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Time-since fire and cynipid gall wasp assemblages on oaks

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Abstract

Fires are ubiquitous features of many terrestrial ecosystems and can greatly impact the structure and evolution of plant communities. However, much less is known about how fire history impacts higher trophic levels. Using detailed records on the history and intensity of fires at the Archbold Biological Station (ABS) in central Florida, USA, we examined how time-since-fire affects the cynipid gall wasp assemblage (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) associated with four oak species (Quercus) that are dominant components of the plant community in this region. Cynipid abundance, richness and diversity were quantified from 1249 oak trees/shrubs in 20 sites that varied in time-since-fire from 1.5 to 91 years. Among all sites and oaks, we found 24 species of cynipids and there was very little species overlap among oak species, even within the same site. Gall abundance increased with time-since-fire and was correlated with tree height, suggesting that available host material or plant architecture may be a primary driver of cynipid recovery. Within 3 years of a fire, 14 of the 23 cynipid species were detected among the sites, and by seven years since fire, all but two species could be detected. Overall, species richness and diversity reached an asymptote within ≈ 7 years. Given how quickly the cynipid assemblage recovers after a fire, frequent fires at ABS are unlikely to negatively impact these insects. However, in smaller or more isolated scrub-oak fragments, recovery could be much slower.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Hilary Swain, Mark Deyrup, Kevin Main, Eric Menges and Vivienne Sclater for making it possible for us to do this research project at ABS. We also thank Tim Craig and Joanne Itami for laying the ground work that led to our development of this project. Chris Abrahamson was kind enough to provide technical support and the Flora family generously shared their home while J.T.C. worked on this project. Finally, two anonymous reviewers provided numerous helpful comments to improve this manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by NSF Grant DMS-1516833 and Louisiana State University to J.T.C. and Bucknell University and Archbold Biological Station to W.G.A.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-1715, USA

    James T. Cronin

  2. Plant Health Diagnostic National Reference Laboratory, National Food Chain Safety Office, Budaörsi u. 141-145, Budapest, 1118, Hungary

    George Melika

  3. Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA

    Warren G. Abrahamson

  4. Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, FL, 33960, USA

    Warren G. Abrahamson

Authors
  1. James T. Cronin
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  2. George Melika
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  3. Warren G. Abrahamson
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Correspondence to James T. Cronin.

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Communicated by Nigel E. Stork.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Oak-gall wasp survey sites at Archbold Biological Station.

Site

Date sampled

Burn unit

Burn date

Time since fire

Latitude

Longitude

Vegetation type

1

1/29/2018

2B North

4/20/2016

1.8

27.19344

 − 81.33302

SS

2

1/30/2018

18 South

2/17/1999

19

27.19372

 − 81.34268

SF

3

1/31/2018

15 Southwest

1927

91

27.19555

 − 81.34202

SS

4

2/1/2018

41A Southwest

7/4/2016

1.6

27.19385

 − 81.36411

SF

5

2/5/2018

2B Southeast

4/20/2016

1.8

27.18627

 − 81.33424

RS

6

2/5/2018

36

5/12/2016

1.7

27.18166

 − 81.34963

SF

7

2/5/2018

29A

1927

91

27.18495

 − 81.34963

SF

8

2/6/2018

11

5/17/2013

4.7

27.19261

 − 81.34028

SS

9

2/7/2018

48B West

7/11/2012

5.6

27.16996

 − 81.36603

SF

10

2/8/2018

46

5/28/2014

3.7

27.18233

 − 81.35349

SF

11

1/21/2019

61A

7/5/2017

1.5

27.13497

 − 81.35513

SF

12

1/22/2019

51

1967

52

27.16465

 − 81.35266

RS

13

1/23/2019

40B

1967

52

27.20117

 − 81.35324

SF

14

1/23/2019

41A

5/11/2016

2.7

27.19852

 − 81.35766

SF

15

1/25/2019

26

5/12/2015

3.7

27.19293

 − 81.35025

SF

16

1/28/2019

4A

7/22/2014

4.5

27.18655

 − 81.33633

RS

17

1/28/2019

4B

1927

91

27.18311

 − 81.33900

RS

18

1/29/2019

5

8/9/2017

1.5

27.18279

 − 81.33914

RS

19

1/30/2019

47A

7/10/2012

6.6

27.17857

 − 81.36555

SF

20

1/30/2019

13

1/7/2015

4.1

27.19422

 − 81.33536

SS

Time-since-fire is measured in years. Vegetation type is sand pine scrub (SS, n = 4), southern ridge sandhill (RS, n = 5) and scrubby flatwoods (SF, n = 11).

Appendix 2

Pictorial guide to the cynipid galls present on four common oaks during the winter at Archbold Biological Station. Photographs were taken by J. T. Cronin, W. G. Abrahamson, J. Nicholls and G. Melika.

Appendix 3

Frequency of occurrence of each cynipid wasp species among sites for each oak species and time-since-fire (divided into three categories: < 3 years, 3–7 years and ≥ 19 years).

Cynipid species

Generations

Oak species

Q. chapmanii

Q. geminata

Q. myrtifolia

Q. inopina

 < 3 years

3–7 years

 > 19 years

 < 3 years

3–7 years

 > 19 years

 < 3 years

3–7 years

 > 19 years

 < 3 years

3–7 years

 > 19 years

Disholcaspis quercusvirens (= quercussuccinipes)

Asexual and sexual

0

0

0

0.428571

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Callirhytis quercusbatatoides

Asexual only

0

0

0

0.142857

0.714286

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Belonocnema quercusvirens

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0.333333

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andricus quercusfoliatus

Asexual only

0

0

0

0.142857

0.857143

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andricus quercuslanigera

Asexual and sexual

0

0

0

0.571429

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Neuroterus quercusminutissimus

Unknown

0

0

0

0.571429

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Neuroterus quercusveraccarum

Asexual and sexual

1

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Disholcaspis quercusomnivora

Asexual and sexual

0

0.714286

0.8333333

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andricus stropus (mop)

Asexual only

0.857143

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andricus quercuspetiolicola

Sexual only

0.142857

0.714286

0.6666667

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sphaeroterus melleum

Asexual only

0

0.857143

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Sphaeroterus carolina

Asexual and sexual

0.142857

0.285714

0.8333333

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Xystoterus sp.

Unknown

0.142857

0

0.1666667

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Neuroterus sp. R67

Unknown

0.142857

0.571429

0.6666667

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Bassettia palida

Sexual only

0

0.285714

0.1666667

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Andricus cinnamomeus

Asexual only

0.142857

0.285714

0.1666667

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Callirhytis quercusclavigera

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.333333

0.8

0

0

0

Callirhytis difficilis

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.333333

0.6

0

0

0

Zapatella quercusphellos

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.333333

0.666667

0.8

0

0

0

Amphibolips murata

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

0.25

0.75

0.75

Callirhytis sp. 1 (rough stem)

Unknown

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.333333

0.2

0

0

0

Callirhytis sp. 2 (leaf cigar)

Unknown

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.666667

0.8

0

0

0

Zapatella quercusmedullae

Asexual only

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.5

 

Sites (n)

7

7

6

7

7

6

3

3

5

4

4

4

 

Richness

7

9

10

5

5

6

2

6

6

1

1

2

Generations reflects the current knowledge about whether the species reproduces sexually, asexually or status unknown.

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Cronin, J.T., Melika, G. & Abrahamson, W.G. Time-since fire and cynipid gall wasp assemblages on oaks. Biodivers Conserv 29, 1177–1203 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-01930-w

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