Present-day testing of a paleoecological pattern: Is there really a latitudinal difference in leaf-feeding insect-damage diversity?

Adams, Jonathan M.; Brusa, Anthony; Soyeong, Ahn; Ainuddin, A. N.

doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.05.004

Cited by 35 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Although this conclusion is in line with the general regularity, i.e. with an overall increase in species richness from the poles towards the equator (Gaston andWilliams 1996, Willig et al 2003), this pattern has never been demonstrated for a community of insects feeding on the same host (discussed by Adams et al 2010). Th us, we provide the fi rst direct evidence that the southern populations of a certain tree species are attacked by a larger number of herbivore species than its northern populations.…”

Section: Differences Among Geographical Gradients and Study Yearsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Abundance and diversity of birch‐feeding leafminers along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe

et al. 2013

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Latitudinal patterns in biotic interactions, including herbivory, have been widely debated during the past years. In particular, recent meta‐analysis questioned the hypothesis that herbivory increases from the poles towards the equator. Our study was designed to verify this hypothesis by exploring latitudinal patterns in abundance and diversity of birch‐feeding insect herbivores belonging to the leafminer guild in northern Europe, from 59° to 69°N. We collected branches from five mature trees of two birch species (Betula pendula and B. pubescens) at each study site (ten sites for each of five latitudinal gradients) twice per season (in early and late summer of 2008–2011) and attributed all mines found on leaves of these branches to a certain taxon of insects. Latitudinal patterns were quantified by calculating Spearman rank correlation coefficients between both abundance and diversity of leafmining taxa and latitudes of sampling sites. In general, both abundance and diversity of leafminers significantly decreased with latitude. However, we discovered pronounced variation in patterns of latitudinal changes among study years and leafminer taxa. Variation among study years was best explained by mean temperatures in July at the northern ends of our gradients. During cold years, abundance of leafminers significantly decreased with latitude, while during warm years the abundance was either independent of latitude or even increased towards the pole. In the northern boreal forests (66° to 69°N), herbivores demonstrated larger changes in densities in response to temperature variations than in the boreo‐nemoral forests (59° to 62°N). Our data suggest that climate warming will result in a stronger increase in herbivory at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes.

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Section: Differences Among Geographical Gradients and Study Yearsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Abundance and diversity of birch‐feeding leafminers along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe

et al. 2013

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“…Importantly, the lower loads of sap‐feeders observed in the northernmost parts of our study region resulted from both a smaller number of herbivore species and their lower abundances. This result adds to the limited evidence (Adams et al ., ; Kozlov et al ., ) that the southern populations of a certain tree species are attacked by a larger number of herbivore species than are its northern populations. Consequently, the ongoing expansion of distribution ranges towards the North, reported for many insect species (Parmesan et al ., ; Warren et al ., ), can be expected to contribute to an overall increase in herbivory.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sap‐feeding insects on forest trees along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe: a climate‐driven patterns

Kozlov

Stekolshchikov

Söderman³

et al. 2014

Global Change Biology

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Knowledge of the latitudinal patterns in biotic interactions, and especially in herbivory, is crucial for understanding the mechanisms that govern ecosystem functioning and for predicting their responses to climate change. We used sap-feeding insects as a model group to test the hypotheses that the strength of plant-herbivore interactions in boreal forests decreases with latitude and that this latitudinal pattern is driven primarily by midsummer temperatures. We used a replicated sampling design and quantitatively collected and identified all sap-feeding insects from four species of forest trees along five latitudinal gradients (750-1300 km in length, ten sites in each gradient) in northern Europe (59 to 70°N and 10 to 60°E) during 2008-2011. Similar decreases in diversity of sap-feeding insects with latitude were observed in all gradients during all study years. The sap-feeder load (i.e. insect biomass per unit of foliar biomass) decreased with latitude in typical summers, but increased in an exceptionally hot summer and was independent of latitude during a warm summer. Analysis of combined data from all sites and years revealed dome-shaped relationships between the loads of sap-feeders and midsummer temperatures, peaking at 17 °C in Picea abies, at 19.5 °C in Pinus sylvestris and Betula pubescens and at 22 °C in B. pendula. From these relationships, we predict that the losses of forest trees to sap-feeders will increase by 0-45% of the current level in southern boreal forests and by 65-210% in subarctic forests with a 1 °C increase in summer temperatures. The observed relationships between temperatures and the loads of sap-feeders differ between the coniferous and deciduous tree species. We conclude that climate warming will not only increase plant losses to sap-feeding insects, especially in subarctic forests, but can also alter plant-plant interactions, thereby affecting both the productivity and the structure of future forest ecosystems.

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“…2007, 2009), many show no relationship between herbivory and latitude (e.g. Andrew & Hughes 2005; Sinclair & Hughes 2008; Adams et al. 2009a, 2010), and others suggest higher herbivory at high latitudes (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the evidence for latitudinal gradients in plant defence and herbivory

et al. 2010

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Summary1. The idea that biotic interactions, including herbivory, predation and competition are more intense at lower latitudes is widely accepted and underpins several dominant theories on the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity. Current theory also predicts that the intense biotic interactions at low latitudes will select plants for greater defence against herbivores. We reviewed the literature to provide an assessment of the evidence for and against the hypothesis that herbivory is more intense at lower latitudes, and that plants from low latitudes are better defended than are plants from high latitudes. 2. Only 37% of the 38 latitudinal comparisons of herbivory showed higher herbivory at lower latitudes, and the average effect size in a meta-analysis was not significantly different from zero. Thus, the available data do not support the idea that herbivory is generally more intense in the tropics. 3. Only nine of 56 comparisons found higher chemical defences at lower latitudes, and a metaanalysis showed that overall, chemical defences were significantly higher in plants from higher latitudes. This result is counter to the predictions of much of the literature. 4. A meta-analysis showed no significant effect of latitude on physical defence. 5. A review of the literature on feeding trials and common garden experiments showed that herbivores tend to prefer tissue from high latitudes. This trend could stem from differences in overall defence that were not captured by the metrics used in the literature, but could also result from differences in nutritional quality. 6. The empirical data do not support the widespread view that herbivory is generally more intense at lower latitudes, or that plants from low latitudes are generally better defended than are plants from higher latitudes. These results are counter to the prevailing thought on this topic, and suggest that this field may be ripe for the development of new theory.

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Present-day testing of a paleoecological pattern: Is there really a latitudinal difference in leaf-feeding insect-damage diversity?

Cited by 35 publications

References 29 publications

Abundance and diversity of birch‐feeding leafminers along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe

Abundance and diversity of birch‐feeding leafminers along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe

Sap‐feeding insects on forest trees along latitudinal gradients in northern Europe: a climate‐driven patterns

Assessing the evidence for latitudinal gradients in plant defence and herbivory

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