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Phytophagous insect‐woody sprout interactions in tropical eucalypt forest. I. Insect herbivory
Author(s) -
FENSHAM R. J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1994.tb00481.x
Subject(s) - biology , insect , woody plant , herbivore , dominance (genetics) , botany , eucalyptus , ecology , gene , biochemistry
Foliar insect damage levels on woody sprouts in the ground layer of two tropical eucalypt forest communities on Melville Island were between 7.8 and 43.2%. Of eight common tree species, Eucalyptus confertiflora was damaged most by insects and Buchanania obovata and Terminalia ferdinandiana the least. Seasonal trends in insect damage were not consistent between plant species and were not always consistent between vegetation types for a particular plant species. The results of this study are not consistent with hypotheses suggesting that insect grazing is a critical determinant of tree species dominance or woody sprout dormancy.