Nonadditive effects of two contrasting introduced herbivores on the reproduction of a pollination-specialized palm.

ABSTRACT: Plant-animal interactions fall within a mutualism-antagonism continuum, exerting a wide range of effects on plant reproductive success. These effects become even more complex and diverse when several disparate animal species interact with the same plant species. Despite the increasing number of studies about the influence of herbivory on plant performance, the outcomes mediated by pollination and the combined impact of multiple herbivores on pollination-specialized plants are underexplored. In this study, we chose the Mediterranean dwarf palm Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) to illustrate the isolated and joint effect of two contrasting introduced herbivores, the palm borer Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera, Castniidae) and feral goats, on pollinator abundance and plant reproductive success. T

SUBMITTER: Munoz-Gallego R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9787982 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature