Premium
Carbon dioxide‐induced changes in beech foliage cause female beech weevil larvae to feed in a compensatory manner
Author(s) -
DOCHERTY MAUREEN,
HURST DEBRA K.,
HOLOPAINEN JARMO K.,
WHITTAKER JOHN B.,
LEA PETER J.,
WATT ALLAN D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2486.1996.tb00085.x
Subject(s) - beech , fagus sylvatica , weevil , carbon dioxide , phenology , fecundity , biology , biomass (ecology) , fumigation , botany , larva , agronomy , zoology , horticulture , ecology , population , demography , sociology
The phenology of Fagus sylvatica was unaffected by exposure to an atmosphere of elevated CO 2 (600 μL L ‐1 ) after two years of fumigation. Non‐significant changes in nitrogen and phenolic content of the leaves decreased the nutritional status of beech for female larvae in elevated CO 2 such that they responded by eating in a compensatory manner; males were unaffected. Rates of development, mortality and adult biomass of Rhynchaenus fagi were no different from those in ambient CO 2 concentrations (355 μL L ‐1 ). It is possible that, with the changes in leaf chemistry affecting the females, fecundity will be altered, with important consequences for populations of beech weevil.