Does anthropogenic nitrogen deposition induce phosphorus limitation in herbivorous insects?

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition has shifted many ecosystems from nitrogen (N) limitation to phosphorus (P) limitation. Although well documented in plants, no study to date has explored whether N deposition exacerbates P limitation at higher trophic levels, or focused on the effects of induced plant P limitation on trophic interactions. Insect herbivores exhibit strict N : P homeostasis, and should therefore be very sensitive to variations in plant N : P stoichiometry and prone to experiencing deposition‐induced P limitation. In the current study, we investigated the effects of N deposition and P availability on a plant‐herbivorous insect system. Using common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and two of its specialist herbivores, the monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) and milkweed aphid (Aphis asclepiadis) as our study system, we found that experimental N deposition caused P limitation in milkweed plants, but not in either insect species. However, the mechanisms for the lack of P limitation were different for each insect species. The body tissues of A. asclepiadis always exhibited higher N : P ratios than that of the host plant, suggesting that the N demand of this species exceeds P demand, even under high N deposition levels. For D. plexippus, P addition increased the production of latex, which is an important defense negatively affecting D. plexippus growth rate. As a result, we illustrate that P limitation of herbivores is not an inevitable consequence of anthropogenic N deposition in terrestrial systems. Rather, species‐specific demands for nutrients and the defensive responses of plants combine to determine the responses of herbivores to P availability under N deposition.     

Does availability of potassium affect cold hardening of Scots pine through polyamine metabolism?

The effect of different potassium availability on the polyamines and frost resistance of Scots pine seedlings ( Pinus sylvestris L.) during cold hardening was studied. Scots pine seedlings were grown applying different rates of potassium by using the relative addition rate technique followed by a 2- or 9-week hardening period with decreased light intensity, day length and temperature. After 2 weeks of treatment the seedlings were not hardened (LT₅₀, =−11°C) and showed no differences in frost resistance, although differences in the polyamine levels between the K levels were observed. After 9 weeks of hardening the seedlings at the low, medium and high K levels showed a mean frost resistance (LTs.₅₀) of −81, −63, and −47°C, respectively. A negative effect of K on the frost resistance of the needles was also found in adult trees in September. The results indicate that at the early stage of cold hardening, potassium or free polyamine levels do not affect the frost resistance of Scots pine needles. However, in hardened seedlings and adult trees potassium displays a negative and putrescine a positive correlation with frost resistance, whereas spermidine and spermine show no correlation.     

Does far-red light affect growth and mycorrhizas of Scots pine seedlings grown in forest soil?

We studied the response of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) to supplementary far-red sidelight in seedlings grown in a forest soil substrate without additional nutrient supply. Our aim was to determine possible changes in the accumulation and allocation of dry weight and mineral nutrients and the presence of mycorrhizas. Half of the seedlings were grown in light conditions simulating reflected far-red light (FR) from neighbouring plants and the other half were controls not receiving additional FR. PAR irradiance was kept constant in both treatments. At the first harvest (41 d of treatment), FR+ had no effect on stem height, biomass accumulation or allocation. However, at the end of the experiment (93 d of treatment), an increase in stem extension rate and stem dry weight was observed in FR+ seedlings when compared to controls. Both control and treated plants had several morphological types of ectomycorrhizas, but no effect of FR+ on the frequency of these morphotypes was observed. Nor was the concentration of ergosterol or estimated mycorrhizal fungal biomass affected. Nutrients were more responsive to the light quality treatment: P concentration in roots and N and P contents in stems and roots were higher in FR+ plants than in control seedlings. These results are in contrast to those of a previous study in which the root system of pine seedlings, which were fertilised and had less developed mycorrhizas, was reduced by FR+. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Do exotic pine plantations favour the spread of invasive herbivorous mammals in Patagonia?

Changes in land use patterns and vegetation can trigger ecological change in occupancy and community composition. Among the potential ecological consequences of land use change is altered susceptibility to occupancy by invasive species. We investigated the responses of three introduced mammals (red deer, Cervus elaphus; wild boar, Sus scrofa; and European hare, Lepus europaeus) to replacement of native vegetation by exotic pine plantations in the Patagonian forest‐steppe ecotone using camera‐trap surveys (8633 trap‐days). We used logistic regression models to relate species presence with habitat variables at stand and landscape scales. Red deer and wild boar used pine plantations significantly more frequently than native vegetation. In contrast, occurrence of European hares did not differ between pine plantations and native vegetation, although hares were recorded more frequently in firebreaks than in plantations or native vegetation. Presence of red deer and wild boar was positively associated with cover of pine plantations at the landscape scale, and negatively associated with mid‐storey cover and diversity at the stand scale. European hares preferred sites with low arboreal and mid‐storey cover. Our results suggest that pine plantations promote increased abundances of invasive species whose original distributions are associated with woodlands (red deer and wild boar), and could act as source or pathways for invasive species to new areas.     

Does risk of egg parasitism affect choice of oviposition sites by a moth? A field and laboratory study

In many insects the eggs are highly vulnerable and egg parasitism can represent a major cause of mortality. It is thus important for the ovipositing female to find a protected site for her eggs. We have examined how egg parasitation can affect host plant choice by Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ovipositing moths exhibited significantly higher preference for alfalfa compared to cotton, both in the laboratory and the field. However, larval performance, in terms of development rate and the attained larval and pupal weight, was significantly better on cotton than on alfalfa. In laboratory tests no difference in larval survival on the two host plants was observed. To test the hypothesis that seeking enemy-free space could be a factor behind the preference for alfalfa, the parasitation levels on the two plants were investigated. In field tests, the egg parasitoid Chelonus inanitus (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitized a significantly higher number of egg batches on cotton than on alfalfa. Furthermore, the parasitoid was significantly faster in finding and parasitizing S. littoralis eggs on cotton than on alfalfa in a cage experiment. These findings support the assumption that the preference for the inferior larval food plant, alfalfa, reflects a search for a host plant species on which attacks by natural enemies are less likely. Possible factors accounting for the preference of S. littoralis for alfalfa and the higher parasitation rates on cotton are discussed.     

Does background nitrogen deposition affect the response of boreal vegetation to fertilization?

Forest floor vegetation is an important component of forest biodiversity, and numerous studies have shown that N input alters the vegetation. In some cases, however, the effects of experimental N addition have been small or absent. Two alternative hypotheses have been suggested: (a) competition from the tree layer confounds the response to N, or (b) N response in areas with high background deposition is limited by N saturation. Neither of these hypotheses has so far been explicitly tested. Here, we compile data on forest floor vegetation from N addition experiments, in which the forest had been clear-cut, along an N deposition gradient ranging from 4 to 16 kg ha^?1 year^?1 in Sweden. We analyzed the effects of N addition and its interaction with N deposition on common species and thereby tested the second hypothesis in an environment without the confounding effects of the tree layer. The results show that the effects of the experimental N addition are significantly influenced by background N deposition: the N addition effects are smaller in areas with high N deposition than in areas with low N deposition, despite the fact that the highest N deposition in this study can be considered moderate from an international perspective. The results are important when assessing the reliability of results from N addition experiments on forest floor vegetation in areas with moderate to high background N deposition. We conclude that the interacting effects of N addition and N deposition need to be included when assessing long-term N sensitivity of plant communities.     

Does timing of boron application affect needle and bud structure in Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings?

Loss of apical dominance is a well-known boron (B) deficiency symptom in trees. Recent field studies indicate that B deficiency may cause irreversible damage in emerging leader buds leading to bushy growth, and changes in developing needles in mature Norway spruce trees. We experimentally studied if timing of B application affects needles and buds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings with low initial B levels. The treatments were: no B (B0); B supply from the beginning of the simulated summer (B1); starting soon after bud burst (B2) and starting at the occurrence of first needle primordia in new spruce buds (B3). At the end of the experiment, B concentration in B1 was 23 mg kg⁻¹ (pine) or 17 mg kg⁻¹ (spruce) and lower in the later applications. In B0 it was at deficiency limit. In B0, B2 and B3, there were fewer sclerenchyma cells, and cavities occurred in vascular cylinders in pine needles, and in spruce buds there were more tanniferous cells in the primordial shoots compared to B1. Furthermore, in all but B1 there was cell collapse in the bud apex of some spruce seedlings. The experimentally induced changes were the same as earlier reported in B deficient conifers in the field, and indicate, similarly as in the field that adequate B is necessary throughout the growing season for healthy growth, particularly for spruce. The differences between spruce and pines are due, at least partly, to the differences in time frame of needle development and in the differences in development of conducting tissues in the buds.     

Does overwinter temperature affect maternal body composition and egg traits in yellow perch Perca flavescens?

Female yellow perch Perca flavescens exposed to three overwinter temperature regimes (4, 8 and 13° C) for 150 days spawned in markedly different proportions upon spring warming (37% of females in 4° C v. 64 and 91% in 8 and 13° C treatments, respectively), but exhibited no differences in fecundity, egg size or egg lipid content. Females held at 4° C also exhibited less within‐clutch egg size variation than females held at 13° C. Moreover, eggs differed among temperature treatments in the overall proportions of 18 fatty acids, with the colder treatments resulting in potentially higher quality eggs containing more of the unsaturated fatty acids C16:1, C22:6‐n3 and C18:2 cis. Female somatic condition also varied with temperature. Maternal somatic growth and protein content increased while lipid content decreased in 13° C compared to the colder treatments. There were, however, no differences among treatments in the fatty acid composition of maternal muscle. These results suggest that the temperatures experienced during winter may be less influential to P. flavescens egg size or number, which may exhibit relatively little plasticity in this species, but can alter both the number of females that spawn and the overall composition of eggs and maternal somatic tissues, which may have implications for future reproductive success.     

Does larder-hoarding affect the condition of chicks in urban kestrels?

Hoarding by urban kestrels and its subsequent exploitation significantly increases the frequency and regularity of feeding during the early stage of the nestling period. Twelve kestrels’ nests situated in various part of the city were chosen to test whether hoarding could affect the chicks’ condition. Four nests (with 22 nestlings) were provided with food — one dead mouse per chick per day (F group) and 8 (43 nestlings) were used as a control group (NF). Nestlings were weighed daily, and the length of their tarsus was also measured when the oldest chick in the nest was 11 days old. 50% of the NF nests experienced a decrease in the number of nestlings but no nestlings were lost in any of the F nests. However, no significant differences were found between the groups either in body mass or tarsus length. A possible reason was the behaviour of the adults which could be interpreted as the regulation of the frequency of prey delivery depending on its presence or absence in the nest.     

Does landscape composition alter the spatiotemporal distribution of the pine processionary moth in a pine plantation forest?

Landscape composition and physiognomy affect community structure and species distribution across space and time. The pine processionary moth (PPM) (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Den. & Schiff., Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) is a common pine defoliator throughout southern Europe and Mediterranean countries. We surveyed the spatiotemporal distribution of the PPM in a pine plantation forest in southwestern France and used the density of the winter nests as a proxy for population density. The study spanned 4 years (2005–2008) and showed a high temporal variability in nest density. We found a strong edge effect with nest densities at stand edges more than twice as large as within-stand densities. At the landscape scale, the spatial distribution of the moth exhibited a significant spatial autocorrelation in 3 out of 4 years of our study. The spatial scales of the autocorrelation ranged from ca. 2 km to more than 22 km. We found a positive correlation between spatial distributions corresponding to certain sampling years, but the relationship was not systematic. Landscape configuration appeared to be an important driver of the PPM spatial pattern. Bivariate Moran’s I correlograms showed that patch richness density as well as the percentage of local landscape covered by various land uses were correlated with population density. The study showed that accounting for landscape characteristics may be important in order to understand forest insect pest distribution, even in cases where the host species is abundant and homogeneously distributed throughout the study area, e.g., pure plantation forests.     

Does tree diversity increase wood production in pine forests?

Recent experimental advances on the positive effect of species richness on ecosystem productivity highlight the need to explore this relationship in communities other than grasslands and using non-synthetic experiments. We investigated whether wood production in forests dominated by Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and Pyrenean Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) differed between monospecific and mixed forests (2-5 species) using the Ecological and Forest Inventory of Catalonia (IEFC) database which contains biotic and environmental characteristics for 10,644 field plots distributed within a 31,944 km(2) area in Catalonia (NE Spain). We found that in Pyrenean Scots pine forests wood production was not significantly different between monospecific and mixed plots. In contrast, in Aleppo pine forests wood production was greater in mixed plots than in monospecific plots. However, when climate, bedrock types, radiation and successional stage per plot were included in the analysis, species richness was no longer a significant factor. Aleppo pine forests had the highest productivity in plots located in humid climates and on marls and sandstone bedrocks. Climate did not influence wood production in Pyrenean Scots pine forests, but it was highest on sandstone and consolidated alluvial materials. For both pine forests wood production was negatively correlated with successional stage. Radiation did not influence wood production. Our analysis emphasizes the influence of macroenvironmental factors and temporal variation on tree productivity at the regional scale. Well-conducted forest surveys are an excellent source of data to test for the association between diversity and productivity driven by large-scale environmental factors.     

Does the method of set-aside establishment affect its use by wood mice?

The set-aside scheme, whereby land is removed from arable production, is primarily aimed at manipulating agricultural surplus within the European Community, but has potentially great consequences for biodiversity and wildlife management (Feber et al ., 1995; Macdonald et al ., 1998; Sotherton 1998). Managed inappropriately, set-aside could prove environmentally damaging by reducing biodiversity and directly harming certain species, such as ground-nesting birds (Thompson, 1993). Conversely, appropriately managed set-aside could foster desirable ecological communities, with enhanced populations and biodiversity.     

Do changes in dietary chemistry during ontogeny affect digestive performance in adults of the herbivorous rodent Octodon degus?

We characterize the flexibility in digestive performance in degus (Octodon degus) an herbivorous rodent. We tested the hypothesis that dietary and physiological-digestive flexibility are correlated. Degus were fed with artificial diets of different chemical composition from weaning to adulthood and their digestive performance was measured through records of apparent digestibility. The starch content of the acclimation diet was not correlated with protein digestibility nor was it correlated with starch digestibility. In addition, digestive tract morphology was not affected by dietary treatments. Hence, an absence of morphological and physiological flexibility related to digestive traits was observed in degus. The lower flexibility in digestive performance given by our dietary experimental treatments of degus, may be an evolutionary constraint related to their specialized herbivorous food habits.     

Does plant diversity increase top–down control of herbivorous insects in tropical forest?

Higher trophic level interactions are key mediators of ecosystem functioning in tropical forests. A rich body of theory has been developed to predict the effects of plant diversity on communities at higher trophic levels and the mechanisms underlying such effects. The 'enemies hypothesis’ states that predators exert more effective top–down control of herbivorous insects with increasing plant diversity. Support for this hypothesis has been found in temperate forests and agroecosystems, but remains understudied in tropical forests. We compared incidence of attacks of different natural enemies using artificial caterpillars in a tropical forest landscape and investigated the role of plant community structure (i.e. species richness, composition and density), and the role of forest fragmentation (i.e. patch size, edge distance and canopy openness) on predation intensity. Plant community effects were tested with respect to three vegetation strata: trees, saplings and herbs. Observed predation was substantially due to ants. Predation rates increased with plant species richness for trees and herbs. Density of saplings, herb cover and herb species composition were important factors for predation. No significant patterns were found for fragmentation parameters, suggesting that forest fragmentation has not altered predation intensity. We conclude that in tropical forests, top–down control of herbivorous insects in the understory vegetation is affected by a combination of plant diversity, plant species composition and structural features of the plant community.