Tag: herbivory

plant-animal interaction

Ribwort plantain is well protected against possible attackers even far away from home

Pamela Medina-van Berkum, Eric Schmöckel, Armin Bischoff, Natalia Carrasco-Farias, Jane A. Catford, Reinart Feldmann, Karin Groten, Hugh A. L. Henry, Anna Bucharova, Sabine Hänniger, Justin C. Luong, Julia Meis, Vincensius S.P. Oetama, Meelis Pärtel, Sally A. Power, Jesus Villellas, Erik Welk, Astrid Wingler, Beate Rothe, Jonathan Gershenzon, Michael Reichelt, Christiane Roscher, Sybille B. Unsicker This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research … Continue reading Ribwort plantain is well protected against possible attackers even far away from home

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community ecology

Large herbivore grazing affects plant diseases in meadow steppes

Tianyun Li, Eric Allan, Sihan Yang, Yiming Liu, Moshe Inbar, Deli Wang, Zhiwei Zhong This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plant diseases are widespread in terrestrial ecosystems and play a critical role in maintaining plant diversity and regulating ecosystem functions. Hence, understanding the drivers of pathogen abundance and thus plant diseases is of fundamental … Continue reading Large herbivore grazing affects plant diseases in meadow steppes

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plant-animal interaction

Microbe-induced plant resistance against insect pests depends on timing of inoculation, but is consistent across climatic conditions

Oriana Sanchez-Mahecha, Sophia Klink, Michael Rothballer, Sarah Sturm, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Sharon Zytynska, Robin Heinen This is a plain language summary for a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Agricultural land use puts tremendous pressure on natural ecosystems, by reducing habitat, and via the ecological side effects of various agricultural inputs, including synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, which help farmers increase crop productivity, … Continue reading Microbe-induced plant resistance against insect pests depends on timing of inoculation, but is consistent across climatic conditions

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community ecology

The effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning can be stronger when different species of plants and animals are more complementary

Angelos Amyntas, Emilio Berti, Benoit Gauzens, Georg Albert, Wentao Yu, Alexandra S. Werner, Nico Eisenhauer, Ulrich Brose This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Diverse plant communities tend to exhibit higher levels of functioning such as increased plant productivity. This positive diversity-functioning relationship has been shown to increase over time. One proposed mechanism behind this … Continue reading The effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning can be stronger when different species of plants and animals are more complementary

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community ecology

Future CO2 scenarios reduce silicon and phosphorous in a pasture grass  

Scott N. Johnson, Craig V.M. Barton, Fikadu N. Biru, Tarikul Islam, Wade J. Mace, Rhiannon C. Rowe, Ximena Cibils–Stewart This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Many grasses store silicon and partner with mutualistic Epichloë fungal endophytes, both of which can alleviate diverse environmental stresses (e.g. herbivory). Silicon in leaves often increases physical resistance to … Continue reading Future CO2 scenarios reduce silicon and phosphorous in a pasture grass  

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community ecology

Warmer temperatures might make high-elevation plant populations more vulnerable to herbivores

James Buckley, Alex Widmer, Mark C. Mescher, Consuelo M. De Moraes This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. With rising global temperatures, cold-adapted alpine plants are expected to suffer from both a reduction in suitable habitat and an increase in low-elevation insect herbivores that are rapidly colonising high-elevation locations. However, it is unclear how warmer … Continue reading Warmer temperatures might make high-elevation plant populations more vulnerable to herbivores

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behavioural ecology

The moose in the willows: What’s on the menu for moose in winter? And why?

Robert Spitzer, Eric Coissac, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Annika M. Felton, Christian Fohringer, Marietjie Landman, Wiebke Neumann, David Raubenheimer, Navinder J Singh, Pierre Taberlet, Fredrik Widemo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Understanding why animals eat what they eat is no easy task. Large herbivores in particular often consume dozens of different plant species. Depending … Continue reading The moose in the willows: What’s on the menu for moose in winter? And why?

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plant physiological ecology

The silicon and nitrogen concentrations in wildflowers and grasses vary under different water conditions

Marius Klotz, Jörg Schaller, Heike Feldhaar, Jürgen Dengler, Gerhard Gebauer, Gregor Aas, Anita Weissflog, Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Wildflower and grass species have to cope with unfavourable conditions, such as drought and flooding. This causes stress to which plants respond by adjusting their growth and nutrient content. Understanding … Continue reading The silicon and nitrogen concentrations in wildflowers and grasses vary under different water conditions

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plant-animal interaction

High CO2 helps savanna trees escape fatal herbivory

Brad S. Ripley, Sarah L. Raubenheimer, Lavinia Perumal, Maurice Anderson, Emma Mostert, Barney S. Kgope, Guy F. Midgley, Kimberley J. Simpson This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. When you picture a savanna in your mind, you likely think of a wide and open tropical scene dominated by grasses with a scattering of trees. However … Continue reading High CO2 helps savanna trees escape fatal herbivory

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plant-animal interaction

Insect associated microbes and plant defense interact to modulate the performance of a caterpillar

Guillaume Minard, Aapo Kahilainen, Arjen Biere, Hannu Pakkanen, Johanna Mappes, Marjo Saastamoinen This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants tend to express some pattern of physical or chemical defenses that protects them against their natural enemies. Many specialist herbivores have evolved strategies to cope with such plant defenses. Their gut microbiota (i.e. the microbes … Continue reading Insect associated microbes and plant defense interact to modulate the performance of a caterpillar

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