Grasshoppers （Orthoptera： Acrididae） select vegetation patches in local-scale responses to foliar nitrogen but not phosphorus in native grassland  

作　　者：Viviana Loaiza Jayne L. Jonas Anthony Joern 

机构地区：[1]Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA

出　　处：《Insect Science》2011年第5期533-540,共8页昆虫科学（英文版）

摘　　要：Key elements such as nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） are often limiting relative to the nutritional needs of herbivores that feed on them. While N often limits insect herbivores in natural terrestrial ecosystems, the effect of P is poorly studied in the field, even though compelling hypotheses from the ecological stoichiometry literature predict its importance. We evaluated small-scale spatial distributions of, and herbivory by, grasshoppers among neighboring plots that vary in foliar-N and -P in tallgrass prairie. Grasshopper densities were 67% greater in N-fertilized plots but detected no effect to grasshopper densities from P-fertilizer. Leaf damage to the dominant grass Andropogon gerardii was 32% greater in N-fertilized plots, but no response to foliar-P was detected. Herbivore damage to a common forb, goldenrod （Solidago missouriensis）, was not strongly linked by fertilizer treatments, although there was increased leaf damage in N-fertilizer treatments when no P was applied （a significant N ~ P interaction）. Under field conditions at local scales, we conclude that spatially heterogeneous distributions of grasshoppers are primarily affected by foliar-N in host plants with little evidence that P-levels contribute to the spatial patterns.Key elements such as nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） are often limiting relative to the nutritional needs of herbivores that feed on them. While N often limits insect herbivores in natural terrestrial ecosystems, the effect of P is poorly studied in the field, even though compelling hypotheses from the ecological stoichiometry literature predict its importance. We evaluated small-scale spatial distributions of, and herbivory by, grasshoppers among neighboring plots that vary in foliar-N and -P in tallgrass prairie. Grasshopper densities were 67% greater in N-fertilized plots but detected no effect to grasshopper densities from P-fertilizer. Leaf damage to the dominant grass Andropogon gerardii was 32% greater in N-fertilized plots, but no response to foliar-P was detected. Herbivore damage to a common forb, goldenrod （Solidago missouriensis）, was not strongly linked by fertilizer treatments, although there was increased leaf damage in N-fertilizer treatments when no P was applied （a significant N ~ P interaction）. Under field conditions at local scales, we conclude that spatially heterogeneous distributions of grasshoppers are primarily affected by foliar-N in host plants with little evidence that P-levels contribute to the spatial patterns.

关 键 词：Andropogon gerardii ecological stoichiometry insect herbivory Konza Prairie N-P fertilization experiment Solidago rnissouriensis 

分 类 号：S661.101[农业科学—果树学] S812[农业科学—园艺学]