Título
Biotic and abiotic factors associated with altitudinal variation in plant traits and herbivory in a dominant oak species
Autor
LUIS ALEJANDRO ABDALA ROBERTS
SERGIO RASMANN
JORGE C. BERNY MIER Y TERAN
MARíA FELISA COVELO NúñEZ
GAETAN GLAUSER
XOAQUíN MOREIRA
Nivel de Acceso
Acceso Abierto
Materias
BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA - (CTI) MEDICINA Y CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD - (CTI) Altitudinal gradient - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Climate - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Herbivory - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Phenolics - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Plant traits - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Soil variables - ([urn:issn:0002-9122]) Spain - ([urn:issn:0002-9122])
Resumen o descripción
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: It is generally thought that herbivore pressure is higher at lower elevations where climate is warmer and less seasonal, and that this has led to higher levels of plant defense investment at low elevations. However, the generality of this expectation has been called into question by recent studies. METHODS: We tested for altitudinal gradients in insect leaf damage, plant defenses (phenolic compounds), and nutritional traits (phosphorus and nitrogen) in leaves of the long-lived tree Quercus robur , and further investigated the abiotic factors associated with such gradients. We sampled 20 populations of Q. robur distributed along an altitudinal gradient spanning 35–869 m above sea level, which covered most of the altitudinal range of this species and varied substantially in abiotic conditions, plant traits, and herbivory. KEY RESULTS: Univariate regressions showed that leaf herbivory, phenolics, and phosphorus increased toward higher elevations, whereas leaf nitrogen did not vary with altitude. Multiple regression analyses indicated that temperature was the single most important factor associated with herbivory and appears to be strongly associated with altitudinal variation in damage. Leaf phenolics were also correlated with herbivory, but in a manner that suggests these chemical defenses do not underlie altitudinal variation in damage. In addition, we found that variation in leaf traits (phenolics and nutrients) was in turn associated with both climatic and soil variables. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these fi ndings suggest that altitudinal gradients in herbivory and defenses in Q. robur are uncoupled and that elevational variation in herbivory and plant traits responds mainly to abiotic factors.
Fecha de publicación
13 de diciembre de 2016
Tipo de publicación
Artículo
Recurso de información
Formato
application/pdf
Fuente
urn:issn:0002-9122
Idioma
Inglés
Cobertura
Generación de conocimiento
Audiencia
Investigadores
Repositorio Orígen
Repositorio Digital Institucional de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
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