Simulated herbivory reduces seed production in Vincetoxicum rossicum

Botany ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A.D. Doubleday ◽  
Naomi Cappuccino
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Vincetoxicum Rossicum ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
The Impact

Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar. (Apocynaceae) is an exotic invasive perennial vine that is spreading rapidly throughout northeastern North America. Its spread threatens native plant communities and the animals that depend on them. While V. rossicum is known to have specialist insect herbivores in its native range, it has escaped herbivory in its introduced range. A biological control program is currently being developed to identify an insect agent that could be released in North America to control V. rossicum . In this study, we simulated leaf and root herbivory on individual plants in naturally occurring populations of V. rossicum to estimate the impact of different feeding guilds and damage levels on seed production in sunny and shady sites. Damage intensity (0%, 30%, 60%, or 90% tissue removal) had a greater impact on seed output than damage type (root vs. leaf), although root damage was slightly more effective than leaf damage. We discuss the implications for biological control programs targeting this invasive exotic plant.

Growth and reproduction of invasive Vincetoxicum rossicum and V. nigrum under artificial defoliation and different light environments

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1279-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey R. Milbrath
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Control Program ◽  
High Light ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Introduced Herbivores ◽  
Vincetoxicum Rossicum ◽  
Root:Shoot Ratios ◽  
Aboveground Tissue ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

The exotic vines Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar. and Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench have become increasingly invasive in low- and high-light habitats in North America, and a biological control program is being developed. These plants experience little damage in North America, so it is unclear how they might respond to introduced herbivores. I conducted an artificial defoliation study on seedlings and mature plants of V. rossicum and V. nigrum grown under different light environments. Under high light, V. nigrum produced more seed and allocated more resources to aboveground tissue (root:shoot ratios < 1), whereas V. rossicum allocated more resources to roots with root:shoot ratios of 1.9 for mature plants and > 3 for seedlings. These differences disappeared with shading. Increasing frequencies of 100% defoliation caused greater reductions in biomass and seed production for both species and plant stages. Shading further reduced biomass and no seed was produced. Defoliation of shaded, but not unshaded, plants caused high mortality. Additional cutting of stem tips increased branching only. Defoliation may be effective against Vincetoxicum plants growing in low-light environments such as forest understories, but appears to be of more limited value in high-light environments unless repeated defoliation occurs.

Studies of Predators of the Balsam Woolly Aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Homoptera: Adelgidae) X. Field Identification of Laricobius erichsonii Rosen. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae)

1962 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Brown ◽  
R. C. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Control Program ◽  
The Past ◽  
Considerable Promise ◽  
Field Identification ◽  
Woolly Aphid ◽  
Adelges Piceae ◽  
Field Workers

Over the past ten years a number of exotic predators have been introduced into New Brunswick and other parts of North America as part of a biological control program against the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.). Several of these have become established and others show considerable promise. As introductions continue it becomes exceedingly important that field workers be able to distinguish rapidly all stages of introduced and native predators. Field identification characters for some species (Chamaemyiidae and Syrphidae) have been published in previous papers in this series (Brown and Clark, 1956, 1960; Clark and Brown, 1957) and have been found to be very useful.

Studies of Predators of the Balsam Woolly Aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.) (Homoptera: Adelgidae), VII. Laricobius rubidus Lec. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a Predator of Pineus strobi (Htg.) (Homoptera: Adelgidae)

1960 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Clark ◽  
N. R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Control Program ◽  
The Past ◽  
Woolly Aphid ◽  
Adelges Piceae

Although Laricobius rubidus LeConte (1861, 1866) is not a common predator of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), this paper is included in the series because of the close taxonomic similarities of L. rubidus in all stages to the recently introduced L. erichsonii Rosenh. In the past there has been confusion in the literature because the majority of records of rubidus have been erroneously attributed to erichsonii. These records have been discussed in detail in a paper on L. erichsonii, a species which has been introduced into North America as part of a biological control program against A. piceae (Clark and Brown, 1958).

scholarly journals A Conceptual Model to Describe the Decline of European Blackberry (Rubus anglocandicans), A Weed of National Significance in Australia

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Aghighi ◽  
L. Fontanini ◽  
P. B. Yeoh ◽  
G. E. St. J. Hardy ◽  
T. I. Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Cultural Control ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Plant Populations ◽  
National Significance ◽  
The Impact

Human activities have had an adverse impact on ecosystems on a global scale and have caused an unprecedented redispersal of organisms, with both plants and pathogens moving from their regions of origin to other parts of the world. Invasive plants are a potential threat to ecosystems globally, and their management costs tens of billions of dollars per annum. Rubus anglocandicans (European blackberry) is a serious invasive species in Australia. Herbicide and cultural control methods are generally inefficient or require multiple applications. Therefore, a biological control program using stem and leaf rust strains is the main option in Australia. However, biological control using rusts has been patchy, as host factors, climate, and weather can alter the impact of the rust at different locations. In 2007, Yeoh and Fontanini noticed that blackberry plants on the banks of the Donnelly and Warren rivers in the southwest of Western Australia were dying in areas that were being regularly monitored for the impact of rust as a biological control agent. The symptoms on blackberry became known as the disease “blackberry decline”. Continuous and intensive investigations are required to discover the different biotic and abiotic components associated with specific declines in plant populations. The only agent so far introduced to Australia for the biological control of blackberry is the rust Phragmidium violaceum.

scholarly journals When misconceptions impede best practices: evidence supports biological control of invasive Phragmites

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 873-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Blossey ◽  
Stacy B. Endriss ◽  
Richard Casagrande ◽  
Patrick Häfliger ◽  
Hariet Hinz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Rare And Endangered Species ◽  
Technical Advisory Group ◽  
Rare And Endangered ◽  
Management Alternatives

AbstractDevelopment of a biological control program for invasive Phagmites australis australis in North America required 20 years of careful research, and consideration of management alternatives. A recent paper by Kiviat et al. (Biol Invasions 21:2529–2541, 2019. 10.1007/s10530-019-02014-9) articulates opposition to this biocontrol program and questions the ethics and thoroughness of the researchers. Here we address inaccuracies and misleading statements presented in Kiviat et al. (2019), followed by a brief overview of why biological control targeting Phragmites in North America can be implemented safely with little risk to native species. Similar to our colleagues, we are very concerned about the risks invasive Phragmites represent to North American habitats. But to protect those habitats and the species, including P. australis americanus, we come to a different decision regarding biological control. Current management techniques have not been able to reverse the invasiveness of P. australis australis, threats to native rare and endangered species continue, and large-scale herbicide campaigns are not only costly, but also represent threats to non-target species. We see implementation of biocontrol as the best hope for managing one of the most problematic invasive plants in North America. After extensive review, our petition to release two host specific stem miners was approved by The Technical Advisory Group for the Release of Biological Control Agents in the US and Canadian federal authorities.

scholarly journals Seedlings of the Invasive Strawberry Guava Psidium cattleianum Were More Sensitive to Defoliation Than the Closely Related Malagasy Native Eugenia goviala in a Simulated Herbivory Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 194008292096123
Author(s):  
Harisoa Rakotonoely ◽  
Noelikanto Ramamonjisoa
Keyword(s):  
Native Plants ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Stem Growth ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Psidium Cattleianum ◽  
Leaf Area Loss

The success of non-native plants in their recipient environments is often attributed to their relatively lower herbivorous attack (i.e., leaf damage). However, whether non-native plants are inherently more tolerant to leaf damage than native ones remains unclear. We conducted a field experiment to test the effects of clipping (25%, 50%, and 75% leaf area loss) on growth (stem height and production of new leaves) of the natural regenerations of invasive strawberry guava Psidium cattleianum (Myrtaceae) and its closely related native, Eugenia goviala (VU, Myrtaceae,), in a degraded forest in Andasibe, Madagascar. Each clipped individual was paired with a neighboring control (0% defoliation). Survival rates after 105 days were high (>93%) for both species and were not related to clipping levels. Eugenia goviala increased stem growth by 98% at 25% clipping but exhibited no response at higher clipping levels. Clipping tended to reduce stem growth in P. cattleianum but effects were only significant at 75% defoliation (46% reduction in stem growth). Defoliation did not affect the production of new leaves but we detected a tendency for P. cattleianum to produce fewer leaves at higher clipping levels. These results indicate a higher sensitivity to defoliation in the invasive strawberry guava compared to its close native relative E. goviala, which does not support the hypothesis that non-native plant species are more tolerant to leaf damage than native ones. Heavy defoliation can represent a substitute for mechanical control of the strawberry guava. Future studies should focus on identifying suitable native herbivores as part of an integrated control program for this invasive species.

scholarly journals Hybridization and range expansion in tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda spp.) introduced to North America for classical biological control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda R Stahlke ◽  
Ellyn V. Bitume ◽  
A. Zeynep Ozsoy ◽  
Dan W. Bean ◽  
Anne Veillet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Biological Control ◽  
North America ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Tamarix Spp

With the global rise of human-mediated translocations and invasions, it is critical to understand the genomic consequences of hybridization and mechanisms of range expansion. Conventional wisdom is that high genetic drift and loss of genetic diversity due to repeated founder effects will constrain introduced species. However, reduced genetic variation can be countered by behavioral aspects and admixture with other distinct populations. As planned invasions, classical biological control (biocontrol) agents present important opportunities to understand the mechanisms of establishment and spread in a novel environment. The ability of biocontrol agents to spread and adapt, and their effects on local ecosystems, depends on genomic variation and the consequences of admixture in novel environments. Here we use a biocontrol system to examine the genome-wide outcomes of introduction, spread, and hybridization in four cryptic species of a biocontrol agent, the tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinata, D. carinulata, D. elongata, and D. sublineata), introduced from six localities across Eurasia to control the invasive shrub tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) in western North America. We assembled a de novo draft reference genome and applied RADseq to over 500 individuals from laboratory cultures, the native ranges, and across the introduced range. Despite evidence of a substantial genetic bottleneck among D. carinulata in N. America, populations continue to establish and spread, possibly due to aggregation behavior. We found that D. carinata, D. elongata, and D. sublineata hybridize in the field to varying extents, with D. carinata x D. sublineata hybrids being the most abundant. Genetic diversity was greater at sites with hybrids, highlighting potential for increased ability to adapt and expand. Our results demonstrate the complex patterns of genomic variation that can result from introduction of multiple ecotypes or species for biocontrol, and the importance of understanding them to predict and manage the effects of biocontrol agents in novel ecosystems.

Tolerance of Brassica nigra to Pieris brassicae herbivory

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 641-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Blatt ◽  
R. C. Smallegange ◽  
L. Hess ◽  
J. A. Harvey ◽  
M. Dicke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Pieris Brassicae ◽  
Brassica Nigra ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Zone Of Influence ◽  
Black Mustard ◽  
Cabbage White Butterfly ◽  
The Impact

Black mustard, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, is a wild annual species found throughout Europe and fed on by larvae of the large cabbage-white butterfly, Pieris brassicae L. We examined the impact of herbivory from P. brassicae, a gregarious herbivore, on B. nigra grown from wild seed collected locally. In greenhouse studies, the response of B. nigra to four herbivore densities in two developmental stages of the plant was quantified by measuring leaf damage, plant height, days to flowering, silique number, and seed production. Pieris brassicae readily attacked B. nigra leaves, although the timing of the attack did not affect seed production; attacked plants produced as many seeds as as nonattacked plants. Plant height was affected when plants were attacked early, but not later, in development, suggesting a connection between their belowground zone of influence and ability to regain biomass. These results demonstrate that at the herbivore densities and timing of damage studied, B. nigra tolerates folivory from Pieris brassicae through compensation.

scholarly journals Biological Control of Weeds: Is it Safe?

EDIS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carey Minteer ◽  
Eutychus Kariuki ◽  
James P. Cuda
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Biological Control Of Weeds ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Introduced Range

Invasive plants are non-native plant species that cause harm in their introduced range. Classical biological control of invasive plants is the use of natural enemies, imported insects and mites or pathogens, to control the target plants. This publication explains the strategies and rules in place to ensure that organisms released for the biological control of weeds are safe and effective.

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