Foliar herbivory and leaf traits of five native tree species in a young plantation of Central Panama |
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| Authors: | Gillian S Paul Florencia Montagnini Graeme P Berlyn Dylan J Craven Michiel van Breugel Jefferson S Hall |
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| Institution: | (1) Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA;(2) Center for Tropical Forest Science, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Tupper Building 401, Av. Roosevelt, Balboa, Republic of Panama |
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| Abstract: | This study examined foliar herbivory on 1 year-old tree saplings planted in previously abandoned fields in central Panama.
Plots (15 × 15 trees) of Anacardium excelsum (Anacardiaceae), Dalbergia retusa (Fabaceae), Pachira quinata (Malvaceae), Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae), and Terminalia amazonia (Combretaceae) were tested for herbivory using leaf counts and digital image analysis. Values of foliar carbon, foliar nitrogen,
specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf toughness were analyzed to describe mechanical defenses and leaf nutrients on young and
mature leaves of each of these species. For all five species, less than 10% of total leaf area was found to be damaged by
arthropods. Significant (P-value < 0.001) differences in herbivory were found among both the tree species and the insect feeding guilds considered:
chewing, skeletonizing, mining, and leaf-rolling. On mature leaves, Anacardium excelsum had the highest amount of leaf damage (3.53%) while Dalbergia retusa exhibited the lowest herbivore damage (1.72%). Tabebuia rosea had statistically significantly higher damage than other species for young leaves caused by leaf-rolling insects (4.21% rolling
of 5.55% total damage). Leaf toughness was negatively correlated with SLA and foliar N. Linear regressions showed that herbivory
was positively correlated with foliar N for young leaves and negatively correlated with foliar N for mature leaves. No statistically
significant relationships were found between herbivory and the mechanical properties of toughness and SLA. Overall, results
from this study indicate that, as young saplings, the species evaluated did not suffer high amounts of foliar herbivory in
the plantation environment. |
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