plant community diversity and biomass, in turn affect soil nematode communities. We test the hypotheses that insect herbivores 1) alter soil nematode diversity, 2) stimulate bacterial‐feeding and 3) reduce plant‐feeding nematode abundances. In a full factorial outdoor mesocosm experiment we introduced grasshoppers (aboveground herbivores), wireworms (belowground herbivores) and a diverse soil nematode community to species‐rich model plant communities. After two years, insect herbivore effects on nematode diversity and on abundance of herbivorous, bacterivorous, fungivorous and omni‐carnivorous nematodes were evaluated in relation to plant community composition. Wireworms did not affect nematode diversity despite enhanced plant diversity, while grasshoppers, which did not affect plant diversity, reduced nematode diversity. Although grasshoppers and wireworms caused contrasting shifts in plant species dominance, they did not affect abundances of decomposer nematodes at any trophic level. Primary consumer nematodes were, however, strongly promoted by wireworms, while community root biomass was not altered by the insect herbivores. Overall, interaction effects of wireworms and grasshoppers on the soil nematodes were not observed, and we found no support for bottom‐up control of the nematodes. However, our results show that above‐ and belowground insect herbivores may facilitate root‐feeding rather than decomposer nematodes and that this facilitation appears to be driven by shifts in plant species composition. Moreover, the addition of nematodes strongly suppressed shoot biomass of several forb species and reduced grasshopper abundance. Thus, our results suggest that nematode feedback effects on plant community composition, due to plant and herbivore parasitism, may strongly depend on the presence of insect herbivores.     

Dietary shift and lowered biomass gain of a generalist herbivore in species-poor experimental plant communities

Species loss of primary producers is likely to affect processes on other trophic levels. We studied consumption and individual performance of the generalist herbivore Parapleurus alliaceus (Orthoptera) in relation to the species richness of primary producers. Adult grasshoppers were caged and left to feed for 2 weeks on experimental grassland communities ranging in plant species richness from one, two, four, eight to 32 species. Low plant diversity had a negative effect on both plant community biomass and on biomass gain of female grasshoppers, feeding to produce eggs (male grasshoppers did not gain biomass during the feeding period). This was surprising because plots with high plant diversity had a low proportion of grass biomass and grasshoppers preferentially selected grasses, leading to a greater exploitation of grasses in experimental communities of higher diversity. Thus, the concurrent increase in non-grass species in the diet from these high-diversity communities must have been beneficial to the generalist herbivore. In addition to the positive effects of plant diversity, the presence of legumes in a mixture with grasses further enhanced the biomass gain of grasshoppers at a given level of diversity. These findings suggest that plant species loss may lead to shifts in herbivore population sizes, reducing those of generalists and benefiting specialists of the remaining plant species. Our results further suggest that generalist herbivores, by having feeding preferences, can also change the relative abundances of plant species with different functional characteristics. This may feedback on both composition and diversity of plant communities.     

Change in take‐off elevation angle after limb autotomy mitigates the reduction in jumping distance in rice grasshoppers Oxya yezoensis

Autotomy is the ability to spontaneously self‐amputate a limb or other appendage, often as a reflexive action. This limb amputation typically occurs as a specialized defensive response to an attack from a predator and thereby enables the prey to escape from predation. Despite the benefits of escape, autotomized organisms lose the body part and its associated function. Here, we investigated the jumping behavior and performance of one‐leg‐autotomized and intact rice grasshoppers, Oxya yezoensis, to examine changes in jumping behavior after autotomy. The take‐off elevation of autotomized grasshoppers was 7.8° lower than in intact grasshoppers, resulting in nearly a 45° angle of take‐off, which maximized the jumping distance. Kinematic analyses of the jumping manner revealed that the angle of the femur during jumping differed between intact and autotomized grasshoppers, suggesting that the grasshoppers behaviorally change the take‐off elevation after autotomy. According to analyses of jumping performance, the degree of decline in performance differed between horizontal distance and vertical height. Even though they jumped on only one hind leg, one‐leg‐autotomized grasshoppers realized 69% performance along a horizontal distance relative to intact grasshoppers. In contrast, autotomized grasshoppers realized only a 44% performance in vertical height compared to intact grasshoppers. The difference in take‐off elevation between autotomized and intact grasshoppers is likely related to the observed difference in the magnitude of the decline in performance between horizontal distance and vertical height. These results suggest that rice grasshoppers may alter their take‐off elevation after limb autotomy to minimize the reduction in jumping distance.     

The effects of mandible morphology and photosynthetic pathway on selective herbivory in grasshoppers

Summary In the present study the following hypotheses were tested: 1) Selective herbivory is influenced by the photosynthetic pathway of plants, and 2) selective herbivory is influenced by the mandible morphology of herbivores. To test these hypotheses, grasshoppers with different mandibular patterns were offered C₃ and C₄ plants in controlled feeding experiments.Mandible morphology was found to be significantly associated with energy assimilation and feeding frequency. Grasshoppers with herbivorous mandibles had greater assimilation efficiencies and fed significantly less often than grasshoppers with forbivorous mandibles. These results indicate grasshoppers (with comparable caloric requirements) feed with a frequency determined, in part, by the functional morphology of their mandibles.Photosynthetic pathway also influenced the foraging behavior of grasshoppers tested. As predicted by the C₄ avoidance hypothesis (Caswell et al. 1973), C₄ plants were fed upon significantly less often than C₃ plants. These results suggest grasshoppers may discriminate between C₃ and C₄ plants, but apparently not on the basis of available energy.Recent studies of insect herbivory, previously interpreted within the framework of C₄ plant avoidance, are reviewed. The results of these studies may be critically dependent on incomplete considerations of mandible morphology and photosynthetic pathway.This study is contribution 92 of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute     

Grasshoppers affect grassland ecosystem functioning: Spatial and temporal variation

Using experiments and monitoring, we find that grasshoppers in a grassland ecosystem impact ecosystem functioning (nutrient cycling and primary production) in different ways among sites in the ecosystem. Experiments conducted over many years at two sites (21 and 15 years, respectively) with the same grasshopper and plant species demonstrated that grasshoppers increased nitrogen availability (N) and consequently annual plant production (ANPP) at one site, and decreased N and consequently ANPP at the other site. Comparing the two sites, N increased on average by 8% and up to 21.6%, and resulting ANPP increased on average by 18.6% and up to 33.3%. Grasshoppers increase N and ANPP by preferentially feeding on slower decomposing plants, and the opposite occurs by preferentially feeding on faster decomposing plants. Monitoring 20 random sites in the ecosystem, grasshoppers consistently increased N and ANPP over 3 years at 40% of sites, consistently decreased N and ANPP at 35% of sites, and sometimes increased and decreased N and ANPP at 25% of sites. Therefore, grassland grasshoppers, and insects in many ecosystems, may strongly affect ecosystem functioning.