No interaction between competition and herbivory in limiting introduced Cirsium vulgare rosette growth and reproduction.
Both competition and herbivory have been shown to reduce plant survival, growth, and reproduction. Much less is known about whether competition and herbivory interact in determining plant performance, especially for introduced, weedy plant species in the invaded habitat. We simultaneously evaluated both the main and interactive effects of plant neighbors and insect herbivory on rosette growth and seed reproduction in the year of flowering for Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle, spear thistle), an introduced Eurasian species, in tallgrass prairie in 2 years. Effects of insect herbivory were strong and consistent in both years, causing reduced plant growth and seed production, whereas the effects of competition with established vegetation were weak. The amount of herbivore damage inflicted on rosettes did not depend on the presence of neighbor plants. We also found no interaction between competition and herbivory on key parameters of plant growth and fitness. The results of this study contradict the hypothesis that competitive context interacts with insect herbivory in limiting the invasiveness of this introduced thistle. Further, the results provide additional, experimental evidence that high levels of herbivory on established rosettes by native insects exert significant biotic resistance to the invasiveness of C. vulgare in western tallgrass prairie.
Suwa
Tomomi
T
School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA. suwatomo@msu.edu
Louda
Svata M
SM
Russell
F Leland
FL
D000818:Animals; D031180:Cirsium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D007306:Insecticides; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
D007306:Insecticides
Oecologia. 1999 Jan;118(1):69-75
20135162
Oecologia. 1998 Sep;116(3):407-418
28308073
Oecologia. 1972 Dec;10(4):321-346
28307065
Am Nat. 2000 Apr;155(4):435-453
10753073
Environ Entomol. 2009 Jun;38(3):731-40
19508782
Trends Ecol Evol. 1999 May;14(5):179-185
10322530
Am J Bot. 2000 Dec;87(12):1821-6
11118420
Oecologia. 2000 Feb;122(3):361-370
28308287
Proc Biol Sci. 2006 Oct 22;273(1601):2575-84
17002942
Oecologia. 2006 Mar;147(2):369-78
16400509
Monogr Popul Biol. 1982;17:1-296
7162524