The effect of drought-induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific

Xue Xiao; Leonardo R.é. Jorge; Martin Volf; Martin Moos; Uriel Gélin; Sam Finnie; Inga Freiberga; Jitka Jancuchova-Laskova; Matthias Weiss; Vojtech Novotny; Katerina Sam

doi:10.1002/ecs2.4831

The effect of drought-induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific

Xue Xiao^*, Leonardo R.é. Jorge, Martin Volf, Martin Moos, Uriel Gélin, Sam Finnie, Inga Freiberga, Jitka Jancuchova-Laskova, Matthias Weiss, Vojtech Novotny, Katerina Sam

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Biologi - Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO)
Institut for Biologi - Center for Biodiversitetsdynamik i en verden under Forandring

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

1 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Drought has a significant impact on plant–insect interactions by altering plant survival, growth, leaf quality, and defense traits. Tropical plants are particularly vulnerable to water depression because of shallow root depth. In the context of climate change, drought events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity; however, their impact on tropical ecosystems remains poorly known. Insect herbivores represent the largest feeding guild of arthropods, and they devour four to five times more plant material than vertebrates do. Understanding how drought affects plant traits and leaf palatability in a keystone and ecologically diverse plant genus, such as Ficus (Moraceae), is crucial for predicting how climate change might alter tropical plant–insect interactions. We examined the impact of drought intensity and duration on the leaf nutritional quality, defensive traits, and herbivory damage by caterpillars in three tropical and one Mediterranean Ficus species in a greenhouse. We also conducted food choice trials with generalist caterpillars to evaluate the impact of drought on herbivores. Drought intensity and duration had no direct effect on leaf palatability across the Ficus species. However, drought indirectly affected leaf palatability via drought-induced leaf traits in a species-specific manner. Drought intensity and duration decreased leaf water content, resulting in decreased leaf palatability in F. benjamina and F. lyrata. Leaf defensive traits such as flavonoid concentration were affected by drought intensity and decreased leaf palatability in F. carica. Drought influenced the leaf traits of F. elastica, but none of them affected leaf palatability. Overall, this study establishes the link between drought and insect feeding on plants via leaf traits. The species-specific responses to drought highlight the significance of climate-related plant life histories in relation to climate change, underscoring the need for further investigations.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	e4831
Tidsskrift	Ecosphere
Vol/bind	15
Nummer	5
ISSN	2150-8925
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4831
Status	Udgivet - maj 2024

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title = "The effect of drought-induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific",

abstract = "Drought has a significant impact on plant–insect interactions by altering plant survival, growth, leaf quality, and defense traits. Tropical plants are particularly vulnerable to water depression because of shallow root depth. In the context of climate change, drought events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity; however, their impact on tropical ecosystems remains poorly known. Insect herbivores represent the largest feeding guild of arthropods, and they devour four to five times more plant material than vertebrates do. Understanding how drought affects plant traits and leaf palatability in a keystone and ecologically diverse plant genus, such as Ficus (Moraceae), is crucial for predicting how climate change might alter tropical plant–insect interactions. We examined the impact of drought intensity and duration on the leaf nutritional quality, defensive traits, and herbivory damage by caterpillars in three tropical and one Mediterranean Ficus species in a greenhouse. We also conducted food choice trials with generalist caterpillars to evaluate the impact of drought on herbivores. Drought intensity and duration had no direct effect on leaf palatability across the Ficus species. However, drought indirectly affected leaf palatability via drought-induced leaf traits in a species-specific manner. Drought intensity and duration decreased leaf water content, resulting in decreased leaf palatability in F. benjamina and F. lyrata. Leaf defensive traits such as flavonoid concentration were affected by drought intensity and decreased leaf palatability in F. carica. Drought influenced the leaf traits of F. elastica, but none of them affected leaf palatability. Overall, this study establishes the link between drought and insect feeding on plants via leaf traits. The species-specific responses to drought highlight the significance of climate-related plant life histories in relation to climate change, underscoring the need for further investigations.",

keywords = "drought duration, drought intensity, feeding experiment, greenhouse, plant drought tolerance, plant–insect interaction",

author = "Xue Xiao and Jorge, {Leonardo R.{\'e}.} and Martin Volf and Martin Moos and Uriel G{\'e}lin and Sam Finnie and Inga Freiberga and Jitka Jancuchova-Laskova and Matthias Weiss and Vojtech Novotny and Katerina Sam",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors. Ecosphere published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.",

year = "2024",

month = may,

doi = "10.1002/ecs2.4831",

language = "English",

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journal = "Ecosphere",

issn = "2150-8925",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of drought-induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific

AU - Xiao, Xue

AU - Jorge, Leonardo R.é.

AU - Volf, Martin

AU - Moos, Martin

AU - Gélin, Uriel

AU - Finnie, Sam

AU - Freiberga, Inga

AU - Jancuchova-Laskova, Jitka

AU - Weiss, Matthias

AU - Novotny, Vojtech

AU - Sam, Katerina

PY - 2024/5

Y1 - 2024/5

N2 - Drought has a significant impact on plant–insect interactions by altering plant survival, growth, leaf quality, and defense traits. Tropical plants are particularly vulnerable to water depression because of shallow root depth. In the context of climate change, drought events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity; however, their impact on tropical ecosystems remains poorly known. Insect herbivores represent the largest feeding guild of arthropods, and they devour four to five times more plant material than vertebrates do. Understanding how drought affects plant traits and leaf palatability in a keystone and ecologically diverse plant genus, such as Ficus (Moraceae), is crucial for predicting how climate change might alter tropical plant–insect interactions. We examined the impact of drought intensity and duration on the leaf nutritional quality, defensive traits, and herbivory damage by caterpillars in three tropical and one Mediterranean Ficus species in a greenhouse. We also conducted food choice trials with generalist caterpillars to evaluate the impact of drought on herbivores. Drought intensity and duration had no direct effect on leaf palatability across the Ficus species. However, drought indirectly affected leaf palatability via drought-induced leaf traits in a species-specific manner. Drought intensity and duration decreased leaf water content, resulting in decreased leaf palatability in F. benjamina and F. lyrata. Leaf defensive traits such as flavonoid concentration were affected by drought intensity and decreased leaf palatability in F. carica. Drought influenced the leaf traits of F. elastica, but none of them affected leaf palatability. Overall, this study establishes the link between drought and insect feeding on plants via leaf traits. The species-specific responses to drought highlight the significance of climate-related plant life histories in relation to climate change, underscoring the need for further investigations.

AB - Drought has a significant impact on plant–insect interactions by altering plant survival, growth, leaf quality, and defense traits. Tropical plants are particularly vulnerable to water depression because of shallow root depth. In the context of climate change, drought events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity; however, their impact on tropical ecosystems remains poorly known. Insect herbivores represent the largest feeding guild of arthropods, and they devour four to five times more plant material than vertebrates do. Understanding how drought affects plant traits and leaf palatability in a keystone and ecologically diverse plant genus, such as Ficus (Moraceae), is crucial for predicting how climate change might alter tropical plant–insect interactions. We examined the impact of drought intensity and duration on the leaf nutritional quality, defensive traits, and herbivory damage by caterpillars in three tropical and one Mediterranean Ficus species in a greenhouse. We also conducted food choice trials with generalist caterpillars to evaluate the impact of drought on herbivores. Drought intensity and duration had no direct effect on leaf palatability across the Ficus species. However, drought indirectly affected leaf palatability via drought-induced leaf traits in a species-specific manner. Drought intensity and duration decreased leaf water content, resulting in decreased leaf palatability in F. benjamina and F. lyrata. Leaf defensive traits such as flavonoid concentration were affected by drought intensity and decreased leaf palatability in F. carica. Drought influenced the leaf traits of F. elastica, but none of them affected leaf palatability. Overall, this study establishes the link between drought and insect feeding on plants via leaf traits. The species-specific responses to drought highlight the significance of climate-related plant life histories in relation to climate change, underscoring the need for further investigations.

KW - drought duration

KW - drought intensity

KW - feeding experiment

KW - greenhouse

KW - plant drought tolerance

KW - plant–insect interaction

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U2 - 10.1002/ecs2.4831

DO - 10.1002/ecs2.4831

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85192852776

SN - 2150-8925

VL - 15

JO - Ecosphere

JF - Ecosphere

IS - 5

M1 - e4831

ER -

The effect of drought-induced leaf traits on Ficus leaf palatability is species specific

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