Contrasting patterns of morphology, fluctuating asymmetry and leaf herbivory in three plant species of different successional stages of a tropical dry forest
Por:
Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta, Joan, Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Antonio, Maldonado-Lopez, Yurixhi, Fagundes, Marcilio, Faria, Mauricio L., Daniel Avila-Cabadilla, Luis, Yolotl Alvarez-Anorve, Mariana, Cuevas-Reyes, Pablo
Publicada:
1 ago 2020
Resumen:
Key message This paper shows the intraspecific plant responses in leaf
morphology, herbivory and FA between mature and successional tropical
dry forests, as well as the difficulty associated with understanding the
relationship between FA and herbivory Understanding the processes that
affect biotic interactions during secondary succession has implications
for the maintenance of species diversity in the tropics. We studied the
changes in leaf morphology, fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and herbivory in
three dominant tropical dry forest plant species that occur in mature
and secondary forests. We selected eight study sites: four in mature and
four in successional forests. At each site, a plot of 20 x 50 m was
established to characterize the vegetation structure and soil fertility.
Subsequently, leaf morphology, FA and herbivory were measured in all
individuals of Cordia elaeagnoides, C. alliodora and Achatocarpus
gracilis with DBH >= 2.5 cm found in the plots. Plant abundance and
plant height decreased in secondary forest, while the content of
nitrates and phosphates increased in soil of secondary forests.
Differences in leaf morphology between forest conditions were found for
the three species. Total leaf area was higher in mature than in
secondary forests for C. elaeagnoides and A. gracilis. An opposite
pattern was found for C. alliodora. In both Cordia species, herbivory
was higher in secondary than in mature forests. The opposite pattern was
found for A. gracilis in secondary forests. For all the cases, FA was
higher in mature forests than in secondary forests. Herbivory was
positively correlated with FA in secondary forests in C. elaeganoides
and in A. gracilis, whereas in C. alliodora herbivory was positively
related with FA in mature forests. Overall, we detected changes in
foliar morphology, fluctuating asymmetry and herbivory between mature
and secondary forests, with a general pattern of higher FA levels in
mature forests. Our findings illustrate the difficulty associated with
understanding the relationship between FA and herbivory throughout the
regeneration process in tropical dry forests due to the complexity of
abiotic and biotic factors that can affect plant-herbivore interactions.
Filiaciones:
Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta, Joan:
Univ Michoacana, Lab Ecol Interacc Biot, Francisco J Mujica S-N Col Felicitas Rio, Morelia 58030, Michoacan, Mexico
Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Antonio:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Invest Ecosistemas, Lab Genet Conservac, Antigua Carretera Patzcuaro 8701, Morelia 58190, Michoacan, Mexico
Maldonado-Lopez, Yurixhi:
Univ Michoacana, Catedras CONACYT Inst Invest Recursos Nat, Av San Juanito Itzicuaro S-N, Morelia 58330, Michoacan, Mexico
Fagundes, Marcilio:
Univ Estadual Montes Claros, Dept Gen Biol, BR-39401089 Montes Claros, MG, Brazil
Faria, Mauricio L.:
Univ Estadual Montes Claros, Dept Gen Biol, BR-39401089 Montes Claros, MG, Brazil
Daniel Avila-Cabadilla, Luis:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Unidad Merida, Escuela Nacl Estudios Super, Carretera Merida Tetiz,Km 4-5, Unidad Merida 97357, Yucatan, Mexico
Yolotl Alvarez-Anorve, Mariana:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Unidad Merida, Escuela Nacl Estudios Super, Carretera Merida Tetiz,Km 4-5, Unidad Merida 97357, Yucatan, Mexico
Cuevas-Reyes, Pablo:
Univ Michoacana, Lab Ecol Interacc Biot, Francisco J Mujica S-N Col Felicitas Rio, Morelia 58030, Michoacan, Mexico
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