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Forests
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Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity
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Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 May 2023) | Viewed by 8464

Special Issue Editor

Dr. François Lorenzetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut des Sciences de la Forêt tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC J8X 3X7, Canada
Interests: natural disturbance regimes; plant-animal interaction; forest dynamics; plant and animal ecophysiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Herbivory by mammals or insects can be destructive and extensive. Yet, except in some cases in which it overcomes ecosystem resilience and changes state, from forest to shrub cover for example, herbivory is a major driver of forest dynamics, with effects that cascade into community composition, and thus biodiversity. The selective nature of herbivory effects changes in the composition of the forest in both the short and long term in ways that may represent a challenge to management. For example, herbivory can change the rate at which forest succession proceeds, generate gaps that are filled with less desirable species, or modify the age structure of the forest. Yet, if these changes are part of natural processes, they have to be considered in the planning of silvicultural interventions. Natural processes that are impacted by changes in herbivore communities or in herbivory patterns may also be addressed by specifically designed silvicultural practices of managed forests or of forest ecosystems that influence the ecology and biodiversity of surrounding forests, for example, mangroves, low-land forests or swamps.

The aim of this Special Issue is to document a variety of systems in which herbivory is significant as a driver of forest dynamics. Studies in which spatial and temporal patterns of herbivory (or effects of herbivory), selective feeding on species or forest strata, or the impact of herbivory on biodiversity are documented are sought from any type of forest, in any part of the world, and for any herbivore taxa. Research that has tested silvicutural practices aimed at maintaining natural processes or limiting the impact of stressors on natural processes and biodiversity are particularly welcome, as are works on restoration silviculture.

Dr. François Lorenzetti 
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • herbivory
  • mammalian herbivory
  • insect herbivory
  • selective feeding
  • forest dynamics
  • biodiversity
  • natural processes
  • regeneration
  • silviculture
  • restoration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2062 KiB  
Article
Soil Springtail Communities Are Resilient to Forest Tent Caterpillar Defoliation in Quebec Mixed Hardwood Forests
by Essivi Gagnon Koudji, Emma Despland, Anne-Sophie Caron and I. Tanya Handa
Forests 2023, 14(7), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071302 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
Outbreaks of defoliator insects are important natural disturbances in boreal forests, but their increasing frequency under warming climate conditions is of concern. Outbreak events can shape ecosystem dynamics with cascading effects through trophic networks. Caterpillar defoliation can alter tree physiology, increase sunlight to [...] Read more.
Outbreaks of defoliator insects are important natural disturbances in boreal forests, but their increasing frequency under warming climate conditions is of concern. Outbreak events can shape ecosystem dynamics with cascading effects through trophic networks. Caterpillar defoliation can alter tree physiology, increase sunlight to the understory, and result in the deposition of large amounts of leaf litter and caterpillar frass to the forest floor. These modifications can thus affect soil organisms through direct (e.g., changes in soil temperature or moisture) or indirect (e.g., changes in detrital and root food webs) mechanisms. We assessed whether a recent (2015 to 2017) outbreak of the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) at the Lake Duparquet Teaching and Research Forest (Abitibi, QC, Canada) affected soil springtail communities, abundant microarthropods in forest soils. In 2018 and 2019, we sampled litter and soil (0–10 cm depth) at eight sites each in aspen-dominated (Populus tremuloides Michx) stands that were undefoliated or had a recent defoliation history. We found no significant difference in springtail abundance (specimens cm−2) or alpha diversity indices between undefoliated sites and those with defoliation history. However, we observed a transient change in springtail community composition 1 year after the outbreak (2018) with the absence of Folsomia nivalis, Anurophorus sp1, and Xenylla christianseni in sites with defoliation history, but no compositional differences were observed in 2019. Certain soil nutrients (P, C, Mg, Mn) were significant predictors of springtail community composition, but soil microbial biomass was not, despite its significant decrease in sites with defoliation history. Our results show that soil springtail communities respond in the short-term to the forest tent caterpillar outbreak with compositional shifts, but seem ultimately resilient to these events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity)
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18 pages, 1581 KiB  
Article
Forest Tent Caterpillar Outbreaks Drive Change in Ant Communities in Boreal Forests
by Anne-Sophie Caron, Essivi Gagnon Koudji, Ira Tanya Handa, Miguel Montoro Girona and Emma Despland
Forests 2023, 14(6), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061147 - 1 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2484
Abstract
Insect outbreaks are major drivers of natural disturbances in forest ecosystems. Outbreaks can have both direct and indirect effects on the composition of soil arthropod communities through canopy opening, nutrient addition and predator-prey interactions. In this study, we aimed to understand the effects [...] Read more.
Insect outbreaks are major drivers of natural disturbances in forest ecosystems. Outbreaks can have both direct and indirect effects on the composition of soil arthropod communities through canopy opening, nutrient addition and predator-prey interactions. In this study, we aimed to understand the effects of forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria; FTC) outbreaks through cascading effects on ant communities in both temperate and boreal forests in Canada. Pitfall traps and Berlese funnels were used to compare the ant communities, as well as the surrounding arthropod communities, between control and outbreak sites in boreal and temperate forests (in Quebec, Canada). Using the Sørensen dissimilarity index, we determined the alpha and beta diversity of the ant community. Other arthropods collected in the traps were counted to evaluate the richness and abundance of potential prey for the ants and other potential predators of the FTC. We used an indicator species analysis to examine the species associated with sites defoliated by the outbreak. In the boreal forest, we found that FTC outbreaks caused decreases in species richness and increases in the evenness of ant communities in defoliated sites. In the boreal forest sites, species composition varied significantly between control and outbreak sites. This pattern was driven in part by the presence of other predators. A similar, but weaker pattern was observed in the temperate forest. We saw no changes in the beta diversity in the boreal forest, but did see a significant decrease in the temperate forest between the outbreak sites and the control sites. Ant species in the boreal forest tended to exhibit a more marked preference for either control or previously defoliated sites than species in the temperate forest. Our study showed that disturbances such as insect outbreaks can drive changes in the ant community. While we saw small effects of outbreaks, manipulation experiments using resource addition could help us validate the mechanisms behind these relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity)
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12 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
Decreased Soil Microbial Biomass and Changed Microbial Community Composition following a Defoliation Event by the Forest Tent Caterpillar
by Éléonore Dansereau-Macias, Emma Despland and Ira Tanya Handa
Forests 2023, 14(4), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040792 - 12 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2197
Abstract
With climate change projected to increase the frequency and severity of episodic insect outbreak events, assessing potential consequences for soil microbial communities and nutrient dynamics is of importance for understanding forest resilience. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is an important defoliator [...] Read more.
With climate change projected to increase the frequency and severity of episodic insect outbreak events, assessing potential consequences for soil microbial communities and nutrient dynamics is of importance for understanding forest resilience. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is an important defoliator of deciduous tree species in temperate and mixed forests of eastern North America with an invasion cycle every 10–12 years and outbreak events that can last 3–6 years. Following a defoliation episode on trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) from 2015 to 2017 in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QC, Canada, we sought to test if defoliation resulted in changes to soil bacterial and fungal communities. We hypothesized an increase in soil microbial biomass due to increased caterpillar frass inputs and potential changes in community structure following the event. Soils were sampled in August 2018, May 2019 and July 2019 from sites that had been subjected to defoliation during the outbreak and from sites where no defoliation had been recorded. We assessed soil microbial biomass and fungal to total microbial activity ratio on all sampling dates, and Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPPs) for 2018 only using a substrate-induced respiration method. Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed a significant 50% decrease in microbial biomass (μg biomass-C g−1 soil hour−1) in defoliated stands, suggesting tree carbon normally allocated towards root exudates was reallocated towards foliage regeneration. We noted a differentiated carbon-based substrate usage following defoliation, but no change in the fungal to total microbial activity ratio. The observed changes in the two years following the defoliation event suggest that defoliation episodes above-ground could trigger changes in soil chemistry below-ground with effects on soil microbial communities that may, in turn, feedback to influence forest plant dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity)
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15 pages, 1687 KiB  
Article
Stuck between the Mandibles of an Insect and of a Rodent: Where Does the Fate of Ash-Dominated Riparian Temperate Forests Lie?
by Samuel Rosner, Angélique Dupuch and François Lorenzetti
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1760; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111760 - 26 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1432
Abstract
The beaver (Castor canadensis Khul) is a key species that is known to shape the composition of riparian forests. Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) can be abundant in these forests. However, invasion by the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in [...] Read more.
The beaver (Castor canadensis Khul) is a key species that is known to shape the composition of riparian forests. Ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) can be abundant in these forests. However, invasion by the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) in North America threatens their survival. The disappearance of ash will have a large impact on the riparian forest composition in itself. It is not known what the consequences would be for the remaining forest if ash plays an important role in the beaver diet. Inventory plots across an ash gradient were measured in Plaisance National Park, Quebec, Canada, to collect data and to establish if (1) trees and saplings of this genus were selected or avoided by beavers, (2) if other genera had a lower or a greater probability of being consumed compared to ash, and (3) if ash density could affect the probability of consumption of other genera. Of all genera present in the park, ash trees were selected in the highest number of plots. Only two genera, Carpinus and Populus, had a higher probability of being consumed than ash. These genera are not abundant in the park, and neither in riparian forests of the temperate biome, and thus are not good candidates to replace ash as a staple for beavers. The most abundant genus in riparian temperate forests, along with ash, is Acer. In this study, Acer trees were not selected, and as for Acer saplings, were less likely to be consumed than ash. Mixed results were obtained about genera that could become more likely to be consumed as ash density decreases. It would seem that the disappearance of ash would not cause a switch to a single or a few genera in the future, which may be due to the high diversity of genera present in temperate riparian forests. However, ash may not disappear completely due to its capacity to sprout following the death of the aboveground portion of ash trees. This scenario is discussed in light of the susceptibility of intermediate-sized ash stems to be colonized by the emerald ash borer and of the greater likelihood of beavers to feed on these same-sized stems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Herbivory as a Driver of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity)
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