Territorial damselfishes facilitate survival of corals by providing an associational defense against predators

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps08302 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 398 ◽

pp. 137-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

DJ Gochfeld

Keyword(s):

Associational Defense

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Effects of spatial distribution on plant associational defense against herbivory

Basic and Applied Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.baae.2013.09.007 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 680-686 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Awet Tekeste Tsegai ◽

Ling Wang ◽

Deli Wang ◽

Yue Huang ◽

Haijiao Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Associational Defense

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Unpalatable plants induce a species-specific associational effect on neighboring communities

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93698-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Bagher Erfanian ◽

Farshid Memariani ◽

Zohreh Atashgahi ◽

Mansour Mesdaghi ◽

Maliheh Saeedi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Poisonous Plant ◽

Poisonous Plants ◽

Sheep And Goats ◽

Foraging Decisions ◽

Associational Defense ◽

Species Specific ◽

Grazed Grassland

AbstractIn grazing conditions, unpalatable species may induce either associational defense or neighbor contrast susceptibility in neighboring communities. Using surveys from eight grasslands, we tested whether various unpalatable species have the same impacts on neighboring communities in response to grazing. The studied unpalatable species were: Phlomis cancellata (an unpalatable nonpoisonous plant), Euphorbia boissieriana, E.microsciadia (poisonous plants), and Seseli transcaucasicum (a highly poisonous plant). Our results showed that, in the ungrazed grasslands, communities containing P. cancellata had lower biodiversity than communities without it. In the moderately- and heavily grazed grasslands, P. cancellata induced associational defense in the neighboring communities. In heavily grazed grasslands, both Euphorbia species promoted neighbor contrast susceptibility in the neighboring communities. Similarly, S. transcaucasicum in a heavily grazed grassland, induced neighbor contrast susceptibility. Different responses of plant community vulnerability among the studied unpalatable plants might be due to herbivore different foraging decisions. Accordingly, grazers selectively choose from other patches when facing P. cancellata and other plant individuals when there is a poisonous plant in a patch. Our results suggested that grazing intensity may not substantially affect the foraging decisions of sheep and goats in response to unpalatable species. We recommend monitoring the abundance of poisonous species to maintain the sustainable use of grasslands.

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