No Cover Image

Journal article 1797 views 293 downloads

Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers

Hélène Deraison, Isabelle Badenhausser, Luca Borger Orcid Logo, Nicolas Gross

Functional Ecology, Volume: 29, Issue: 5, Pages: 650 - 661

Swansea University Author: Luca Borger Orcid Logo

DOI (Published version): 10.1111/1365-2435.12362

Abstract

1. Using trait-based approaches to study trophic interactions may represent one of the most promising approaches to evaluate the impact of trophic interactions on ecosystem functioning. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to clearly identify which traits determine the impact of one trophic level o...

Full description

Published in: Functional Ecology
Published: 2014
Online Access: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12362/abstract
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa19058
first_indexed 2014-11-04T02:30:08Z
last_indexed 2021-07-17T02:32:07Z
id cronfa19058
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2021-07-16T14:52:38.3449849</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>19058</id><entry>2014-11-03</entry><title>Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>8416d0ffc3cccdad6e6d67a455e7c4a2</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-8763-5997</ORCID><firstname>Luca</firstname><surname>Borger</surname><name>Luca Borger</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2014-11-03</date><deptcode>BGPS</deptcode><abstract>1. Using trait-based approaches to study trophic interactions may represent one of the most promising approaches to evaluate the impact of trophic interactions on ecosystem functioning. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to clearly identify which traits determine the impact of one trophic level on another.2. Using functionally contrasting grasshopper species, we tested the ability of multiple traits (morphological, chemical and biomechanical) to predict herbivore impact on the biomass of a diverse plant community. We set up a cage experiment in an old species rich grassland field and evaluated how multiple candidate grasshopper effect traits mediated herbivore impact on plant biomass.3. Grasshoppers had different impact on plant community biomass (consuming up to 60 % of plant community biomass). Grasshopper impact was positively correlated with their incisive strength while body size or grasshopper C:N ratio exhibited low predictive ability. Importantly, the strong relationship between the incisive strength and the impact was mediated by the grasshopper feeding niche, which was well predicted in our study by two simple plant traits (leaf dry matter content, leaf C:N ratio). Feeding niche differences between grasshoppers were explained by differences in incisive strength, highlighting the fundamental linkage between grasshopper effect traits and their niche.4. Our study contributes to the development of the trait-based approach in the study of trophic interactions by providing a first experimental test of the relationship between herbivore effect traits, their impact on plant community biomass, and in a larger extent on ecosystem functioning. By comparing the relative importance of multiple interacting grasshopper traits, our study showed that incisive strength was a key effect trait which determined grasshopper feeding niche and its relative impact on plant community biomass.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Functional Ecology</journal><volume>29</volume><journalNumber>5</journalNumber><paginationStart>650</paginationStart><paginationEnd>661</paginationEnd><publisher/><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic/><keywords>plant insect interactions, effect traits, functional traits, grasshoppers, feeding niche, herbivory, grassland, C:N ratio, leaf dry matter content, body size, incisive strength, animal ecology, plant ecology, community ecology,</keywords><publishedDay>19</publishedDay><publishedMonth>11</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2014</publishedYear><publishedDate>2014-11-19</publishedDate><doi>10.1111/1365-2435.12362</doi><url>http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12362/abstract</url><notes>By clarifying how incisor strength acts through the feeding niche in determining the impact of different grasshopper species on plant biomass, our study makes an important contribution in extending the trait-based approach from plant to animal community and plant-herbivore interaction studies - a highly active and major research area currently.</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Biosciences Geography and Physics School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>BGPS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm/><lastEdited>2021-07-16T14:52:38.3449849</lastEdited><Created>2014-11-03T17:25:17.7311125</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences</level></path><authors><author><firstname>H&#xE9;l&#xE8;ne</firstname><surname>Deraison</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Isabelle</firstname><surname>Badenhausser</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Luca</firstname><surname>Borger</surname><orcid>0000-0001-8763-5997</orcid><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Nicolas</firstname><surname>Gross</surname><order>4</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>0019058-08072015100226.pdf</filename><originalFilename>Deraison_etal_2014_HerbivoreEffectTraits&amp;PlantCommunityBiomassEffects_acceptedVersion.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2015-07-08T10:02:26.2730000</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1235218</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Accepted Manuscript</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><embargoDate>2015-07-07T00:00:00.0000000</embargoDate><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2021-07-16T14:52:38.3449849 v2 19058 2014-11-03 Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers 8416d0ffc3cccdad6e6d67a455e7c4a2 0000-0001-8763-5997 Luca Borger Luca Borger true false 2014-11-03 BGPS 1. Using trait-based approaches to study trophic interactions may represent one of the most promising approaches to evaluate the impact of trophic interactions on ecosystem functioning. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to clearly identify which traits determine the impact of one trophic level on another.2. Using functionally contrasting grasshopper species, we tested the ability of multiple traits (morphological, chemical and biomechanical) to predict herbivore impact on the biomass of a diverse plant community. We set up a cage experiment in an old species rich grassland field and evaluated how multiple candidate grasshopper effect traits mediated herbivore impact on plant biomass.3. Grasshoppers had different impact on plant community biomass (consuming up to 60 % of plant community biomass). Grasshopper impact was positively correlated with their incisive strength while body size or grasshopper C:N ratio exhibited low predictive ability. Importantly, the strong relationship between the incisive strength and the impact was mediated by the grasshopper feeding niche, which was well predicted in our study by two simple plant traits (leaf dry matter content, leaf C:N ratio). Feeding niche differences between grasshoppers were explained by differences in incisive strength, highlighting the fundamental linkage between grasshopper effect traits and their niche.4. Our study contributes to the development of the trait-based approach in the study of trophic interactions by providing a first experimental test of the relationship between herbivore effect traits, their impact on plant community biomass, and in a larger extent on ecosystem functioning. By comparing the relative importance of multiple interacting grasshopper traits, our study showed that incisive strength was a key effect trait which determined grasshopper feeding niche and its relative impact on plant community biomass. Journal Article Functional Ecology 29 5 650 661 plant insect interactions, effect traits, functional traits, grasshoppers, feeding niche, herbivory, grassland, C:N ratio, leaf dry matter content, body size, incisive strength, animal ecology, plant ecology, community ecology, 19 11 2014 2014-11-19 10.1111/1365-2435.12362 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12362/abstract By clarifying how incisor strength acts through the feeding niche in determining the impact of different grasshopper species on plant biomass, our study makes an important contribution in extending the trait-based approach from plant to animal community and plant-herbivore interaction studies - a highly active and major research area currently. COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University 2021-07-16T14:52:38.3449849 2014-11-03T17:25:17.7311125 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Hélène Deraison 1 Isabelle Badenhausser 2 Luca Borger 0000-0001-8763-5997 3 Nicolas Gross 4 0019058-08072015100226.pdf Deraison_etal_2014_HerbivoreEffectTraits&PlantCommunityBiomassEffects_acceptedVersion.pdf 2015-07-08T10:02:26.2730000 Output 1235218 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2015-07-07T00:00:00.0000000 true
title Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
spellingShingle Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
Luca Borger
title_short Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
title_full Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
title_fullStr Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
title_full_unstemmed Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
title_sort Herbivore effect traits and their impact on plant community biomass: an experimental test using grasshoppers
author_id_str_mv 8416d0ffc3cccdad6e6d67a455e7c4a2
author_id_fullname_str_mv 8416d0ffc3cccdad6e6d67a455e7c4a2_***_Luca Borger
author Luca Borger
author2 Hélène Deraison
Isabelle Badenhausser
Luca Borger
Nicolas Gross
format Journal article
container_title Functional Ecology
container_volume 29
container_issue 5
container_start_page 650
publishDate 2014
institution Swansea University
doi_str_mv 10.1111/1365-2435.12362
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
url http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12362/abstract
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description 1. Using trait-based approaches to study trophic interactions may represent one of the most promising approaches to evaluate the impact of trophic interactions on ecosystem functioning. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to clearly identify which traits determine the impact of one trophic level on another.2. Using functionally contrasting grasshopper species, we tested the ability of multiple traits (morphological, chemical and biomechanical) to predict herbivore impact on the biomass of a diverse plant community. We set up a cage experiment in an old species rich grassland field and evaluated how multiple candidate grasshopper effect traits mediated herbivore impact on plant biomass.3. Grasshoppers had different impact on plant community biomass (consuming up to 60 % of plant community biomass). Grasshopper impact was positively correlated with their incisive strength while body size or grasshopper C:N ratio exhibited low predictive ability. Importantly, the strong relationship between the incisive strength and the impact was mediated by the grasshopper feeding niche, which was well predicted in our study by two simple plant traits (leaf dry matter content, leaf C:N ratio). Feeding niche differences between grasshoppers were explained by differences in incisive strength, highlighting the fundamental linkage between grasshopper effect traits and their niche.4. Our study contributes to the development of the trait-based approach in the study of trophic interactions by providing a first experimental test of the relationship between herbivore effect traits, their impact on plant community biomass, and in a larger extent on ecosystem functioning. By comparing the relative importance of multiple interacting grasshopper traits, our study showed that incisive strength was a key effect trait which determined grasshopper feeding niche and its relative impact on plant community biomass.
published_date 2014-11-19T07:50:51Z
_version_ 1830265764282630144
score 11.060726

Similar Items