INVESTIGADORES
MONTTI Lia Fernanda
artículos
Título:
Herbivory and the success of Ligustrum lucidum: evidence from a comparison between native and novel ranges
Autor/es:
MONTTI, LÍA; AYUP M.; ARAGÓN ROXANA; QI WEILONG ; RUAN HONGUA; FERNANDEZ ROMINA; CASERTANO SERGIO ; ZOU XIAOMING
Revista:
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
Editorial:
CSIRO PUBLISHING
Referencias:
Lugar: Collingwood; Año: 2016
ISSN:
0067-1924
Resumen:
Invasive plant species may benefit from a reduction in herbivory in their introduced range. The reduced herbivory may cause a reallocation of resources from defence to fitness. Here, we evaluated leaf herbivory of an invasivetree species (Ligustrum lucidum Aiton) in its native and novel ranges, and determined the potential changes in leaf traits that may be associated with the patterns of herbivory. We measured forest structure, damage by herbivores and leaf traits in novel and native ranges, and on the basis of the literature, we identified the common natural herbivores of L. lucidum. We also performed an experiment offering leaves from both ranges to a generalist herbivore (Spodoptera frugiperda). L. lucidum was more abundant and experienced significantly less foliar damage in the novel than in the native range, in spiteof the occurrence of several natural herbivores. The reduced lignin content and lower lignin :N ratio in novel leaves, together with the higher herbivore preference for leaves of this origin in the laboratory experiment, indicated lower herbivore resistance in novel than in native populations. The reduced damage by herbivores is not the only factor explaining invasion success, but it may be an important cause that enhances the invasiveness of L. lucidum.