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Leaf Fluctuating Asymmetry and Herbivory of Tibouchina heteromalla in Restored and Natural Environments

  • Ecology, Behavior and Bionomics
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Abstract

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is a parameter to measure developmental stability in plants, which can be altered by disturbances, pollution, and biotic factors such as herbivory. We evaluated the effects of environmental stress and herbivory on the FA levels in individuals of Tibouchina heteromalla (Melastomataceae) that occur in natural and undergoing restoration areas in rupestrian grasslands at Serra do Cipó, Brasil. Individuals were collected and measured in seven restored and five natural areas, totalizing 240 individuals. We found that individuals in restored areas had greater leaf area, higher levels of insect herbivory and FA compared to individuals that occurred in natural areas. In both environments, the proportion of individuals with leaf damage caused by herbivory was higher than the proportion of undamaged individuals. In addition, FA was positively correlated with herbivory and total leaf area in both restored and natural areas. These results suggest that more favorable conditions in the restored areas enhanced leaf growth, resulting in higher FA.

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Acknowledgments

We thank A Efremova and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on initial versions of this manuscript. We acknowledge the support from Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Reserva Vellozia, and DER-MG. Cuevas-Reyes P thanks Coordinación de la Investigación Científica de la UMSNH for their generous support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/DBG, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, 30161-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil

    G W Fernandes, S C S de Oliveira, I R Campos, M Barbosa & L A Soares

  2. Dept of Biology, Stanford Univ, Stanford CA, USA

    G W Fernandes

  3. Dept of Zoology, Univ of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    M Barbosa

  4. Lab de Ecología de Interacciones Bióticas, Fac de Biología, Univ Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    P Cuevas-Reyes

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  1. G W Fernandes
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  2. S C S de Oliveira
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  3. I R Campos
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  4. M Barbosa
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  5. L A Soares
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  6. P Cuevas-Reyes
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Correspondence to G W Fernandes.

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Edited by Kleber Del Claro – UFU

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Fernandes, G.W., de Oliveira, S.C.S., Campos, I.R. et al. Leaf Fluctuating Asymmetry and Herbivory of Tibouchina heteromalla in Restored and Natural Environments. Neotrop Entomol 45, 44–49 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-015-0342-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-015-0342-1

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