Herbivory patterns of six woody species from the temperate forest of South America: preliminar evidence to the carbon–nutrient balance hypothesis

Authors

  • Romina Dimarco Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
  • Gabriel Russo Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
  • Alejandro G. Farji-Brener Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina

Keywords:

foliar damage, intra-specific variation, Patagonia

Abstract

The carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis (CNBH) explains the intraspecific variation in herbivory levels suggesting that, when plants acquire resources in excess of growth demands (e.g., light), these resources are shunted into production of chemical defenses. We documented the intraspecific variation of herbivory levels in six woody plant species from the South American temperate forest to determine whether these patterns support the predictions of the CNBH. For all the species studied, plants located in sites with high light availability showed between 1.2–5 times less foliar damage than those located in sites with low light availability. These results, although preliminary, support the CNBH. Future studies could test whether the mechanisms responsible for this pattern are those proposed by the CNBH.

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Published

2004-06-01

How to Cite

Dimarco, R., Russo, G., & Farji-Brener, A. G. (2004). Herbivory patterns of six woody species from the temperate forest of South America: preliminar evidence to the carbon–nutrient balance hypothesis. Ecología Austral, 14(1), 039–043. Retrieved from https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1520

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2004)

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Articles

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