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Elevated CO 2 decreases leaf fluctuating asymmetry and herbivory by leaf miners on two oak species
Author(s) -
Cornelissen Tatiana,
Stiling Peter,
Drake Bert
Publication year - 2004
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.1365-2486.2003.00712.x
Subject(s) - fluctuating asymmetry , herbivore , biology , bilateral symmetry , botany , specific leaf area , asymmetry , nitrogen , gall , horticulture , photosynthesis , ecology , chemistry , mechanical engineering , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents small, random variation from symmetry in otherwise bilaterally symmetrical characters. Significant increases in FA have been found for several species of plants and animals in response to various stresses, including environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of elevated CO 2 on leaf symmetry of two oak species, Quercus geminata and Q. myrtifolia , and the responses of three species of leaf miners and one gall‐making species to random variation in leaf morphology. Leaf FA decreased with an increase in CO 2 concentration. There were fewer asymmetric leaves and lower levels of asymmetry on leaf width and leaf area on elevated CO 2 compared with ambient CO 2 . Leaf miners responded to leaf asymmetry, attacking asymmetric leaves more frequently than expected by chance alone. Differences in secondary chemistry and nitrogen (N) content between symmetric and asymmetric leaves may be responsible for these results due to lower levels of tannins and higher levels of N found on asymmetric leaves of Q. myrtifolia and Q. geminata .