Competition among the adults of three grasshoppers (Orthop., Acrididae) on an alpine grassland |
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| Authors: | C.Z. Liu S.R. Zhou L. Yan F.N. Huang |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Entomology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China;;State Key Laboratory of Arid Agroecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China;;Department of Grassland, Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science, Qinghai University, Xining, China;;Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract: The intraspecific and interspecific competition among the adults of three common grasshoppers, Angaracris rhodopa (Fischer-Waldheim), Chorthippus dubius (Zubovsky) and Chorthippus fallax (Zubovsky) was investigated on Ganjia High Mountain Grassland in north-west China. The results indicated a strong intraspecific competition within species at high densities. The interspecific competition between the larger-sized species, A. rhodopa , and the smaller-sized species, C. dubius or C. fallax , was weak, while competition between C. dubius and C. fallax was strong. An asymmetric competitive interaction in mortality and fecundity associated with the diet and size was observed among the three species. Competition was strong between the two species that had a similar diet. The large-sized species had higher mortality rates and lower fecundity than the smaller-sized species. Intraspecific competition between the three species was mainly affected by food limitation, while interspecific competition was mainly associated with food limitation as well as the grasshoppers' adaptation to the environment. |
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| Keywords: | Angaracris rhodopa Chorthippus dubius Chorthippus fallax competition grasshopper high mountain grassland |
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