Herbivory and leaf traits of two tree species from different successional stages in a tropical dry forest

Abstract

Leaf traits are analyzed as essential drivers for the evolutionary and ecological role of plant defense mechanisms. Plants show leaf trait variation as a response to the diverse environmental conditions, like different successional stages. Those variations can impact leaf herbivory rates and drive changes in the allocation of plant resources. In this study, we aimed at comparing the expression of leaf defenses in established plants over different successional stages in a tropical dry forest to understand how these defenses modify the plant-herbivore interactions based on herbivory rates. We analyzed physical leaf traits (specific leaf area, thickness, and density), nutrient content (N, P, and K), total phenolic compounds, and leaf herbivory, of the native tree species Aspidosperma pyrifolium and Cenostigma pyramidale, in early-and late-successional stage areas. Results showed that the plant investment in defenses varies according to the successional stage and that both species have similar defense strategies, confirming the resource availability hypothesis. Individuals from the early stage adopt a strategy to lower sclerophylly, higher nutrient content and less phenolic compounds, while the late-stage individuals showed an opposite behaviour. For both species in this study, the average percentage of leaf herbivory observed was 40% higher in the early compared to the late-stage area. Our data indicate that plant defenses are tightly coupled to sclerophylly and investments in secondary metabolites, and the environmental conditions of different successional stage drive that plasticity in such leaf traits.

Do leaf traits affect insect herbivory in a Chinese cork oak forest?

“…Letters above bars indicate significant differences between strata. Mauffette 2002; Kause et al 1999) did not promote insect herbivory, while leaf traits thought to be unfavourable (i.e., higher leaf carbon content and leaf tannin content) (de Sena et al 2021;Stiegel et al 2017) did not inhibit insect herbivory. Horizontally, no significant correlation was found between insect herbivory and leaf traits (Figures 2 & 3).…”

“…Higher leaf nitrogen content promoted leaf consumption in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) (Fortin & Mauffette 2002) and Handroanthus ochraceus (Bignoniaceae) (Silva et al 2012). de Sena et al (2021) found that the high content of leaf phenolic compounds of Aspidosperma pyrifolium and Cenostigma pyramidale can negatively influence insect herbivory.…”