Fluctuating asymmetry, leaf thickness and herbivory in Tibouchina granulosa: an altitudinal gradient analysis

Gradient of stressful conditions affect plant physiological and morphological traits. Previous studies have shown that plants located at higher altitudes might exhibit higher levels of both fluctuating asymmetry and leaf thickness. Although it is expected that higher fluctuating asymmetry levels sho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arthropod-plant interactions 2018-04, Vol.12 (2), p.277-282
Main Authors: Lobregat, Gabriel, Perilli, Miriam Lúcia Lages, de Siqueira Neves, Frederico, Campos, Ricardo Ildefonso
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Altitude
Asymmetry
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Ecology
Entomology
Fluctuating asymmetry
Herbivores
Herbivory
Invertebrates
Leaves
Life Sciences
Morphology
Original Paper
Plant Pathology
Plant populations
Plant Sciences
Plants
Solar radiation
Thickness
Tibouchina granulosa
Variation
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Summary:Gradient of stressful conditions affect plant physiological and morphological traits. Previous studies have shown that plants located at higher altitudes might exhibit higher levels of both fluctuating asymmetry and leaf thickness. Although it is expected that higher fluctuating asymmetry levels should be accompanied by higher leaf consumption by herbivores, lower herbivory could be expected for elevated leaf thickness. Aiming to investigate this contradiction our objective was to determine the effects of altitude on fluctuating asymmetry and leaf thickness, and evaluate the importance of these two morphological traits on herbivory levels of Tibouchina granulosa Cogn. (Melastomatecea) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The study was conducted in southern Brazil, along a continuous altitudinal gradient raging from 1275 to 1950 m, where we measured fluctuating asymmetry, leaf thickness and herbivory from leaves of 29 individuals of T. granulosa . There was a positive effect of altitude on both fluctuating asymmetry and leaf thickness but only fluctuating asymmetry was related to herbivore. Our results suggest that as altitude increases plants face more stressful conditions, leading to higher fluctuating asymmetry. This may lead to a higher nutritional quality of leaves and herbivores may use leaf asymmetry as a cue for plant quality. The lack of a relationship between leaf thickness and herbivory gives us evidence that, in the studied location, leaf thickness is not primarily used as plant defense and probably has other functions related, for example, to water, solar radiation, and nutrient stresses. These results may be considered a baseline for the understanding on how altitudinal stress and potential herbivory pressure influence plant populations.
ISSN:1872-8855
1872-8847
DOI:10.1007/s11829-017-9568-7