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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Caterpillars' natural enemies and attack probability in an urbanization intensity gradient across a Neotropical streetscape

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Author(s):
Carlos Pena, Joao [1, 2] ; Aoki-Goncalves, Felipe [3] ; Dattilo, Wesley [4] ; Cezar Ribeiro, Milton [2] ; MacGregor-Fors, Ian [1, 5]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Inst Ecol AC, Red Ambiente & Sustentabilidad, Xalapa, Veracruz - Mexico
[2] Sao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Inst Biosci, Dept Biodivers, Spatial Ecol & Conservat Lab LEEC, Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
[3] Inst Ecol AC, Red Biol Evolut, Xalapa, Veracruz - Mexico
[4] Inst Ecol AC, Red Ecoetol, Xalapa, Veracruz - Mexico
[5] Univ Helsinki, Fac Biol & Environm Sci, Ecosyst & Environm Res Programme, Niemenkatu 73, FI-15140 Lahti - Finland
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS; v. 128, SEP 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Intensification of urbanization has been shown to be associated with taxonomic and functional modifications of biological communities, leading to changes in trophic interactions. These changes may reduce the delivery of ecosystem services provided by urban ecosystems. For instance, predation on herbivorous insects is an important ecological process operating in urban biological communities. Specifically, on one hand, herbivorous insects serve as food resources for many organisms, and on the other hand predation on herbivorous insects may reduce pest populations on urban vegetation. In this study, we assessed the relationship between urbanization intensity and bird and arthropod predation pressure on herbivorous insects across the streetscape of Xalapa (Mexico), a Neotropical city with half a million people immersed in a cloud forest context. We exposed dummy caterpillar models at 16 sites across the streetscape and two sites in a peri-urban cloud forest patch, comprising a wide range of urbanization intensities. We observed that in streets where the proportion of built cover was higher, dummy caterpillars \& rsquo; attack probability was substantially lower. Moreover, we observed that caterpillars were most often attacked by arthropods (62.41%), followed by birds (21.53%), independent of built cover. Our study provides evidence that built cover surrounding streets may negatively influence the interactions between herbivorous insects and their natural enemies. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/50421-2 - New sampling methods and statistical tools for biodiversity research: integrating animal movement ecology with population and community ecology
Grantee:Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
FAPESP's process: 18/00107-3 - A continental scale assessment of predation risk on insect prey in urban landscapes: a collaborative research network
Grantee:João Carlos de Castro Pena
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral