Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>

Background: Plant-plant facilitation provides benefits to the protected species since the host species reduces the intensity of stressful physical conditions. However, it has been hypothesized that the outcome of the interaction could be regulated by the characteristics of the interacting species a...

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Main Authors: Antonio Miranda-Jácome, Yareni Perroni, Christian Hernández-Hernández, Hugo Suárez-Hernández, Oscar Briones
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedad Botánica de México, A. C. 2023-02-01
Series:Botan‪ical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/3186
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author Antonio Miranda-Jácome
Yareni Perroni
Christian Hernández-Hernández
Hugo Suárez-Hernández
Oscar Briones
author_facet Antonio Miranda-Jácome
Yareni Perroni
Christian Hernández-Hernández
Hugo Suárez-Hernández
Oscar Briones
author_sort Antonio Miranda-Jácome
collection DOAJ
description Background: Plant-plant facilitation provides benefits to the protected species since the host species reduces the intensity of stressful physical conditions. However, it has been hypothesized that the outcome of the interaction could be regulated by the characteristics of the interacting species and that herbivores could counteract the benefits of protective plants. Question: Can cactus size and identity of neighboring plants influence the herbivory of the columnar cactus P. leucocephalus? Studied species / Mathematical model: Pilosocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Byles & G.D. Rowley /One-way ANOVA, Repeated measures ANOVA, Analysis of covariance and linear regression. Study site and dates: San Ignacio, Veracruz, Mexico. April to May 2019. Methods: We randomly selected 60 P. leucocephalus plants growing underneath the canopy of seven species of shrubs and P. leucocephalus plants growing ≥ 3 m away from other species and exposed to full sunlight conditions. We obtained the size of the P. leucocephalus plants (size of main stem from ground to apex) and determined the intensity (number of bites on the stem) of vertebrate herbivory. Results: The number of bite scars by small vertebrate species was significantly higher on the stems of cacti established in open spaces than on those underneath the canopy of seven shrub species and increased significantly with the stem size of the protected species. Conclusions: We conclude that herbivory damage by rodents on a giant cactus in a dry tropical forest depends on cactus size and the identity, but not the shade, of the nearest neighbor.
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spelling doaj.art-d75efefb57f04e2981a8c12a3cad3dd22023-02-10T02:34:11ZengSociedad Botánica de México, A. C.Botan‪ical Sciences2007-42982007-44762023-02-01100110.17129/botsci.3186Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>Antonio Miranda-Jácome0Yareni Perroni1Christian Hernández-Hernández2Hugo Suárez-Hernández3Oscar Briones4Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VeracruzInstituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VeracruzInstituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VeracruzInstituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VeracruzInstituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz Background: Plant-plant facilitation provides benefits to the protected species since the host species reduces the intensity of stressful physical conditions. However, it has been hypothesized that the outcome of the interaction could be regulated by the characteristics of the interacting species and that herbivores could counteract the benefits of protective plants. Question: Can cactus size and identity of neighboring plants influence the herbivory of the columnar cactus P. leucocephalus? Studied species / Mathematical model: Pilosocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Byles & G.D. Rowley /One-way ANOVA, Repeated measures ANOVA, Analysis of covariance and linear regression. Study site and dates: San Ignacio, Veracruz, Mexico. April to May 2019. Methods: We randomly selected 60 P. leucocephalus plants growing underneath the canopy of seven species of shrubs and P. leucocephalus plants growing ≥ 3 m away from other species and exposed to full sunlight conditions. We obtained the size of the P. leucocephalus plants (size of main stem from ground to apex) and determined the intensity (number of bites on the stem) of vertebrate herbivory. Results: The number of bite scars by small vertebrate species was significantly higher on the stems of cacti established in open spaces than on those underneath the canopy of seven shrub species and increased significantly with the stem size of the protected species. Conclusions: We conclude that herbivory damage by rodents on a giant cactus in a dry tropical forest depends on cactus size and the identity, but not the shade, of the nearest neighbor. https://botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/3186Columnar cactifacilitationherbivorytropical dry forestnurse plant
spellingShingle Antonio Miranda-Jácome
Yareni Perroni
Christian Hernández-Hernández
Hugo Suárez-Hernández
Oscar Briones
Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
Botan‪ical Sciences
Columnar cacti
facilitation
herbivory
tropical dry forest
nurse plant
title Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
title_full Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
title_fullStr Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
title_full_unstemmed Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
title_short Influencia del tamaño y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoría del cactus columnar <em>Pilosocereus leucocephalus</em>
title_sort influencia del tamano y de las plantas vecinas en la herbivoria del cactus columnar em pilosocereus leucocephalus em
topic Columnar cacti
facilitation
herbivory
tropical dry forest
nurse plant
url https://botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/3186
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