Sex-driven neighborhood effects on herbivory in the dioecious Mediterranean palm Chamaerops humilis L.

ABSTRACT: Although it is well recognized that the strength of plant-herbivore interactions can vary with the plant sex, the distance, and the density of conspecific neighbors, no study has yet assessed their combined influence. Here, we filled this knowledge gap by focusing on the dioecious palm Chamaerops humilis L., and its two main herbivores, the invasive moth Paysandisia archon Burmeister and the feral goat Capra hircus L. We evaluated levels and spatial patterns of herbivory, as well as those of plant size and number of inflorescences in two palm populations in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Our spatial point pattern analyses revealed that palms not affected by moth herbivory or goat florivory were spatially aggregated, goats fed more strongly upon inflorescences in palms with more neighb

SUBMITTER: Munoz-Gallego R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10615982 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature