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[Selectivity and environmental variations in herbivory by Orthoptera]
Emmanuel Corcket1, Ioana Chintauan-Marquier, Ragan M Callaway
1Laboratoire écosystèmes et changements environnementaux, Centre de biologie alpine, université Joseph-Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble, France. emmanuel.corcket@ujf-grenoble.fr
Comptes Rendus Biologies
|May 1, 2002
Summary
Environmental factors like shade, drought, and temperature significantly impact herbivory by Orthoptera on grasses. Microclimatic conditions, not just food availability, appear to control this insect herbivory.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Entomology
Background:
- Herbivory, the consumption of plant material by animals, is a critical ecological process.
- Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) are significant insect herbivores impacting plant communities.
- Understanding the factors controlling herbivory is essential for ecosystem management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify environmental influences on Orthoptera herbivory on perennial grasses.
- To evaluate the mechanisms controlling herbivory by Orthoptera.
Main Methods:
- Field study quantifying herbivory on perennial grasses under varying environmental conditions.
- Analysis of relationships between herbivory rates and environmental variables (shade, drought, mowing, vapor pressure deficit, temperature).
Main Results:
- Herbivory by Orthoptera varied significantly with environmental factors including shade, drought, and mowing.
- Herbivory rates showed a positive correlation with vapor pressure deficit and temperature.
- Results support both trophic and microclimatic control hypotheses for herbivory.
Conclusions:
- Microclimatic factors play a crucial role in regulating Orthoptera herbivory, alongside potential trophic interactions.
- The dominant control mechanism of herbivory can be system- and herbivore-specific.
- Further research is needed to disentangle the complex interactions governing herbivory in different ecological contexts.