HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

What's this?

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (21) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Knight, T. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Knight, T. M. Agricola Articles by Knight, T. M. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Effects of herbivory and its timing across populations of Trillium grandiflorum (Liliaceae)¹

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 USA

The goal of this study was to identify the degree to which the frequency and timing of herbivory by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and subsequent plant response varied across 12 populations of the perennial herb Trillium grandiflorum. Effects of natural and experimental herbivory on the stage and size of reproductive plants were measured. Both the frequency and timing of herbivory varied across T. grandiflorum populations. Reproductive plants were more likely to regress to nonreproductive stages in the next growing season when (1) reproductive plants were consumed by deer (vs. intact reproductive plants); (2) reproductive plants were consumed early in the growing season (vs. reproductive plants consumed late in the growing season); (3) reproductive plants were smaller in size. Clipped plants that remained reproductive were smaller in the following season than unclipped controls. Plant size was positively correlated with the number of ovules, suggesting that reductions in the growth rate of reproductive plants diminish their future reproductive success. Populations with high levels of natural herbivory had a greater proportion of reproductive plants that regressed to nonreproductive stages, probably because reproductive plants in these populations were smaller in size. However, the plant response to herbivory was similar across populations.

Key Words: eastern North America • Liliaceae • Odocoileus virginianus • reproductive success • simulated herbivory • spatial variation • timing of herbivory • tolerance • Trillium grandiflorum

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Gauci, B. Otrysko, J.-G. Catford, and L. Lapointe Carbon allocation during fruiting in Rubus chamaemorus Ann. Bot., September 1, 2009; 104(4): 703 - 713. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]