Influence of light availability and soil productivity on insect herbivory on bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves following mammalian herbivory.

ABSTRACT: Vegetative parts of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) are important forage for many boreal forest mammal, bird and insect species. Plant palatability to insects is affected by concentration of nutrients and defense compounds in plants. We expected that palatability of bilberry leaves to insect herbivores is influenced by light availability and soil productivity (both affecting nitrogen concentration and constitutive carbon-based defense compound concentration) and herbivory by mammals (affecting nitrogen concentration and induced carbon-based defense compound concentration). We studied bilberry leaf herbivory under different light availability, soil productivity and mammalian herbivory pressure in small sampling units (1m x 1m) in boreal forest in Norway. We used generalized linear mixed mode

SUBMITTER: Schrijvers-Gonlag M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7100976 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature