Substantial Insect Herbivory in a South African Savanna-Forest Mosaic: A Neglected Topic
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F24%3A00602723" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/24:00602723 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/60076658:12310/24:43908472
Result on the web
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70466" target="_blank" >https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.70466</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70466" target="_blank" >10.1002/ece3.70466</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Substantial Insect Herbivory in a South African Savanna-Forest Mosaic: A Neglected Topic
Original language description
Insect herbivory plays a crucial role in shaping plant communities in many terrestrial ecosystems. However, in African savannas, insect herbivory has been relatively understudied compared to large mammalian herbivory. In this study, we examined the impact of insect herbivory, focusing on leaf chewers and miners, in a South African savanna-forest mosaic (including patches of forest, thicket and savanna) in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park, South Africa. Our investigation spanned gradients of rainfall, fire frequency and mammal density. We surveyed a total of 864 woody plants from 48 plant species in 38 plots. Insects consumed 6% of leaf biomass, which is comparable to their impact in temperate broadleaf forests, but the extent of herbivory damage varied between vegetation types. Overall, leaf loss was 70% higher in forests and savanna than that in thicket. Plants in the forests experienced greater damage from chewing insects, whereas miners caused relatively more damage in savannas. Rates of insect herbivory also varied among plant species, declining with carbon and dry matter content but increasing with specific leaf area. Although no significant trade-off was detected between insect and mammal herbivory, plant species with limited physical defences against mammals tended to experience high levels of insect herbivory. Our findings highlight the intricate dynamics of insect herbivory in different vegetation types and suggest that insect leaf herbivory, alongside mammalian herbivory, could play a significant role in influencing plant community composition and overall savanna ecosystem functioning.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10618 - Ecology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Ecology and Evolution
ISSN
2045-7758
e-ISSN
2045-7758
Volume of the periodical
14
Issue of the periodical within the volume
11
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
14
Pages from-to
e70466
UT code for WoS article
001368750600001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85208651473