Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America
Abstract Patterns of insect herbivory may follow predictable geographical gradients, with greater herbivory at low latitudes. However, biogeographic studies of insect herbivory often do not account for multiple abiotic factors (e.g., precipitation and soil nutrients) that could underlie gradients. W...
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doaj-688c1047ad614911b4a39cb9733dad492021-04-02T18:17:18ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-07-0110136385639410.1002/ece3.6374Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North AmericaDylan R. Kent0Joshua S. Lynn1Steven C. Pennings2Lara A. Souza3Melinda D. Smith4Jennifer A. Rudgers5Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USADepartment of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USADepartment of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston TX USAOklahoma Biological Survey & Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK USADepartment of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USADepartment of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USAAbstract Patterns of insect herbivory may follow predictable geographical gradients, with greater herbivory at low latitudes. However, biogeographic studies of insect herbivory often do not account for multiple abiotic factors (e.g., precipitation and soil nutrients) that could underlie gradients. We tested for latitudinal clines in insect herbivory as well as climatic, edaphic, and trait‐based drivers of herbivory. We quantified herbivory on five dominant grass species over 23 sites across the Great Plains, USA. We examined the importance of climate, edaphic factors, and traits as correlates of herbivory. Herbivory increased at low latitudes when all grass species were analyzed together and for two grass species individually, while two other grasses trended in this direction. Higher precipitation was related to more herbivory for two species but less herbivory for a different species, while higher specific root length was related to more herbivory for one species and less herbivory for a different species. Taken together, results highlight that climate and trait‐based correlates of herbivory can be highly contextual and species‐specific. Patterns of insect herbivory on dominant grasses support the hypothesis that herbivory increases toward lower latitudes, though weakly, and indicates that climate change may have species‐specific effects on plant–herbivore interactions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6374biogeographyclimate changegrassherbivorylatitudinal gradientplant–insect interactions |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Dylan R. Kent Joshua S. Lynn Steven C. Pennings Lara A. Souza Melinda D. Smith Jennifer A. Rudgers |
spellingShingle |
Dylan R. Kent Joshua S. Lynn Steven C. Pennings Lara A. Souza Melinda D. Smith Jennifer A. Rudgers Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America Ecology and Evolution biogeography climate change grass herbivory latitudinal gradient plant–insect interactions |
author_facet |
Dylan R. Kent Joshua S. Lynn Steven C. Pennings Lara A. Souza Melinda D. Smith Jennifer A. Rudgers |
author_sort |
Dylan R. Kent |
title |
Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America |
title_short |
Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America |
title_full |
Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America |
title_fullStr |
Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America |
title_full_unstemmed |
Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America |
title_sort |
weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of north america |
publisher |
Wiley |
series |
Ecology and Evolution |
issn |
2045-7758 |
publishDate |
2020-07-01 |
description |
Abstract Patterns of insect herbivory may follow predictable geographical gradients, with greater herbivory at low latitudes. However, biogeographic studies of insect herbivory often do not account for multiple abiotic factors (e.g., precipitation and soil nutrients) that could underlie gradients. We tested for latitudinal clines in insect herbivory as well as climatic, edaphic, and trait‐based drivers of herbivory. We quantified herbivory on five dominant grass species over 23 sites across the Great Plains, USA. We examined the importance of climate, edaphic factors, and traits as correlates of herbivory. Herbivory increased at low latitudes when all grass species were analyzed together and for two grass species individually, while two other grasses trended in this direction. Higher precipitation was related to more herbivory for two species but less herbivory for a different species, while higher specific root length was related to more herbivory for one species and less herbivory for a different species. Taken together, results highlight that climate and trait‐based correlates of herbivory can be highly contextual and species‐specific. Patterns of insect herbivory on dominant grasses support the hypothesis that herbivory increases toward lower latitudes, though weakly, and indicates that climate change may have species‐specific effects on plant–herbivore interactions. |
topic |
biogeography climate change grass herbivory latitudinal gradient plant–insect interactions |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6374 |
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