Effects of Large-Scale Nitrogen Fertilization on Insect–Plant Interactions in the Canopy of Tall Alder Trees with N2-Fixing Traits in a Cool Temperate Forest
| Autor: | Jin Lee, Tsutom Hiura, Masahiro Nakamura |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Canopy leaf traits insect herbivory chemistry.chemical_element 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Alder Human fertilization chemistry.chemical_classification Herbivore biology physical defenses fungi Temperate forest Forestry Alnus hirsuta lcsh:QK900-989 biology.organism_classification Nitrogen nitrogen deposition Deposition (aerosol physics) chemistry Agronomy lcsh:Plant ecology forest communities Condensed tannin 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | Forests, Vol 12, Iss 210, p 210 (2021) Forests Volume 12 Issue 2 |
| ISSN: | 1999-4907 |
| Popis: | Nitrogen (N) deposition is expected to influence forests. The effects of large-scale N fertilization on canopy layer insect–plant interactions in stands of tall, atmospheric nitrogen (N2)-fixing tree species have never been assessed. We conducted a large-scale fertilization experiment (100 kg N ha−1 year−1 applied to approximately 9 ha) over three years (2012–2014) in a cool temperate forest in northern Japan. Our goal was to evaluate relational responses between alder (Alnus hirsuta [Turcz.]) and their insect herbivores to N deposition. Specifically, we assessed leaf traits (N concentration, C:N ratio, condensed tannin concentration, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA)) and herbivory by three feeding guilds (leaf damage by chewers and the densities of gallers and miners) between the fertilized site and an unfertilized control. Fertilization led to increased galler density in spring 2013 and increased leaf damage by chewers in late summer 2014. For leaf traits, the LMA decreased in spring 2013 and late summer 2014, and the C:N ratio decreased in late summer 2013. The N and condensed tannin concentrations remained unchanged throughout the study period. There was a negative correlation between LMA and leaf damage by chewers, but LMA was not correlated with galler density. These results show that large-scale N fertilization had a positive plant-mediated (i.e., indirect) effect on leaf damage by chewers via a decrease in LMA in the canopy layer. Changes in physical defenses in canopy leaves may be a mechanism by which N fertilization affects the herbivory in tall N2-fixing trees. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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