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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.)

cological and evolutionary distances from neighbouring plants do not influence leaf herbivory by chewing insects in a Neotropical savann

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Author(s):
Maracahipes, Leandro [1, 2, 3] ; de Araujo, Walter S. [3, 4] ; Sobral, Fernando L. [3] ; Bergamini, Leonardo L. [3, 5] ; Almeida-Neto, Mario [6] ; Cianciaruso, V, Marcus
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Inst Pesquisa Ambiental Amazonia, Brasilia, DF - Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Campinas - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Goias, Inst Ciencias Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Goiania, Go - Brazil
[4] Univ Estadual Montes Claros, Ctr Ciencias Biol, Dept Biol Geral, Montes Claros, MG - Brazil
[5] Reserva Ecol IBGE, Fundacao Inst Brasileiro Geog & Estat, Brasilia, DF - Brazil
[6] V, Univ Fed Goias, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Ecol, Goiania, Go - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 6
Document type: Journal article
Source: Plant Ecology & Diversity; v. 14, n. 3-4, p. 157-167, JUL 4 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Background Coexisting plant species frequently exhibit marked differences in leaf damage caused by chewing insects. Such variation in leaf herbivory has often been attributed to interspecific differences in leaf defensive traits, leaf nutritional quality and leaf abundance. Aims We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that plants surrounded by more similar neighbours tend to exhibit higher levels of herbivory than plants surrounded by less similar neighbours. Methods We sampled 27 tree and shrub species in 49 plots of 10 m(2) located in a Neotropical savanna. For each of the 815 plants sampled, we quantified leaf damage, specific leaf area, leaf toughness, height, and conspecific abundance. We analysed the relationship between herbivory levels and plant traits comparing each individual with its neighbouring plants. The effect of phylogenetic similarity was addressed using the mean phylogenetic distance between a focal plant individual and its neighbours (i.e., the phylogenetic isolation). Results Leaf herbivory damage ranged from zero to 29.6%. We found that phylogenetic isolation, specific leaf area, plant height, and plant abundance were not related to differences in leaf herbivory at the individual level in a neighbourhood. Conclusions Our findings show that leaf herbivory damage of individual plants was not consistently influenced either by phylogenetic or by trait similarity with neighbours. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 20/06085-1 - Tropical ecosystems responses to drought-fire interactions: tree mortality, ecosystem functioning and restoration success
Grantee:Leandro Maracahipes dos Santos
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral