Unrecognized impact of a biocontrol agent on the spread rate of an invasive thistle

Marchetto, Katherine M.; Shea, Katriona; Kelly, Dave; Groenteman, Ronny; Sezen, Zeynep; Jongejans, Eelke

doi:10.1890/13-1309.1

Cited by 26 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Until the recent release of Cassida, the only other significant herbivory on thistles was from introduced seed-feeding biocontrol agents that exert some regulating influence on populations of biennial thistle species, such as C. nutans (Groenteman et al, 2011;Marchetto et al, 2014). Insect herbivory on thistles in NZ is relaxed in comparison to the native range.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf traits of congeneric host plants explain differences in performance of a specialist herbivore

Cripps

Jackman

Rostás

et al. 2015

Ecological Entomology

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1. Within the host range of herbivorous insects, performance hierarchies are often correlated with relatedness to a primary host plant, as plant traits are phylogenetically conserved. Therefore, it was hypothesised that differences in herbivore performance on closely related plant species are due to resistance traits that vary in magnitude, rather than in the nature of the traits.2. This hypothesis was tested by manipulating putative resistance traits of three congeneric thistle species (Cirsium arvense, Cirsium palustre, and Cirsium vulgare) and assessing the performance of the oligophagous, leaf-feeding beetle, Cassida rubiginosa. Measurements were done of survival, weight gain, and development time of the beetle on its primary host, C. arvense, and two alternative hosts under low and high nutrient availability, and on shaved and unshaved leaves.3. Survival of C. rubiginosa was strongly dependent on plant species with final mean survival rates of 47%, 16%, and 8% on C. arvense, C. palustre, and C. vulgare, respectively. Survival was primarily explained by leaf trichome densities, and to a lesser extent by specific leaf area. Leaf flavonoid concentrations did not explain differences in beetle survival, and there were no differences in beetle weight gain or development time of individuals that survived to adulthood.4. No beetles survived on unshaved (hairy) C. vulgare plants, but manipulating leaf trichome densities of the thistle species by shaving the leaves moderated the plant-specific resistance, and equalised the survival rates. Survival of C. rubiginosa on alternative congeneric hosts was explained by a common physical resistance trait that varied in magnitude.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf traits of congeneric host plants explain differences in performance of a specialist herbivore

Cripps

Jackman

Rostás

et al. 2015

Ecological Entomology

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“…Seed abscission occurs during a narrow time window after seeds have matured, and before the peduncle dries and the capitulum falls from the stem; this phenomenon leads to the species' common name, ‘nodding thistle.’ Seeds that do not leave the capitulum before the head falls are retained at the maternal site and do not contribute to population spread. Previous studies show that plant height (Zhang et al ., ), seed terminal velocity (Teller et al ., , ) and natural enemy attack (Marchetto et al ., ) play crucial roles in the dispersal of this wind‐dispersed species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Seed release in a changing climate: initiation of movement increases spread of an invasive species under simulated climate warming

Teller

Zhang

Shea

2016

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Reliable estimates of how species will move under future climatic conditions are lacking, and the ability of species to track suitable habitat under climate change is strongly predicated on dispersal. In wind‐dispersed plants, initiation of movement by maternal seed release characteristics can affect the ultimate shape of the dispersal kernel. If seed dispersal traits respond to altered local abiotic conditions induced by climate change during development, the effects could have major impacts on projections of future population spread. Location Central Pennsylvania, USA. Methods To quantify how seed release characteristics might be affected by climate change, we experimentally manipulated temperature in a field study of the wind‐dispersed, invasive plant Carduus nutans (Asteraceae). We quantified seed release in a series of trials conducted in a full‐size experimental wind tunnel, and we examined the effect of the probability of seed release on the projected population spread rate (c*). Results Experimental warming over the growing season significantly increased the probability of seed release in wind tunnel trials by 7%. When these data were incorporated into matrix integro‐differential equation models of population spread for this species, the measured increase in seed release, combined with previously reported increases in plant height, resulted in a projected increase in the population spread rate of C. nutans of 38% per year due to increased temperature. Main conclusions Ignoring altered seed release dynamics significantly underestimates the increase in potential spread rate by 11%. This increase could allow this species to reach suitable habitat more quickly than expected from existing models of population spread, and could require management timing to shift in the future. More generally, our results suggest that models of future distributions of other wind‐dispersed species that do not include information about species' dispersal responses to climate may incur significant errors and could result in poorly applied management or inadequate spatial risk assessment.

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“…Understanding the rate and mechanisms of range expansion can help managers reduce transmission, protect areas of special concern, and implement other control measures. For example, understanding rates of spread of invasive species is important in the implementation of biocontrol programs [9]. Rate of spread is also a key input into risk maps and decision support tools [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Speed of Invasion: Rates of Spread for Thirteen Exotic Forest Insects and Diseases

Evans

2016

Forests

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Invasive, exotic insects and diseases have a devastating effect on North American forests. The rate of spread, or range expansion, is one of the main determinants of an invasive organism's impact, and can play a major role in structuring management response options. To better understand how exotic organisms have spread through our forests, this study employs a consistent, rigorous analytical framework to analyze a comprehensive geospatial database for the spread of seven exotic insects and six diseases. This study includes new data for six insects and two diseases in combination with five invasive species previously analyzed using the same technique. The quantile regression analysis of over 3000 records of infestation over the preceding century show that the rate of spread of invasive forest insects and diseases ranges from 4.2 km¨year´1 to 57.0 km¨year´1. The slowest disease spread was white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) at 7.4 km¨year´1 while the most rapid disease spread was chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) at 31.3 km¨year´1. The slowest insect spread was balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) (4.2 km¨year´1) while the fastest was emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) at 57.0 km¨year´1. Species that can fly long distances or are vectored by flying insects have spread faster than those that are passively dispersed. This analysis highlights the difficulty of estimating spread rates from studies of individual dispersal or flight distances, but the estimated spread rates in this study are generally in line with previous estimates.

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Unrecognized impact of a biocontrol agent on the spread rate of an invasive thistle

Cited by 26 publications

References 51 publications

Leaf traits of congeneric host plants explain differences in performance of a specialist herbivore

Leaf traits of congeneric host plants explain differences in performance of a specialist herbivore

Seed release in a changing climate: initiation of movement increases spread of an invasive species under simulated climate warming

The Speed of Invasion: Rates of Spread for Thirteen Exotic Forest Insects and Diseases

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