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1,187 results for “herbivores”
Data from: Effect of cadmium accumulation on the performance of plants and of herbivores that cope differently with organic defenses
Some plants are able to accumulate in their shoots metals at levels that are toxic to most other organisms. This ability may serve as a defence against herbivores. Therefore, both metal-based and organic defences may affect herbivores. However, how metal accumulation affects the interaction between herbivores and organic plant defences remains overlooked. To fill this gap, we studied the interactions between tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a model plant that accumulates cadmium, and two spidermite species, Tetranychus urticae and Tetranychus evansi that, respectively, induce and suppress organic plant defences, measurable via the activity of trypsin inhibitors. We exposed plants to different concentrations of cadmium and measured its effects on mites and plants. In the plant, despite clear evidence for cadmium accumulation, we did not detect any cadmium effects on traits that reflect the general response of the plant, such as biomass, water content, and carbon/nitrogen ratio. Still, we found effects of cadmium upon the quantity of soluble sugars and on leaf reflectance, where it may indicate structural modifications in the cells. These changes in plant traits affected the performance of spider mites feeding on those plants. Indeed, the oviposition of both spider mite species was higher on plants exposed to low concentrations of cadmium than on control plants, but decreased at concentrations above 0.5 mM. Therefore, herbivores with contrasting responses to organic defences showed a similar hormetic response to metal accumulation by the plants. Additionally, we show that the induction and suppression of plant defences by these spider-mite species was not affected by the amount of cadmium supplied to the plants. Furthermore, the effect of cadmium on the performance of spider mites was not altered by infestation with T. urticae or T. evansi. Together, our results suggest no interaction between cadmium-based and organic plant defences, on our system. This character may be useful for plants living in heterogeneous environments, as they may use one or the other defence mechanism, depending on their relative performance in each environment.
Data from: Geographic structure and adaptive population differentiation in herbivore defense genes in European aspen (Populus tremula L., Salicaceae)
When a phenotypic trait is subjected to spatially variable selection and local adaptation, the underlying genes controlling the trait are also expected to show strong patterns of genetic differentiation because alternative alleles are favoured in different geographical locations. Here, we study 71 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from seven genes associated with inducible defence responses in a sample of Populus tremula collected from across Sweden. Four of these genes (PPO2, TI2, TI4 and TI5) show substantial population differentiation, and a principal component analyses conducted on the defence SNPs divides the Swedish population into three distinct clusters. Several defence SNPs show latitudinal clines, although these were not robust to multiple testing. However, five SNPs (located within TI4 and TI5) show strong longitudinal clines that remain significant after multiple test correction. Genetic geographical variation, supporting local adaptation, has earlier been confirmed in genes involved in the photoperiod pathway in P. tremula, but this is, to our knowledge, one of the first times that geographical variation has been found in genes involved in plant defence against antagonists.
Data from: Adaptation of a polyphagous herbivore to a novel host plant extensively shapes the transcriptome of herbivore and host
Generalist arthropod herbivores rapidly adapt to a broad range of host plants. However, the extent of transcriptional reprogramming in the herbivore and its hosts associated with adaptation remains poorly understood. Using the spider mite Tetranychus urticae and tomato as models with available genomic resources, we investigated the reciprocal genomewide transcriptional changes in both spider mite and tomato as a consequence of mite's adaptation to tomato. We transferred a genetically diverse mite population from bean to tomato where triplicated populations were allowed to propagate for 30 generations. Evolving populations greatly increased their reproductive performance on tomato relative to their progenitors when reared under identical conditions, indicative of genetic adaptation. Analysis of transcriptional changes associated with mite adaptation to tomato revealed two main components. First, adaptation resulted in a set of mite genes that were constitutively downregulated, independently of the host. These genes were mostly of an unknown function. Second, adapted mites mounted an altered transcriptional response that had greater amplitude of changes when re-exposed to tomato, relative to nonadapted mites. This gene set was enriched in genes encoding detoxifying enzymes and xenobiotic transporters. Besides the direct effects on mite gene expression, adaptation also indirectly affected the tomato transcriptional responses, which were attenuated upon feeding of adapted mites, relative to the induced responses by nonadapted mite feeding. Thus, constitutive downregulation and increased transcriptional plasticity of genes in a herbivore may play a central role in adaptation to host plants, leading to both a higher detoxification potential and reduced production of plant defence compounds.
Plant defense resistance in natural enemies of a specialist insect herbivore
<p class="AbstractSummary"><span>Plants defend themselves against herbivores through the production of toxic and deterrent metabolites. Adapted herbivores can tolerate and sometimes sequester these metabolites, allowing them to feed on defended plants and become toxic to their own enemies. Can herbivore natural enemies overcome sequestered plant defense metabolites to prey on adapted herbivores? To address this question, we studied how entomopathogenic nematodes cope with benzoxazinoid defense metabolites that are produced by grasses and sequestered by a specialist maize herbivore, the western corn rootworm. We find that nematodes from US maize fields in regions in which the western corn rootworm was present over the last 50 years are behaviorally and metabolically resistant to sequestered benzoxazinoids and more infective towards the western corn rootworm than nematodes from other parts of the world. Exposure of a benzoxazinoid-susceptible nematode strain to the western corn rootworm for five generations results in higher behavioral and metabolic resistance and benzoxazinoid-dependent infectivity towards the western corn rootworm. Thus, herbivores that are exposed to a plant defense sequestering herbivore can evolve both behavioral and metabolic resistance to plant defense metabolites, and these traits are associated with higher infectivity towards a defense sequestering herbivore. We conclude that plant defense metabolites that are transferred through adapted herbivores may result in the evolution of resistance in herbivore natural enemies. Our study also identifies plant defense resistance as a potential target for the improvement of biological control agents. </span></p>
Data from: Silicon-induced root nodulation and synthesis of essential amino acids in a legume is associated with higher herbivore abundance
Ecologists have become increasingly aware that silicon uptake by plants, especially the Poaceae, can have beneficial effects on both plant growth and herbivore defence. The effects of silicon on other plant functional groups, such as nitrogen-fixing legumes, have been less well studied. Silicon could, however, indirectly promote herbivore performance in this group if reported increases in N2-fixation caused improvements in host plant quality for herbivores. We tested how silicon supplementation in the legume Medico sativa affected plant growth rates, root nodulation and foliage quality (silicon content and amino acid profiles) for an insect herbivore (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Plants supplemented with silicon (Si+) grew three times as quickly as those without supplementation (Si-), almost entirely in shoot mass. While root growth was unaffected by silicon uptake, root nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria were 44% more abundant on Si+ plants. Aphid abundance was twice as high on Si+ plants compared to Si- plants and was positively correlated with silicon-stimulated plant growth. Si+ plants accumulated more than twice as much silicon as Si- plants, but did not have higher silicon concentrations because of dilution effects linked to the rapid growth of Si+ plants. Si+ plants showed a 65% increase in synthesis of essential foliar amino acids, probably due to increased levels of root nodulation. These results suggest that increased silicon supply makes M. sativa more susceptible to A. pisum, mainly because of increased plant growth and resource availability (i.e. essential amino acids). While silicon augmentation of the Poaceae frequently improves herbivore defence, the current study illustrates that this cannot be assumed for other plant families where the beneficial effects of silicon on plant growth and nutrition may promote herbivore performance in some instances.
Data from: The role of glucosinolates and the jasmonic acid pathway in resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana against molluskan herbivores
Although slugs and snails play important roles in terrestrial ecosystems and cause considerable damage on a variety of crop plants, knowledge about the mechanisms of plant immunity to mollusks is limited. We found slugs to be natural herbivores of Arabidopsis thaliana and therefore investigated possible resistance mechanisms of this species against several molluskan herbivores. Treating wounded leaves with the mucus residue ("slime trail") of the Spanish slug Arion lusitanicus increased wound-induced jasmonate levels, suggesting the presence of defense elicitors in the mucus. Plants deficient in jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling suffered more damage by molluskan herbivores in the laboratory and in the field, demonstrating that JA-mediated defenses protect A. thaliana against slugs and snails. Furthermore, experiments using A. thaliana mutants with altered levels of specific glucosinolate classes revealed the importance of aliphatic glucosinolates in defending leaves and reproductive structures against mollusks. The presence in mollusk feces of known and novel metabolites arising from glutathione conjugation with glucosinolate hydrolysis products suggests that molluskan herbivores actively detoxify glucosinolates. Higher levels of aliphatic glucosinolates were found in plants during the night compared to the day, which correlated well with the nocturnal activity rhythms of slugs and snails. Our data highlight the function of well-known anti-herbivore defense pathways in resistance against slugs and snails and suggest an important role for the diurnal regulation of defense metabolites against nocturnal molluskan herbivores.
Data from: Exceptional avian herbivores: multiple transitions toward herbivory in the bird order Anseriformes and its correlation with body mass
Herbivory is rare among birds and is usually thought to have evolved predominately among large, flightless birds due to energetic constraints or an association with increased body mass. Nearly all members of the bird order Anseriformes, which includes ducks, geese, and swans, are flighted and many are predominately herbivorous. However, it is unknown whether herbivory represents a derived state for the order and how many times a predominately herbivorous diet may have evolved. Compiling data from over 200 published diet studies to create a continuous character for herbivory, models of trait evolution support at least five independent transitions toward a predominately herbivorous diet in Anseriformes. Although a nonphylogenetic correlation test recovers a significant positive correlation between herbivory and body mass, this correlation is not significant when accounting for phylogeny. These results indicate a lack of support for the hypothesis that a larger body mass confers an advantage in the digestion of low-quality diets but does not exclude the possibility that shifts to a more abundant food source have driven shifts toward herbivory in other bird lineages. The exceptional number of transitions toward a more herbivorous diet in Anseriformes and lack of correlation with body mass prompts a reinterpretation of the relatively infrequent origination of herbivory among flighted birds.
Data from: A below ground herbivore shapes root defensive chemistry in natural plant populations
Plants display extensive intraspecific variation in secondary metabolites. However, the selective forces shaping this diversity remain often unknown, especially below ground. Using Taraxacum officinale and its major native insect root herbivore Melolontha melolontha, we tested whether below ground herbivores drive intraspecific variation in root secondary metabolites. We found that high M. melolontha infestation levels over the last decades are associated with high concentrations of major root latex secondary metabolites across 21 central European T. officinale field populations. By cultivating offspring of these populations, we show that both heritable variation and phenotypic plasticity contribute to the observed differences. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the production of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G) is costly in the absence, but beneficial in the presence of M. melolontha, resulting in divergent selection of TA-G. Our results highlight the role of soil-dwelling insects for the evolution of plant defences in nature.
Data from: Interspecific competition counteracts negative effects of dispersal on adaptation of an arthropod herbivore to a new host
Dispersal and competition have both been suggested to drive variation in adaptability to a new environment, either positively or negatively. A simultaneous experimental test of both mechanisms is however lacking. Here, we experimentally investigate how population dynamics and local adaptation to a new host plant in a model species, the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), are affected by dispersal from a stock population (no-adapted) and competition with an already adapted spider mite species (Tetranychus evansi). For the population dynamics, we find that competition generally reduces population size and increases the risk of population extinction. However, these negative effects are counteracted by dispersal. For local adaptation, the roles of competition and dispersal are reversed. Without competition, dispersal exerts a negative effect on adaptation (measured as fecundity) to a novel host and females receiving the highest number of immigrants performed similarly to the stock population females. By contrast, with competition, adding more immigrants did not result in a lower fecundity. Females from populations with competition receiving the highest number of immigrants had a significantly higher fecundity than females from populations without competition (same dispersal treatment) and than the stock population females. We suggest that by exerting a stronger selection on the adapting populations, competition can counteract the migration load effect of dispersal. Interestingly, adaptation to the new host does not significantly reduce performance on the ancestral host, regardless of dispersal rate or competition. Our results highlight that assessments of how species can adapt to changing conditions need to jointly consider connectivity and the community context.
Data from: Species-specific plant–soil feedbacks alter herbivore-induced gene expression and defense chemistry in Plantago lanceolata
Plants actively interact with antagonists and beneficial organisms occurring in the above- and belowground domains of terrestrial ecosystems. In the past decade, studies have focused on the role of plant–soil feedbacks (PSF) in a broad range of ecological processes. However, PSF and its legacy effects on plant defense traits, such as induction of defense-related genes and production of defensive secondary metabolites, have not received much attention. Here, we study soil legacy effects created by twelve common grassland plant species on the induction of four defense-related genes, involved in jasmonic acid signaling, related to chewing herbivore defense (LOX2, PPO7), and in salicylic acid signaling, related to pathogen defense (PR1 and PR2) in Plantago lanceolata in response to aboveground herbivory by Mamestra brassicae. We also assessed soil legacy and herbivory effects on the production of terpenoid defense compounds (the iridoid glycosides aucubin and catalpol) in P. lanceolata. Our results show that both soil legacy and herbivory influence phenotypes of P. lanceolata in terms of induction of Pl PPO7 and Pl LOX2, whereas the expression of Pl PR1 and Pl PR2-1 is not affected by soil legacies, nor by herbivory. We also find species-specific soil legacy effects on the production of aucubin. Moreover, P. lanceolata accumulates more catalpol when they are grown in soils conditioned by grass species. Our study highlights that PSF can influence aboveground plant–insect interactions through the impacts on plant defense traits and suggests that aboveground plant defense responses can be determined, at least partly, by plant-specific legacy effects induced by belowground organisms.
Data from:Differential induction of plant chemical defenses by parasitized and unparasitized herbivores: consequences for reciprocal, multitrophic interactions
Insect parasitoids can play ecologically important roles in virtually all terrestrial plant–insect herbivore interactions, yet whether parasitoids alter the defensive traits that underlie interactions between plants and their herbivores remains a largely unexplored question. Here, we examined the reciprocal trophic interactions among populations of the wild cabbage Brassica oleracea that vary greatly in their production of defensive secondary compounds – glucosinolates (GSs), a generalist herbivore, Trichoplusia ni, and its polyembryonic parasitoid Copidosoma floridanum. In a greenhouse environment, plants were exposed to either healthy (unparasitized), parasitized, or no herbivores. Feeding damage by herbivores induced higher levels of the indole GSs, glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin, but not any of the other measured GSs. Herbivores parasitized by C. floridanum induced cabbage plants to produce 1.5 times more indole GSs than levels induced by healthy T. ni and five times more than uninduced plants. As a gregarious endoparasitoid, C. floridanum causes its host T. ni to feed more than unparasitized herbivores resulting in increased induction of indole GSs. In turn, herbivore fitness parameters (including differential effects on male and female contributions to lifetime fecundity in the herbivore) were negatively correlated with the aliphatic GSs, sinigrin and gluconapin, whereas parasitoid fitness parameters were negatively correlated with the indole GSs, glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. That herbivores and their parasitoids appear to be affected by different sets of GSs was unexpected given the intimate developmental associations between host and parasitoid. This study is the first to demonstrate that parasitoids, through increasing feeding by their herbivorous hosts, can induce higher levels of non-volatile plant chemical defenses. While parasitoids are widely recognized to be ubiquitous in most terrestrial insect herbivore communities, their role in influencing plant–insect herbivore relationships is still vastly underappreciated.
Data from: Constitutive and herbivore-induced plant defenses regulate herbivore population growth
1. Induced plant defenses regulated by the phytohormones jasmonic acid and salicylic acid are predicted to influence herbivore population dynamics, in part because they can operate in a density-dependent manner. While there is ample evidence that induced plant responses affect individual performance and growth of herbivores, whether they scale-up to regulate herbivore population dynamics is still unclear. 2. We evaluated the consequences of variation in plant defenses and herbivore density on herbivore development, reproduction and density-dependent population growth. We investigated potential mechanisms affecting the strength of herbivore density-dependent processes by manipulating jasmonate expression, quantifying plant defensive traits (phytohormones jasmonic acid and salicylic acid and serine proteinase inhibitors) and adding aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) at different densities to plants to simulate different initial population density and herbivore load. We manipulated jasmonate defenses by using genetically modified lines of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) with elevated or suppressed jasmonate-dependent defenses. Jasmonate-insensitive plants cannot induce the jasmonic acid pathway, while jasmonate-overexpressing plants constitutively express jasmonate-dependent defenses. 3. We found that jasmonate defenses provided resistance against aphids and influenced density-dependent processes. Jasmonate-overexpressing plants reduced aphid reproduction, prolonged developmental time, dampened aphid populations across all aphid densities, and caused density-independent aphid population growth. Aphid feeding on jasmonate-overexpressing plants did not activate the salicylic acid pathway, thus on this plant line jasmonate defenses affected aphid responses. In contrast, jasmonate-insensitive plants increased aphid reproduction, shortened the developmental time, reduced population growth only at high initial densities, and promoted strong negative density-dependent population growth. Aphid feeding on jasmonate-insensitive plants did not induce jasmonate-dependent defenses, but induced the salicylic acid pathway in a density-dependent manner, which resulted in negative density-dependent aphid population growth. 4. Aphid feeding on jasmonate-insensitive and overexpressing plant differentially activated the salicylate pathway, revealing a negative crosstalk between the defensive phytohormones jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. By muting or enhancing jasmonate-mediated responses and quantifying salicylic acid phytohormone induction, we demonstrated that plant defenses are a key factor driving not only the performance, but also the density dependence processes of herbivore populations.
Data from: Earthworms affect plant growth and resistance against herbivores: a meta-analysis
1. Subterranean detritivores such as earthworms can increase soil nutrient availability through their burrowing and casting activities. A number of recent studies have explored whether these changes caused by earthworms may in turn affect plant performance and resistance to herbivores, but no formal synthesis of this literature has been conducted to date. 2. We here formally tested for the effects of earthworms on plant growth, resistance and chemical defence against insect herbivores by performing a meta-analysis of the existing literature up to 2016. We also explored ecological factors that might explain among-studies variation in the magnitude of the earthworm effects on plant growth and resistance. 3. We found that earthworm presence increases plant growth (by 20 %) and nitrogen content (by 11 %). Overall, earthworms did not affect plant resistance against chewing herbivores (caterpillars, slugs and rootworms), and even led to a 22 % decrease in plant resistance against phloem-feeding herbivores (aphids). However, earthworm presence increased production of chemical defences by 31% when plants where attacked by cell-feeders (thrips), and resulted in an 81 % increase in resistance against thrips. The magnitude of earthworm effects was stronger when earthworm inoculations consisted of a mix of species and ecological types, and when densities of earthworms were high. 4. These results suggest that earthworm presence is an important factor underlying natural variation in plant defences against herbivores, and call for a better integration of the soil fauna in the studies of plant-herbivore interaction, both for applied and fundamental research.
Data from: Herbivore-specific induction of defence metabolites in a grass-endophyte association
Plants have developed a variety of defence strategies against herbivores. One possible strategy is the induced production of metabolites following herbivore attack. Plant-associated micro-organisms can be the source of such defensive compounds. For example, cool-season grasses can be associated with systemic endophytic fungi of the genus Epichloё, which produce herbivore-toxic alkaloids. In a controlled common garden approach, we tested the hypothesis that different types of herbivory induce endophyte growth and increase the endophyte-mediated production of three bioactive alkaloids which can deter or toxify herbivores. During 18 weeks, we analysed biweekly endophyte and alkaloid concentrations in the grass Lolium perenne infected with the endophytic fungus Epichloё festucae var. lolii. The experiment was conducted throughout the field season and compared three different herbivore treatments to the control treatment (herbivory exclosure). We showed that the concentration of the vertebrate toxic alkaloid lolitrem B increased following clipping (a simulation of grazing herbivores), while the insect deterring alkaloid peramine increased following locust herbivory (biting–chewing herbivores). The endophyte concentration increased slightly following clipping (P = 0·09). Sap sucking aphids altered neither endophyte nor alkaloid concentrations. Our study provides evidence for an herbivore-specific induction of endophyte-mediated responses following herbivore attack on its host grass. Our results suggest that the grass–endophyte symbiosis involves a close chemical crosstalk between the interacting partners.
Data from: Climate warming and plant biomechanical defences: silicon addition contributes to herbivore suppression in a pasture grass
1. Plants, notably the Poacae, often accumulate large amounts of silicon (Si) from the soil. Si has multiple functional roles, particularly for alleviating abiotic and biotic stresses (e.g. defence against herbivores). Recent evidence suggests that environmental change, including temperature changes, can diminish Si accumulation which could affect functions such as herbivore defence. 2. Using a field warming experiment, we grew a pasture grass (Phalaris aquatica) that was either supplemented or untreated with Si (+Si and -Si, respectively) under ambient and elevated (+2.8ºC above ambient) air temperatures. We quantified soil water, plant growth rates, Si accumulation, leaf biomechanical properties and in situ relative growth rates of a herbivorous global insect pest (Helicoverpa armigera). 3. Si supplementation promoted shoot and root biomass by c. 48% and 61%, respectively under ambient temperatures, but these gains were not apparent under warmed conditions. 4. Warmer temperatures reduced Si uptake by -Si plants by c. 17%, potentially due to the lower levels of soil water content in warmed plots. Si supplementation, however, increased Si accumulation in leaves by c. 24% in warmed plots restoring Si levels to those seen under ambient temperatures. 5. Si supplementation enhanced biomechanical properties in the leaves, but this was only statistically significant under ambient temperatures; leaves of +Si plants required 42% more force to fracture and were 30% tougher at the midrib than leaves of -Si plants. The relative growth rates of H. armigera declined by 56% when feeding on +Si plants under ambient temperatures and while Si supplementation caused a trend towards declining herbivore growth rates under warmer conditions, this was not statistically significant. 6. We conclude that climate warming may mitigate the beneficial effects of Si on Phalaris aquatica in the short term, potentially by reducing Si uptake. While Si uptake can be restored with Si supplementation, Si-enhanced biomechanical defences against a global pest may not be fully restored under warmer temperatures.
Spatial genetic structure in a crustacean herbivore highlights the need for local considerations in Baltic Sea biodiversity management
<p>Incorporating species' eco-evolutionary responses to human-caused disturbances remains a challenge in marine management efforts. A prerequisite is knowledge of geographic structure and scale of genetic diversity and connectivity - the so-called seascape genetic patterns. The Baltic Sea is an excellent model system for studies linking seascape genetics with effects of anthropogenic stress. However, seascape genetic patterns in this area are only described for a few species and are completely unknown for invertebrate herbivores, which constitute a critical part of the ecosystem. This information is crucial for sustainable management, particularly under future scenarios of rapid environmental change. Here, we investigate the population genetic structure among 31 locations throughout the Baltic Sea, of which 45 % were located in marine protected areas, in one of the most important herbivores of this region, the isopod crustacean <i>Idotea balthica</i>, using an array of 33,774 genome-wide SNP markers derived from 2b-RAD sequencing. In addition, we generate a biophysical connectivity matrix for <i>I. balthica</i> from a combination of oceanographic current models and estimated life history traits. We find population structure on scales of hundreds of kilometers across the Baltic Sea, where genomic patterns in most cases closely match biophysical connectivity, indicating passive transport with oceanographic currents as an important mean of dispersal in this species. We also find a reduced genetic diversity in terms of heterozygosity along the main salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea, suggesting periods of low population size. Our results provide crucial information for management of a key ecosystem species under expected changes in temperature and salinity following global climate change in a marine coastal area.</p>
Data from: The evolution of traits and functions in herbivorous coral reef fishes through space and time
Herbivory by fishes has been identified as a key ecological process shaping coral reefs through time. Although taxonomically limited, herbivorous reef fishes display a wide range of traits, which results in varied ecosystem functions on reefs around the world. Yet, we understand little about how these trait combinations and functions in ecosystems changed through time and across biogeographic realms. Here we used fossils and phylogenies in a functional ecological framework to reveal temporal changes in nominally herbivorous fish assemblages among oceanic basins in both trait space and lineage richness among functions. We show that the trait space occupied by extant herbivorous fishes in the Indo-Pacific resulted from an expansion of traits from the ancestral Tethyan assemblages. By contrast, trait space in the Atlantic is the result of lineage turnover, with relatively recent colonization by lineages that arose in the east Tethys/Indo-Pacific. From an ecosystem function perspective, the Atlantic supports a depauperate fauna, with few extant herbivorous reef fish lineages performing each function. Indo-Pacific fishes support both more functions and more lineages within each function, with a marked Miocene to Pleistocene expansion. These disparities highlight the importance of history in explaining global variation in fish functional composition on coral reefs.
Data from: Accelerating across the landscape: the energetic costs of natal dispersal in a large herbivore
1. Dispersal is a key mechanism enabling species to adjust their geographic range to rapid global change. However, dispersal is costly and environmental modifications are likely to modify the cost-benefit balance of individual dispersal decisions, for example, by decreasing functional connectivity. 2. Dispersal costs occur during departure, transience and settlement, and are levied in terms of energy, risk, time and lost opportunity, potentially influencing individual fitness. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet quantified the energetic costs of dispersal across the dispersal period by comparing dispersing and philopatric individuals in the wild.3. Here, we employed animal-born bio-loggers on a relatively large sample (N = 105) of juvenile roe deer to estimate energy expenditure indexed using the vector of dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) and mobility (distance travelled) in an intensively monitored population in the south west of France. We predicted that energy expenditure would be higher in dispersers compared to philopatric individuals. We expected costs to be i/ particularly high during transience, ii/ especially high in the more fragmented areas of the landscape, and iii/ concentrated during the night to avoid disturbance caused by human activity. 4. There were no differences in energy expenditure between dispersers and philopatric individuals during the pre-dispersal phase. However, dispersers expended around 22% more energy and travelled around 63% further per day than philopatric individuals during transience. Differences in energy expenditure were much less pronounced during the settlement phase. The costs of transience were almost uniquely confined to the dawn period, when dispersers spent 23% more energy and travelled 112% further than philopatric individuals. Finally, the energetic costs of transience per unit time and the total distance travelled to locate a suitable settlement range were higher in areas of high road density. 5. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that natal dispersal is energetically costly and indicate that transience is the most costly part of the process, particularly in fragmented landscapes. Further work is required to link dispersal costs with fitness components so as to understand the likely outcome of further environmental modifications on the evolution of dispersal behaviour.
Data from: Eating down the food chain: generalism is not an evolutionary dead end for herbivores
The role of trophic specialisation in taxonomic diversification remains unclear. Plant specialists diversify faster than omnivores and animalivores, but at shorter macroevolutionary scales this pattern sometimes reverses. Here, we estimate the effect of diet diversification on speciation rates in noctilionoid bats, controlling for tree shape, rate heterogeneity and macroevolutionary regimes. We hypothesise that niche subdivision among herbivores positively relates to speciation rates, differing between macroevolutionary regimes. We found the rate at which new herbivorous lineages originate decreases as rates of diet evolution increase. Herbivores experience higher speciation rates, but generalist herbivores and predominantly herbivorous omnivores speciate faster than specialised herbivores, omnivores and animalivores. Generalised herbivory is not a dead end. We show that analysing ecological traits and diversification requires accounting for macroevolutionary regimes and within- and between-clade variation in evolutionary rates. Our approach overcomes the high false-positive rates of other methods and illuminates the roles of herbivory and specialisation in speciation.
Data from: Life-history evolution in response to changes in metapopulation structure in an arthropod herbivore
The persistence and dynamics of populations largely depends on the way they are configured and integrated into space and the ensuing eco-evolutionary dynamics. We manipulated spatial and temporal variation in patch size in replicated experimental metapopulations of the herbivore mite Tetranychus urticae and followed evolutionary dynamics over approximately 30 generations. A significant divergence in life history traits, physiological endpoints and gene expression was recorded in the spatially and spatiotemporally variable metapopulation, but also a remarkable convergence relative to the stable reference metapopulation in traits related to size and fecundity and in its transcriptional regulation. The observed evolutionary dynamics are tightly linked to demographic changes, more specifically frequent episodes of resource shortage that increased the reproductive performance of mites on tomato, a challenging host plant. This points towards a general, adaptive stress response in stable spatial variable and spatiotemporal variable metapopulations that pre-adapts a herbivore arthropod to novel environmental stressors.
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Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
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