TY - JOUR
T1 - Root herbivore effects on above-ground herbivore, parasitoid and hyperparasitoid performance via changes in plant quality
AU - Soler, R.
AU - Bezemer, T.M.
AU - van der Putten, W.H.
AU - Vet, L.E.M.
AU - Harvey, J.A.
N1 - Nr. 2728
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - 1. Plants and insects are part of a complex multitrophic environment, in which they
closely interact. However, most of the studies have been focused mainly on bi-tritrophic
above-ground subsystems, hindering our understanding of the processes that affect
multitrophic interactions in a more realistic framework.
2. We studied whether root herbivory by the fly Delia radicum can influence the development of the leaf feeder Pieris brassicae, its parasitoid Cotesia glomerata and its hyperparasitoid Lysibia nana, through changes in primary and secondary plant compounds.
3. In the presence of root herbivory, the development time of the leaf herbivore and the parasitoid significantly increased, and the adult size of the parasitoid and the hyperparasitoid were significantly reduced. The effects were stronger at low root fly densities than at high densities.
4. Higher glucosinolate (sinigrin) levels were recorded in plants exposed to belowground
herbivory, suggesting that the reduced performance of the above-ground insects was via reduced plant quality. Sinigrin contents were highest in plants exposed to low root fly densities, intermediate in plants exposed to high root fly densities and lowest in plants that were not exposed to root herbivory.
5. Our results show, for the first time, that root herbivory via changes in plant quality can reduce the performance of an above-ground multitrophic level food chain. This underlines the importance of integrating a broader range of above- and below-ground organisms to facilitate a better understanding of complex multitrophic interactions and interrelationships.
AB - 1. Plants and insects are part of a complex multitrophic environment, in which they
closely interact. However, most of the studies have been focused mainly on bi-tritrophic
above-ground subsystems, hindering our understanding of the processes that affect
multitrophic interactions in a more realistic framework.
2. We studied whether root herbivory by the fly Delia radicum can influence the development of the leaf feeder Pieris brassicae, its parasitoid Cotesia glomerata and its hyperparasitoid Lysibia nana, through changes in primary and secondary plant compounds.
3. In the presence of root herbivory, the development time of the leaf herbivore and the parasitoid significantly increased, and the adult size of the parasitoid and the hyperparasitoid were significantly reduced. The effects were stronger at low root fly densities than at high densities.
4. Higher glucosinolate (sinigrin) levels were recorded in plants exposed to belowground
herbivory, suggesting that the reduced performance of the above-ground insects was via reduced plant quality. Sinigrin contents were highest in plants exposed to low root fly densities, intermediate in plants exposed to high root fly densities and lowest in plants that were not exposed to root herbivory.
5. Our results show, for the first time, that root herbivory via changes in plant quality can reduce the performance of an above-ground multitrophic level food chain. This underlines the importance of integrating a broader range of above- and below-ground organisms to facilitate a better understanding of complex multitrophic interactions and interrelationships.
KW - host-plant
KW - mediated interactions
KW - insect herbivores
KW - glucosinolate
KW - mustard
KW - resistance
KW - induction
KW - responses
KW - defense
KW - larvae
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.01006.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.01006.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0021-8790
VL - 74
SP - 1121
EP - 1130
JO - Journal of Animal Ecology
JF - Journal of Animal Ecology
ER -