Effects of belowground vertical distribution of a herbivore on plant biomass and survival in Lolium perenne
Effects of belowground vertical distribution of a herbivore on plant biomass and survival in Lolium perenne
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DOI：
10.1007/s11284-014-1133-6
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发表时间：
2014-02
影响因子：
2
通讯作者：
Tomonori Tsunoda;N. Kachi;J. Suzuki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Tomonori Tsunoda;N. Kachi;J. Suzuki
根草食性影响植物的性能，但影响还没有得到很好的理解。我们测试了垂直分布的影响的根食甲虫幼虫（Anomala cuprea）限制其访问的顶部，中部或底部区域的盆栽多年生黑麦草（Lolium perenne）或允许不受限制的访问。我们预测，植物死亡率，生物量和生物量分配应与根草食动物区的变化，因为根损失的幅度和这种损失的后果是特定的损害点。在幼虫能够到达顶部区域的每个处理中，9株植物中有7株死亡。相反，当幼虫占据中间或底部区域时，没有植物死亡。当幼虫啃食根部并从根部切下嫩枝时，植物被杀死。此外，总植物生物量和生物量分配到根显着较低时，幼虫被限制在顶部和中部取食区。最大数量的根被删除时，幼虫占据顶部取食区。因此，地下食草动物的垂直分布对植物的命运至关重要。在自然界中，大多数地下食草动物集中在土壤表面附近，因此地下食草动物的影响往往比地上食草动物的影响更严重。
Root herbivory affects plant performance, but the effects are not well understood. We tested the effects of the vertical distribution of a root-feeding beetle larva (Anomala cuprea) by restricting its access to the top, middle, or bottom zone in pots of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or by allowing unrestricted access. We predicted that plant mortality, biomass, and biomass allocation should change with the zone of root herbivory, because both the magnitude of root loss and the consequences of such loss are specific to the point of damage. Seven of nine plants died in each treatment in which the larvae had access to the top zone. In contrast, no plants died when larvae occupied the middle or bottom zones. Plants were killed when the larvae grazed the root base and severed the shoots from the roots. Moreover, total plant biomass and biomass allocation to roots were significantly lower when the larvae were confined to the top and middle feeding zones. The greatest number of roots were removed when the larvae occupied the top feeding zone. Thus, the vertical distribution of a belowground herbivore is crucially important to plant fate. In nature, most belowground herbivores are concentrated near the soil surface, and thus the effects of belowground herbivory are often more severe than the effects of aboveground herbivory.