EFFECTS OF LEAF AGE AND PLANT LIFE-HISTORY PATTERNS ON HERBIVORY
EFFECTS OF LEAF AGE AND PLANT LIFE-HISTORY PATTERNS ON HERBIVORY
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DOI：
10.1038/284545a0
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发表时间：
1980-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
COLEY, PD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
COLEY, PD
目前关于植物与食草动物相互作用的理论表明，不同演替状态的植物物种和不同年龄的叶子的短暂性程度和对食草动物的可预测性不同，因此会表现出不同的反食草动物特征1-6。老叶和成熟森林植物的叶子预计比短暂的幼叶和早期演替植物的叶子得到更好的保护。这些预测的植物防御模式和由此产生的昆虫吃草模式对于自然群落并没有很好的记录。实地研究表明，热带森林中的哺乳动物食草动物更喜欢幼叶7，而温带森林中的昆虫吃草对幼叶的影响最大8。实验室研究表明，较晚演替的物种 9,12 或具有某些化学防御能力的植物 13-17 对于通才食草动物来说不太适口。然而，实验室结果取决于所测试的特定食草动物，并且可能无法准确预测自然系统中的食草率。在这里，我报告了具有不同生活史模式的树种的幼嫩和成熟叶子的食草率。快速生长、不耐荫物种（先驱者）成熟叶子的放牧率（每天吃的叶面积百分比）比生长缓慢、耐荫物种（持久性）高一个数量级。两组物种的幼叶遭受的放牧损害都比成熟的叶子大得多。
Current theories on plant–herbivore interactions suggest that plant species of different successional status and leaves of various ages differ in their degree of ephemerality and predictability to herbivores, and will therefore exhibit different anti-herbivore characteristics1–6. Old leaves and leaves of mature forest plants are expected to be better defended than ephemeral young leaves and leaves of early successional plants. These predicted patterns of plant defence and the resultant patterns of insect grazing are not well documented for natural communities. Field studies have shown that mammalian herbivores in a tropical forest prefer young leaves7and that insect grazing in a temperate forest is heaviest on the young leaves8. Laboratory studies have shown that late successional species9,12or plants with certain chemical defences13–17are less palatable for generalist herbivores. Laboratory results depend, however, on the particular herbivore tested, and may not accurately predict rates of herbivory in natural systems. Here I report on rates of herbivory on young and mature leaves from tree species with different life history patterns. Grazing rates (% leaf area eaten per day) on mature leaves of fast growing, shade-intolerant species (pioneers) were an order of magnitude greater than those on slow growing, shade-tolerant species (persistents). Young leaves in both groups of species suffered significantly greater grazing damage than mature leaves.