Effects of herbivory and its timing on reproductive success of a tropical deciduous tree.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The implications of herbivory for plant reproduction have been widely studied; however, the relationship of defoliation and reproductive success is not linear, as there are many interacting factors that may influence reproductive responses to herbivore damage. In this study we aimed to disentangle how the timing of foliar damage impacts both male and female components of fitness, and to assess when it has greater impacts on plant reproductive success.

Methods

We measured herbivore damage and its effects on floral production, male and female floral attributes as well as fruit yield in three different phenological phases of Casearia nitida (Salicaceae) over the course of two consecutive years. Then we tested two models of multiple causal links among herbivo

SUBMITTER: Quiroz-Pacheco EN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7539358 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature