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Phytophagy on phylogenetically isolated trees: why hosts should escape their relatives
Benjamin Yguel1, Richard Bailey, N Denise Tosh
1University of Rennes 1/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit UMR 6553, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, Campus Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A, 263 Av. du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes cedex, France. benyguel@hotmail.fr
Ecology Letters
|September 20, 2011
Summary
Phylogenetic isolation of oak trees significantly reduces insect herbivory (phytophagy). Even a 100-million-year evolutionary separation leads to a tenfold decrease in insect feeding, highlighting evolutionary history
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Forest Science
Background:
- Ecological interactions are often influenced by the local environment, including the diversity and spatial arrangement of neighboring species.
- Previous research suggested that host neighborhood, characterized by species diversity or spatial separation, explains variations in host impact from natural enemies.
- However, the role of evolutionary history between host and neighboring species in mediating these interactions remained underexplored.
Discussion:
- This study investigated the impact of phylogenetic isolation on phytophagy in oak hosts.
- Phylogenetic isolation, measured as evolutionary distance to neighboring trees, was found to be a significant factor in reducing herbivory.
- An increase of 100 million years in phylogenetic isolation corresponded to a tenfold decrease in phytophagy, independent of host living conditions or spatial proximity.
Key Insights:
- Phylogenetic isolation, not just species diversity or spatial distance, is a critical determinant of herbivore pressure on host plants.
- Oak trees isolated by significant evolutionary time from their neighbors experience substantially less insect herbivory.
- This suggests that evolutionary divergence reduces the efficacy of natural enemies in colonizing and impacting phylogenetically distant hosts.
Outlook:
- Understanding the role of phylogenetic niche conservatism can inform conservation strategies for forest ecosystems.
- Further research could explore the specific mechanisms by which evolutionary distance impacts natural enemy establishment and effectiveness.
- Investigating these dynamics across different host-parasite/herbivore systems will broaden our understanding of ecological assembly rules.
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