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URN to cite this document: urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-7131-6
Title data
Wigley, Benjamin J. ; Coetsee, Corli ; Mawoyo, Kuzivakwashe A. ; Fritz, Hervé:
No evidence for the simultaneous induction of structural and chemical defences in spiny southern African savanna trees.
In: Austral Ecology.
Vol. 47
(2022)
Issue 7
.
- pp. 1415-1426.
ISSN 1442-9993
DOI der Verlagsversion: https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13223
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Abstract
Abstract It is still not well established whether plant chemical and physical defence traits can be simultaneously induced in savanna trees and how this would affect plant nutritional quality. Here, we use a long-term mammalian herbivore exclosure experiment in a dystrophic semi-arid African savanna to test how chemical (condensed tannins CTs and total polyphenols TPs) and structural (spines and thorns) defences are affected by herbivore exclusion in five common savanna woody species. We also tested whether nutritional quality interacted with either physical or chemical defences after protected trees were reintroduced to herbivores. Trees that remained available to herbivores did not increase CTs and TPs, rather these were found to be higher without mammalian herbivory in some species. In contrast, herbivory resulted in a significant induction of structural defences (i.e. longer and thicker spines) and at the same time, improved nutritional quality (i.e. higher available crude protein and lower C:N ratios) for some species. We found that the plant defence traits of the treatment which previously excluded herbivores were mostly similar to the control, which both differed from the exclosure, suggesting that legacies of herbivore exclusion on plant defence traits are mostly short-lived.
Further data
| Item Type: | Article in a journal |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | condensed tannins; exclosures; induction syndromes; mammalian herbivory; nitrogen-free secondary compounds; plant nutritional quality; spines; total polyphenols |
| DDC Subjects: | 500 Science > 500 Natural sciences 500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany) |
| Institutions of the University: | Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Professor Plant Ecology Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology |
| Language: | English |
| Originates at UBT: | Yes |
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-7131-6 |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jul 2023 07:08 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Jul 2023 07:08 |
| URI: | https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/7131 |
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