Summary
The spatial distribution of insect herbivores associated with the Australian rainforest treeArgyrodendron actinophyllum (Sterculiaceae) was investigated by restricted canopy fogging. The foliage of this species was low in nitrogen and water content, and high in fibre content. Herbivore abundance was positively correlated with the amount of young foliage present within the samples and in adjacent samples, and with the nitrogen content of young leaves. In particular, the occurrence of phloem-feeders was correlated with the magnitude of translocation within the samples. The influence of leaf water content upon herbivore distribution was marginal, presumably because this factor is not limiting in rain-forest environments during the wet season, which usually coincides with the season of leaf-flush. Specific leaf weight, leaf size and foliage compactness had little or no apparent effect on herbivore distribution. Since the magnitude of leaf turnover affected both the quantity and the quality, as exemplified by translocation effects, of young foliage available, this factor may be critical to herbivores associated with evergreen rainforest trees which are particularly low in foliar nutrients, such asA. actinophyllum.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aide TM (1988) Herbivory as a selective agent on the timing of leaf production in a tropical understory community. Nature 336:574–575
Aide TM, Londoño EC (1989) The effects of rapid leaf expansion on the growth and survivorship of a lepidopteran herbivore. Oikos 55:66–70
Basset Y (1989) The temporal and spatial distribution of arboreal arthropods associated with the rainforest treeArgyrodendron actinophyllum. Unpublished PhD thesis, Griffith University, Brisbane
Basset Y (1990) The arboreal fauna of the rainforest treeArgyrodendron actinophyllum as sampled with restricted canopy fogging: Composition of the fauna. Entomologist 109:173–183
Basset Y (1991a) The taxonomic composition of the arthropod fauna associated with an Australian rainforest tree. Aust J Zool 39:171–190
Basset Y (1991b) The seasonality of arboreal arthropods foraging within an Australian rainforest tree. Ecol Entomol (in press)
Basset Y (1991) Influence of leaf traits on the spatial distribution of arboreal arthropods within an overstorey rainforest tree. Ecol Entomol (in press)
Bultman TL, Faeth SH (1986) Leaf-size selection by leaf-mining insects ofQuercus emoryi (Fagaceae). Oikos 46:311–316
Coley PD (1983) Herbivory and defensive characteristics of tree species in a lowland tropical forest. Ecol Monogr 53:209–233
Ernest KA (1983) Insect herbivory on a tropical understory tree: Effects of leaf age and habitat. Biotropica 21:194–199
Erwin TL (1983) Beetles and other insects of tropical forest canopies at Manaus, Brazil, sampled by insecticidal fogging. In: Sutton SL, Whitmore TC, Chadwick, AC (eds) Tropical Rain Forest: Ecology and Management. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 59–76
Feeny PP (1970) Seasonal changes in oak leaf tannins and nutrients as a cause of spring feeding by winter moth caterpillars. Ecology 51:565–581
Feeny PP (1976) Plant apparency and chemical defense. Rec Adv Phytochem 10:1–40
Fox LR, Macauley BJ (1977) Insect grazing onEucalyptus in response to variation in leaf tannins and nitrogen. Oecologia 29:145–162
Harrison S (1987) Treefall gaps versus forest understory as environments for a defoliating moth on a tropical forest shrub. Oecologia 72:65–68
Hodkinson ID, Casson DS (1987) A survey of plant-food utilization by Hemiptera (Insecta) in the understory of primary lowland rain forest in Sulawesi, Indonesia. J Trop Ecol 3:75–85
Janzen DH, Waterman PG (1984) A seasonal census of phenolics, fibre and alkaloids in foliage of forest trees in Costa Rica: some factors influencing their distribution and relation to host selection by Sphingidae and Saturniidae. Biol J Linn Soc 21:439–454
Larsson S (1985) Seasonal changes in the within-crown distribution of the aphidCinara pini on Scots pines. Oikos 45:217–222
Macedo CA, Langeheim JH (1989) Intra- and interplant leaf sesquiterpene variability inCopaifera langsdorfii: Relation to microlepidopteran herbivory. Biochem Syst Ecol 17:551–557
Mattson WJ (1980) Herbivory in relation to plant nitrogen content. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 11:119–161
Mattson WJ, Scriber JM (1987) Nutritional ecology of insect folivores of woody plants: water, nitrogen, fiber and mineral considerations. In: Slansky F, Rodriguez JG (eds) The nutritional Ecology of Insects, Mites and Spiders, John Wiley, New York, pp 105–146
Mooney HA, Gulmon SL (1982) Constraints on leaf structure and function in reference to herbivory. Bioscience 32:198–206
Moore LV, Myers JH, Eng R (1988) Western tent caterpillars prefer the sunny side of the tree, but why? Oikos 51:321–326
Ohmart CP, Stewart LG, Thomas JR (1985) Effects of nitrogen concentrations ofEucalyptus blakelyi foliage on the fecundity ofParopsis atomaria (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Oecologia 68:41–44
Pate JS (1980) Transport and partitioning of nitrogenous solutes. Ann Rev Plant Physiol 31:313–340
Root RB (1973) Organization of a plant-arthropod association in simple and diverse habitats: the fauna of collards(Brassica oleracea). Ecol Monogr 43:95–124
Scriber JM (1977) Limiting effects of low leaf-water content on the nitrogen utilization, energy budget and larval growth ofHyalophora cecropia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Oecologia 28:269–287
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry, Freeman, San Francisco
Strauss SY, Morrow PA (1988) Movement patterns of an Australian chrysomelid beetle in a stand of twoEucalyptus host species. Oecologia 77:231–237
Strong DR, Lawton JH, Southwood TRE (1984) Insects on plants. Community patterns and mechanisms. Blackwell, Oxford
Van Soest PJ (1963) Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. II. A rapid method for the determination of fiber and lignin. J Assoc Official Agr Chem 46:829–835
Warren Wilson J (1963) Estimation of foliage denseness and foliage range by inclined point quadrats. Aust J Bot 11:95–105
Webb LJ (1952) An Australian phytochemical survey. II. Alkaloids in Queensland flowering plants. CSIRO Bulletin 268:1–100
White TCR (1984) The abundance of invertebrate herbivores in relation to the availability of nitrogen in stressed food plants. Oecologia 63:90–105
Williams CH, Twine JP (1967) Determination of nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium in plant material by automatic analysis. CSIRO Div Pl Ind Techn Paper 24
Wint GRW (1983) The effects of foliar nutrients upon the growth and feeding of a lepidopteran larva. In: Lee JA, McNeil S, Rorison IH (eds) Nitrogen as an Ecological Factor. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 301–320
Wolda H (1978) Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall, food and abundance of tropical insects. J Anim Ecol 47:369–381
Young PAR (1985) Vegetation and flora. Brisbane Forest Park. Brisbane Forest Park Administration Authority, Brisbane
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Basset, Y. Influence of leaf traits on the spatial distribution of insect herbivores associated with an overstorey rainforest tree. Oecologia 87, 388–393 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634596
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634596