The Role of Seagrass Traits in Mediating Zostera noltei Vulnerability to Mesograzers.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how intra-specific differences in plant traits mediate vulnerability to herbivores of relevant habitat-forming plants is vital to attain a better knowledge on the drivers of the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Such studies, however, are rare in seagrass-mesograzer systems despite the increasingly recognized relevance of mesograzers as seagrass consumers. We investigated the role and potential trade-offs of multiple leaf traits in mediating the vulnerability of the seagrass Zostera noltei to different mesograzer species, the amphipod Gammarus insensibilis and the isopod Idotea chelipes. We worked with plants from two different meadows for which contrasting chemical and structural traits were expected based on previous information. We found that plants with high vulner

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Crego B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4892680 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature