Additive effects of exotic plant abundance and land-use intensity on plant–pollinator interactions

The continuing spread of exotic plants and increasing human land-use are two major drivers of global change threatening ecosystems, species and their interactions. Separate effects of these two drivers on plant–pollinator interactions have been thoroughly studied, but we still lack an understanding of combined and potential interactive effects. In a subtropical South African landscape, we studied 17 plant–pollinator networks along two gradients of relative abundance of exotics and land-use intensity. In general, pollinator visitation rates were lower on exotic plants than on native ones. Surprisingly, while visitation rates on native plants increased with relative abundance of exotics and land-use intensity, pollinator visitation on exotic plants decreased along the same gradients. There was a decrease in the specialization of plants on pollinators and vice versa with both drivers, regardless of plant origin. Decreases in pollinator specialization thereby seemed to be mediated by a species turnover towards habitat generalists. However, contrary to expectations, we detected no interactive effects between the two drivers. Our results suggest that exotic plants and land-use promote generalist plants and pollinators, while negatively affecting specialized plant–pollinator interactions. Weak integration and high specialization of exotic plants may have prevented interactive effects between exotic plants and land-use. Still, the additive effects of exotic plants and land-use on specialized plant–pollinator interactions would have been overlooked in a single-factor study. We therefore highlight the need to consider multiple drivers of global change in ecological research and conservation management.     

Melatonin: A potential regulator of plant growth and development?

Summary Recent research has reported the presence of melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a mammalian indoleamine neurohormone, in higher plants, indicating that melatonin may be an important metabolic regulator that has been highly conserved across biological kingdoms. Melatonin is synthesized from tryptophan in the mammalian pineal gland and a similar biosynthetic pathway was recently described in St. John's wort shoot tissues, wherein radiolabel from tryptophan was recovered in serotonin and melatonin as well as indoleacetic acid. There is growing information describing melatonin control of physiological processes in mammals, yeast, and bacteria, including diurnal responses, detoxification of free radicals, and environmental adaptations. However, at the current time, there is no known specific role for melatonin in plant physiology. Alterations in melatonin concentrations in plant tissues have been shown to affect root development, mitosis, and mitotic spindle formation. The recent advancements in melatonin research in plants and some directions for important areas of future research are reviewed in this article.     

Influence of aphid–host plant pairs on the survivorship and development of the multicolored Asian ladybird beetle: implications for the management of vegetation in rural landscapes

Although the value of noncrop vegetation for biological control has been extensively studied in agricultural landscapes, there are few reports on how it functions mechanistically. When focusing on the pest control function provided by noncrop vegetation, tritrophic interactions among a predatory natural enemy, its prey, and the prey’s host plant need to be examined. In Japan, the multicolored Asian ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an aphidophage, serves as a natural pest control agent in agricultural production, although the species’ introduction into Europe and North America for pest control has had a negative impact on native ecosystems. In the present study, 33 aphid–plant pairs from an agricultural landscape in the eastern Kanto region of Japan were examined experimentally for initial larval survivorship and development of H. axyridis. Significant differences were found among plant–aphid pairs with regard to these parameters. In addition, the larval survivorship of H. axyridis was not consistently determined by host plant or aphid species alone but was context-dependently influenced by the aphid–plant combination. Some alien host plants showed positive effects on the ladybird beetle. Others, however, served as hosts for unsuitable prey species, such as the competitive alien plants Solidago canadensis L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L., which are the host plants of Uroleucon nigrotuberculatum (Olive) and Aphis craccivora Koch, respectively. These findings suggest that various noncrop plants could be managed to promote ladybird beetle populations in rural landscapes.     

Edaphic factors and plant–insect interactions: direct and indirect effects of serpentine soil on florivores and pollinators

Edaphic factors can lead to differences in plant morphology and tissue chemistry. However, whether these differences result in altered plant–insect interactions for soil-generalist plants is less understood. We present evidence that soil chemistry can alter plant–insect interactions both directly, through chemical composition of plant tissue, and indirectly, through plant morphology, for serpentine-tolerant Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae). First, we scored floral display (corolla width, number of open flowers per inflorescence, and inflorescence height), flower chemistry, pollinator visitation and florivory of M. guttatus growing on natural serpentine and non-serpentine soil over 2 years. Second, we conducted a common garden reciprocal soil transplant experiment to isolate the effect of serpentine soil on floral display traits and flower chemistry. And last, we observed arrays of field-collected inflorescences and potted plants to determine the effect of soil environment in the field on pollinator visitation and florivore damage, respectively. For both natural and experimental plants, serpentine soil caused reductions in floral display and directly altered flower tissue chemistry. Plants in natural serpentine populations received fewer pollinator visits and less damage by florivores relative to non-serpentine plants. In experimental arrays, soil environment did not influence pollinator visitation (though larger flowers were visited more frequently), but did alter florivore damage, with serpentine-grown plants receiving less damage. Our results demonstrate that the soil environment can directly and indirectly affect plant–mutualist and plant–antagonist interactions of serpentine-tolerant plants by altering flower chemistry and floral display.     

LOVe across kingdoms: Blue light perception vital for growth and development in plant–fungal interactions

Blue light plays an important role in the growth and development of fungi. Environmental cues enable plant pathogenic fungi to synchronise essential metabolic pathways to that of their hosts to gain a competitive advantage. Phylogenetic analysis of the LOV domain present in blue light receptors across all three kingdoms suggests that these receptors in fungal lineages have undergone convergent evolution to use the same domain for control and regulation of similar cellular and metabolic processes. In this review, the genetic basis of blue light photoperception in fungi, and the functions it regulates, will be discussed. Furthermore, the evolution of the light sensing domain and its role in pathogenesis is hypothesised concluding with how knowledge of conserved LOV domains may be exploited for fungal disease control in crop plants.     

Climate change effects on behavioral and physiological ecology of predator–prey interactions: Implications for conservation biological control

Habitat management under the auspices of conservation biological control is a widely used approach to foster conditions that ensure a diversity of predator species can persist spatially and temporally within agricultural landscapes in order to control their prey (pest) species. However, an emerging new factor, global climate change, has the potential to disrupt existing conservation biological control programs. Climate change may alter abiotic conditions such as temperature, precipitation, humidity and wind that in turn could alter the life-cycle timing of predator and prey species and the behavioral nature and strength of their interactions. Anticipating how climate change will affect predator and prey communities represents an important research challenge. We present a conceptual framework—the habitat domain concept—that is useful for understanding contingencies in the nature of predator diversity effects on prey based on predator and prey spatial movement in their habitat. We illustrate how this framework can be used to forecast whether biological control by predators will become more effective or become disrupted due to changing climate. We discuss how changes in predator–prey interactions are contingent on the tolerances of predators and prey species to changing abiotic conditions as determined by the degree of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity exhibited by species populations. We conclude by discussing research approaches that are needed to help adjust conservation biological control management to deal with a climate future.     

Lima bean–lady beetle interactions: hooked trichomes affect survival of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Stethorus punctillum</Emphasis> larvae

We tested the hypothesis that Lima bean Phaseolus lunatus L. (Henderson cultivar) trichome density affects the survival of the acariphagous lady beetle Stethorus punctillum Weise. When isolated throughout larval development, 10% or less of S. punctillum larvae reared on two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch on small (rather than large) P. lunatus leaves survived until pupation. Although other factors might have contributed to larval mortality, we demonstrated that survival rate was related to trichome density (i.e., number of hooked trichomes per cm on the underside of leaves). Trichome density was greatest on the underside of small leaves and least on large leaves, indicating that survival rate increased as trichome density decreased. Hooked trichomes impaled S. punctillum larvae more often at the apex of the abdomen than at any other body part. Hooked trichomes also trapped S. punctillum adults, but they always managed to free themselves. This study highlights the negative effect of Lima bean hooked trichomes on a predacious lady beetle that attacks the two-spotted spider mite.     

Spatial ecology of host–parasitoid interactions: a threatened butterfly and its specialised parasitoid

Habitat conservation for threatened temperate insect species is often guided by one of two paradigms: a metapopulation approach focusing on patch area, isolation and number; or a habitat approach focusing on maintaining high quality habitat for the focal species. Recent research has identified the additive and interacting importance of both approaches for maintaining populations of threatened butterflies. For specialised host-parasitoid interactions, understanding the consequences of habitat characteristics for the interacting species is important, because (1) specialised parasitoids are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of fragmentation, and (2) altered interaction frequencies resulting from changes to habitat management or the spatial configuration of habitat are likely to have consequences for host dynamics. The spatial ecology of Cotesia bignellii, a specialist parasitoid of the threatened butterfly Euphydryas aurinia, was investigated at two spatial scales: within habitat patches (at the scale of individual aggregations of larvae, or ‘webs’) and among habitat patches (the scale of local populations). Parasitism rates were investigated in relation to larval web size, vegetation sward height and host density. Within patches, the probability of a larval webs being parasitized increased significantly with increasing number of larvae in the web, and parasitism rates increased significantly with increasing web isolation. The proportion of webs parasitized was significantly and negatively correlated with cluster density. Among habitat patches the proportion of parasitized webs decreased as cluster density increased. Clusters with a high proportion of larval webs parasitized tended to have lower parasitism rates per larval web. These results support the call for relatively large and continuous habitat patches to maintain stable parasitoid and host populations. Conservation efforts directed towards maintenance of high host plant density could allow E. aurinia to reduce parasitism risk, while providing C. bignellii with sufficient larval webs to allow population persistence.     

Disease ecology across soil boundaries: effects of below-ground fungi on above-ground host–parasite interactions

Host–parasite interactions are subject to strong trait-mediated indirect effects from other species. However, it remains unexplored whether such indirect effects may occur across soil boundaries and connect spatially isolated organisms. Here, we demonstrate that, by changing plant (milkweed Asclepias sp.) traits, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) significantly affect interactions between a herbivore (the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus) and its protozoan parasite (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), which represents an interaction across four biological kingdoms. In our experiment, AMF affected parasite virulence, host resistance and host tolerance to the parasite. These effects were dependent on both the density of AMF and the identity of milkweed species: AMF indirectly increased disease in monarchs reared on some species, while alleviating disease in monarchs reared on other species. The species-specificity was driven largely by the effects of AMF on both plant primary (phosphorus) and secondary (cardenolides; toxins in milkweeds) traits. Our study demonstrates that trait-mediated indirect effects in disease ecology are extensive, such that below-ground interactions between AMF and plant roots can alter host–parasite interactions above ground. In general, soil biota may play an underappreciated role in the ecology of many terrestrial host–parasite systems.     

Accumulation of cadmium and its effects on growth, development and hemolymph biochemical compositions in Boettcherisca peregrina larvae （Diptera： Sarcophagidae）

Newly emerged larvae of the fleshfly, Boettcherisca peregrina were exposed to two different CdCl2 concentrations of 100μg/g and 400 mg/g diet fresh weight （DFW）. They were administered in the diets until the end of larval stage. Cd-exposed larvae accumulated significant amounts of Cd and this accumulation increased with the exposure dose and time. The body weights were lightened and lengths of larvae were shortened considerably after Cd exposure, especially at the higher Cd concentration. The total larval duration was also extremely affected due to Cd exposure. The average duration was prolonged significantly by 14 h at the lower Cd concentration, while it was increased by 33.7 h over controls at the higher Cd concentration. A significant decrease in contents of either soluble proteins, total lipids or caloric values in the hemolymph occurred due to Cd exposure throughout the entire tested period but after 120 h of Cd exposure. In contrast, when exposed to Cd with its higher concentration, total sugar contents in the hemolymph were increased strikingly over the whole tested time, except after 96 h of Cd exposure, while they were not apparently altered except after 24 h of Cd exposure at the lower concentration. Thus, it is suggested that Cd exposure shows significant adverse impact on the growth and development, as well as metabolism, in larvae of this fleshfly, depending on its exposure time and dose.     

Combined effects of environmental factors and predator–prey interactions on zooplankton assemblages in five high alpine lakes

The examination of a yearly cycle of plankton density (rotifer and microcrustacean) and of 419 stomach contents of four species of salmonid fishes, arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, brown trout, Salmo trutta, rainbow trout, Onchorynchus mykiss and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, living in five high altitude lakes in the French Alps, shows an impact of abiotic variates and the effects of predation on the composition of zooplankton assemblages. The lakes studied may be divided in two groups. The colder, Muzelle and Puy Vachier, are characterised by a low level of food resources, an important impact of predation, and the near absence of planktonic crustaceans. The second group, consisting of Lakes Les Pisses, Petarel and Palluel, is characterised by a low density rotifer assemblage and a more abundant crustacean population controlled by a low level of fish predation.     

Effects of temporal heterogeneity of water supply and nutrient levels on plant biomass growth depend on the plant’s relative size within its population

Temporal heterogeneity of water supply can alter the biomass growth of plants, even when the same total amount of water is provided. Most studies of heterogeneous watering have focused on responses of whole populations rather than individuals in a population. The effects of water supply heterogeneity may also depend on nutrient levels. Thus, we investigated the integrated effects of water supply heterogeneity and nutrient levels on plants within a population. Six plants of Perilla frutescens per pot were grown under different combinations of frequency of water supply and nutrient level. The effects on yield per pot, individual biomass, and allocation to roots were analyzed after a 44-day watering regime. A homogeneous water supply resulted in a greater yield per pot and greater biomass of individual plants than a heterogeneous supply. However, the interaction between water supply heterogeneity and nutrient level was significant only in larger individuals, not in smaller plants or at the p. Water supply heterogeneity affected the growth of all plants, but the effects differed among individuals depending on their relative size within their population. It is therefore important to focus not only on whole-population characteristics such as yield but also on individuals in a population in order to reveal the detailed effects of water supply heterogeneity.     

Non-additive effects of macrophyte cover and turbidity on predator–prey interactions involving an invertivorous fish and different prey types

Habitat complexity, turbidity and prey type availability affect trophic dynamics, and an improved understanding of how these three factors work together could facilitate interpretations of trophic dynamics in environments with regime shifts. We conducted an experiment to cross these three factors, hypothesising that increasing both turbidity and macrophyte cover reduce consumption of Chironomids more than they reduce consumption of Cypridids. Our results did not support our hypothesis, suggesting that the effect of macrophyte cover on predation depends on turbidity. However, the magnitude of this combined effect is the same as that of turbidity alone. Moreover, turbidity affected predation on both prey types similarly. In addition, the effect of macrophyte cover on predation also depended on prey type. We argue that visual and physical refuges may be as effective as shelter, but macrophyte cover may benefit smaller prey items. This may lead to higher predation rates by small-sized fish on invertebrates during periods of low turbidity devoid of macrophyte cover and to similar predation rates on invertebrates during periods of low turbidity and abundant macrophytes, high turbidity and scarce macrophytes or high turbidity and abundant macrophyte cover.     

Sublethal effects of Beauveria bassiana on life table parameters of two–spotted spider mite,Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Effects of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana were studied on life table parameters of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae feeding on bean and cucumber under laboratory conditions. The developmental periods for all immature stages were not affected by fungal infection on each host plant but the duration of larval stage was significantly longer on bean. The female and male longevity, oviposition period and fecundity were significantly lower on fungus-treated mites but were not different between two host plants. Significant reductions were found on the intrinsic rate of increase (r _m ), the net reproductive rate (R ₀), the finite rate of increase (λ), the mean generation time (T _c ) and the population doubling time (D _t ) as a result of mycosis. Only the mean generation time (T _c ) was influenced considering the effect of host plant, which was shorter on cucumber.     

Assessing effects of radiation on abundance of mammals and predator–prey interactions in Chernobyl using tracks in the snow

To test whether radioactive contamination reduced the abundance of mammals, and whether species differed in susceptibility to radiation, we censused mammals by counting tracks in the snow along 161 100-m line transects around Chernobyl during February 2009. The abundance of mammal tracks was negatively related to level of background radiation, independent of the statistical model, with effects of radiation accounting for a third of the variance. The effect of radiation differed significantly among species. There was a positive relationship between abundance of predators and abundance of prey, modified by the level of background radiation because the number of predators increased disproportionately with the number of prey at high levels of radiation. These findings suggest that predatory mammals aggregate in areas with abundant prey, especially when prey are exposed to high levels of radiation. This study emphasizes the negative effects of level of background radiation on the abundance of mammals and predator–prey interactions.     

Intra- and interspecific density dependence mediates weather effects on the population dynamics of a plant–insect herbivore system

Temperature and precipitation are two major factors determining arthropod population densities, but the effects from these climate variables are seldom evaluated in the same study system and in combination with inter- and intraspecific density dependence. In this study, I used a 19 year time series on plant variables (shoot height and flowering incidence) and insect density in order to understand direct and indirect effects of climatic fluctuations on insect population densities. The study system includes two closely related leaf beetle species (Galerucella spp.) and a flower feeding weevil Nanophyes marmoratus attacking the plant purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria. Results suggest that both intraspecific density dependence and weather variables affected Galerucella population densities, with interactive effects of rain and temperature on insect densities that depended on the timing relative to insect life cycles. In spring, high temperatures increased Galerucella densities only when combined with high rain, as low rain implies a high drought risk. Low temperatures are only beneficial if combined with little rain, as high rain cause chilly and wet conditions that are bad for insects. In summer, interactive effects of rain and temperature are different because high temperatures and little rain cause drought that induce wilting in plants, thus reducing food availability for the leaf feeding larvae. In contrast, the density of the flower feeding weevil was less affected by temperature and precipitation directly, and more indirectly interspecific density dependent effects through reduced resource availability caused by previous Galerucella damage.     

Post hoc assessment of host plant use in a generalist invader: implications for understanding insect–plant interactions and weed biocontrol

Structured host-choice and no-choice tests were conducted to help clarify the host plant interactions of an insect herbivore that is simultaneously seen as broadly polyphagous and pestiferous (in Africa) and host restricted/beneficial (in Australia). The research reported here involves specification of the host range of the invasive population of Scirtothrips aurantii found on Bryophyllum in Australia and included tests involving three separate lists of plant species considered to have the potential for thrips attack (plants of horticultural concern, native species at risk of attack and species listed for screening in the search for specialist B. delagoense biocontrol agents). This procedure was developed specifically to deal with the S. aurantii situation in Australia. Because the test species is already present in the field, the conclusions from the tests could be evaluated independently against field sampling results. Host testing revealed that the fundamental host range of the Bryophyllum population of S. aurantii includes Macadamia integrifolia, Mangifera indica and Kalanchoe blossfeldianna. However, the choice tests (involving B. delagoense) and a field survey of Man. indica demonstrated conclusively that the realised host range of S. aurantii in the field is restricted to Crassulaceae. We recommend that host testing of generalist insects not be discounted out of hand (for biological control) because of their perceived polyphagy. Any evidence of populations being strongly associated with the weed species of interest (through quantified host association studies in the native range) suggests further scrutiny of that population is warranted, by means of the host testing methods developed here and in conjunction with appropriate tests of the population’s species status.     

Pervasive and strong effects of plants on soil chemistry: a meta-analysis of individual plant ‘Zinke’ effects

Plant species leave a chemical signature in the soils below them, generating fine-scale spatial variation that drives ecological processes. Since the publication of a seminal paper on plant-mediated soil heterogeneity by Paul Zinke in 1962, a robust literature has developed examining effects of individual plants on their local environments (individual plant effects). Here, we synthesize this work using meta-analysis to show that plant effects are strong and pervasive across ecosystems on six continents. Overall, soil properties beneath individual plants differ from those of neighbours by an average of 41%. Although the magnitudes of individual plant effects exhibit weak relationships with climate and latitude, they are significantly stronger in deserts and tundra than forests, and weaker in intensively managed ecosystems. The ubiquitous effects of plant individuals and species on local soil properties imply that individual plant effects have a role in plant–soil feedbacks, linking individual plants with biogeochemical processes at the ecosystem scale.