Mangrove Forest Regeneration: Testing for an Interaction Between Herbivory and Competition Along an Environmental Gradient

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DEB-9615887 SOUSA Herbivores may influence plant community composition and the impact of herbivores may vary spatially. Despite considerable conceptual interest, this hypothesis has been tested in few natural communities. The investigators propose to examine the affect of insect herbivores on the distribution of mangrove species along a tidal gradient. They will conduct experiments to measure the impact of the herbivores on growth and survival of plants in gaps versus under a closed canopy and in intertidal zones. This experiment is specifically designed to detect spatial variation in the effect of herbivory on plant competition and will complement existing mangrove competition experiments at the same field site. Mangrove forests are being degraded and destroyed at an alarming rate worldwide, resulting in the loss of highly productive ecosystems that have numerous ecological, economic, and aesthetic values. The results of this project will have considerable value in predicting the consequences of different human-caused alterations of these endangered wetlands and in guiding efforts to restore mangrove communities.