Herbivory of clonal populations: cattle browsing affects reproduction and population structure of Yucca elata

Kerley, G.I.H.; Tiver, Fleur; Whitford, Walter G.

doi:10.1007/bf00321184

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Y. elata can recover from loss of more than 90% of the leaves by pack-rat (Neotoma spp.) herbivory and exhibits compensatory growth when the central cluster of leaves is removed by cattle (Kerley et al, 1992).…”

Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire in Chihuahuan Desert grassland: Short-term effects on vegetation, small mammal populations, and faunal pedoturbation

Killgore

Jackson

Whitford

2009

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire in Chihuahuan Desert grassland: Short-term effects on vegetation, small mammal populations, and faunal pedoturbation

Killgore

Jackson

Whitford

2009

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Accordingly, disturbances in grazed sites were found to negatively influence the presence and establishment of herbivores (Kerley et al 1993), and intensive grazing was reported to disturb plant-insect interactions . Thus, in cases where formerly mown grasslands now have to be grazed to reduce labour, the number of cattle and the duration of grazing need to be limited.…”

Section: Leaf Damage By Herbivory and Fungal Pathogen Infectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Omnipresence of leaf herbivory by invertebrates and leaf infection by fungal pathogens in agriculturally used grasslands of the Swiss Alps, but low plant damage

et al. 2012

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Agriculturally used grasslands in the Alps are characterised by a trade-off between high fodder production in some and high plant species richness in others. In contrast to plant species richness and production, however, little is known on the relevance of biological interactions between plants, invertebrate herbivores, and fungal pathogens for grasslands in the Alps. At the time when the vegetation was fully developed, but prior to agricultural use, we examined whether leaf damage by herbivory and fungal pathogen infection, and their diversity, are affected by plant functional group, land use, and altitude. Moreover, we studied whether extent and diversity of leaf damage are related to each other, to plant species richness, and to standing crop. We recorded the leaf area damaged by ten types of herbivory and five types of fungal pathogen infection on 12,054 plant leaves of legumes, other forbs, and graminoids collected in 215 grassland parcels in 12 valleys in the Swiss Alps. With 83 % of all leaves infested, herbivory and fungal pathogen infection were omnipresent. However, only 2.7 % leaf area was damaged by herbivory and 1.2 % by fungal pathogens. Damage by herbivory was highest on legumes, and damage by fungal pathogens was highest on graminoids. More leaf damage by herbivory occurred in traditionally mown sites and at lower altitudes, while damage by fungal pathogen infection was independent of land use and altitude. Most types of herbivory were found on legumes and on leaves from fertilised sites, whereas the number of fungal pathogen types was highest on graminoids and in unfertilised sites. Larger standing crop was associated with higher leaf damage and diversity of herbivory types per leaf. Neither damage by herbivory nor by fungal pathogens was correlated with plant species diversity. In more plant species rich parcels, the number of herbivory types was lower at the leaf level, but tended to be higher at the parcel level. Our results highlight the omnipresence of plant-herbivore and plant-pathogen interactions. They suggest that current land use changes from mowing to grazing or to abandonment decrease the diversity of herbivory, and that fertilisation decreases pathogen diversity. As our results did not reveal conservation conflicts between diversities of plants, herbivores, and fungal pathogens, and as the damage from herbivory and pathogens is generally low, we conclude that for protecting the high diversity of plant-herbivore and plant-pathogen interactions a diverse low-intensity land use should be maintained.

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“…Such a population decline could have significant implications for a variety of animal species, including yucca moths (Tegeticula spp.) which are pollinators and seed parasites, carpenter bees (Xylocopa californica) which nest in inflorescence stalks, and a variety of birds (especially raptors) which use the dry stalks as one of the few natural tall perches in this landscape (Kerley et al, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multivariate characterization of perennial vegetation in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Johnson

Turner

Whitford

et al. 2000

Journal of Arid Environments

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Herbivory of clonal populations: cattle browsing affects reproduction and population structure of Yucca elata

Cited by 33 publications

References 7 publications

Fire in Chihuahuan Desert grassland: Short-term effects on vegetation, small mammal populations, and faunal pedoturbation

Fire in Chihuahuan Desert grassland: Short-term effects on vegetation, small mammal populations, and faunal pedoturbation

Omnipresence of leaf herbivory by invertebrates and leaf infection by fungal pathogens in agriculturally used grasslands of the Swiss Alps, but low plant damage

Multivariate characterization of perennial vegetation in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

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