Herbivores promote habitat specialization by trees in Amazonian forests

In an edaphically heterogeneous area in the Peruvian Amazon, clay soils and nutrient-poor white sands each harbor distinctive plant communities. To determine whether a trade-off between growth and antiherbivore defense enforces habitat specialization on these two soil types, we conducted a reciproca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2004-07, Vol.305 (5684), p.663-665
Main Authors: Fine, P.V.A, Mesones, I, Coley, P.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animal-plant relationships
Animals
Attrition (Research Studies)
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Clay soils
community ecology
Ecosystem
Edaphic factors
Environment
Evolution
Forest ecology
Forest habitats
Forest soils
forest trees
Forests
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Habitat conservation
Habitats
Herbivores
Insecta - physiology
Meristem - growth & development
Peru
phytophagous insects
Plant growth
Plant Leaves - growth & development
Plant resistance
Plant-animal interactions
Plants
Protium
sandy soils
seedling growth
Seedlings
Seedlings - growth & development
Soil
Soils
Specialists
Specialization
species diversity
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
tree growth
Trees
Trees - growth & development
Tropical Climate
tropical forests
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Summary:In an edaphically heterogeneous area in the Peruvian Amazon, clay soils and nutrient-poor white sands each harbor distinctive plant communities. To determine whether a trade-off between growth and antiherbivore defense enforces habitat specialization on these two soil types, we conducted a reciprocal transplant study of seedlings of 20 species from sixgenera of phylogenetically independent pairs of edaphic specialist trees and manipulated the presence of herbivores. Clay specialist species grew significantly faster than white-sand specialists in both soil types when protected from herbivores. However, when unprotected, white-sand specialists dominated in white-sand forests and clay specialists dominated in clay forests. Therefore, habitat specialization in this system results from an interaction of herbivore pressure with soil type.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1098982