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Insect performance on experimentally stressed woody plants: a meta-analysis
J Koricheva1, S Larsson, E Haukioja
1Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
Annual Review of Entomology
|March 12, 2004
Summary
Abiotic stress in plants does not generally improve their suitability for herbivorous insects. However, responses varied by insect feeding guild, with some benefiting and others being harmed by stressed plants.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant-insect interactions
- Environmental stress
Background:
- Abiotic stresses like water deficit, pollution, and shading are increasingly impacting plant health.
- Understanding how these stresses alter plant quality for herbivores is crucial for predicting ecosystem dynamics.
- Previous research suggests conflicting effects of plant stress on insect herbivores.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that abiotic stress enhances plant suitability for insect herbivores.
- To synthesize findings from experimental studies on insect performance on stressed plants.
- To identify factors influencing the variability in insect responses to plant stress.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was performed on 70 experimental studies.
- Insect performance metrics (growth rate, fecundity, survival, colonization) were analyzed.
- Studies focused on insect herbivores feeding on woody plants subjected to water stress, pollution, and/or shading.
Main Results:
- Overall, plant abiotic stress showed no significant effect on general insect performance metrics.
- Significant variation in insect responses was observed, largely dependent on the insect's feeding guild.
- Boring and sucking insects generally performed better on stressed plants, while gall-makers and chewing insects performed worse.
- Chewing insects' performance reduction was more pronounced on slow-growing stressed plants.
- Sucking insects' reproductive potential was enhanced by pollution but reduced by water stress.
- Some observed differences may be artifacts of small sample sizes or short experimental durations.
Conclusions:
- Abiotic plant stress does not universally increase herbivore suitability.
- Insect feeding guild is a critical determinant of responses to plant stress.
- Pollution and water stress can have differential impacts on insect reproductive success.
- Experimental design considerations are important for accurately assessing plant-herbivore interactions under stress.