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How do soil nutrients affect within-plant patterns of herbivory in seedlings of Eucalyptus nitens?
Citation
Loney, PE and McArthur, C and Sanson, GD and Davies, NW and Close, DC and Jordan, GJ, How do soil nutrients affect within-plant patterns of herbivory in seedlings of Eucalyptus nitens?, Oecologia, 150, (3) pp. 409-420. ISSN 0029-8549 (2006) [Refereed Article]
DOI: doi:10.1007/s00442-006-0525-x
Abstract
This study assessed how the palatability of leaves of different age classes (young, intermediate and older) of Eucalyptus nitens seedlings varied with plant nutrient status, based on captive feeding trials with two mammalian herbivores, red-bellied pademelons (Thylogale billardierii), and common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Seedlings were grown under three nutrient treatments (low, medium and high), and we determined how palatability was related to chemical and physical characteristics of the leaves. Pademelons ate more older leaves than young and intermediate leaves for all treatments. This pattern was best explained by sideroxylonals (formylated phloroglucinol compounds known to deter herbivory by other marsupials), and/or essential oil compounds that were present in lower concentrations in older leaves. In the low-nutrient treatment, possums also ate more of the older leaves. However, in the medium- and high-nutrient treatments, possums ate more intermediate leaves than older leaves and showed a behavioural preference for young leaves (consuming younger leaves first) over intermediate and older leaves, in spite of high levels of sideroxylonals and essential oils. The young leaves did, however, have the highest nitrogen concentration of all the leaf age classes. Thus, either sideroxylonals and essential oils provided little or no deterrent to possums, or the deterrent was outweighed by other factors such as high nitrogen. This study indicates that mammalian herbivores show different levels of relative use and damage to leaf age classes at varying levels of plant nutrient status and, therefore, their impact on plant fitness may vary with environment. © 2006 Springer-Verlag.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Terrestrial ecology |
| Objective Division: | Plant Production and Plant Primary Products |
| Objective Group: | Forestry |
| Objective Field: | Hardwood plantations |
| UTAS Author: | Loney, PE (Dr Prue Loney) |
| UTAS Author: | Davies, NW (Associate Professor Noel Davies) |
| UTAS Author: | Close, DC (Professor Dugald Close) |
| UTAS Author: | Jordan, GJ (Professor Greg Jordan) |
| ID Code: | 41641 |
| Year Published: | 2006 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 28 |
| Deposited By: | Plant Science |
| Deposited On: | 2006-08-01 |
| Last Modified: | 2007-05-03 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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