Herbivore-Free Time? Damage to New Leaves of Woody Plants after Hurricane Andrew1

Abstract

All broadleaf woody plants of pinelands and hammocks (upland areas) in the northern parts of Everglades National Park were defoliated by the strong winds of Hurricane Andrew in August 1992. Most plants re-leafed within two months of the storm, at which time we tagged newly produced leaves of eight species (five species in two hardwood hammocks and four in two pineland sites; one species was studied in both habitats), and monitored individual leaf area lost or damaged monthly for three months. We marked a second cohort of new leaves on the same individuals four months later and monitored these for three months. Herbivory rates in leaves of the first cohort were lower than observed in pre-hurricane studies on two of the species, and lower in the first cohort than in the second cohort in six of the eight species studied, indicating that most insect herbivores were virtually absent for the first few months after the storm. Additionally, most species produced significantly larger leaves in the first cohort than the second cohort, and leaves of the second cohort were not significantly different in size from pre-hurricane leaves in one species for which pre-hurricane data were available. The large disturbance of the hurricane defoliated and reduced the aboveground biomass of the plants, but apparently also eliminated most herbivores and competition for light, facilitating the recovery of the plants.

Alteration of Island Food-Web Dynamics Following Major Disturbance by Hurricanes

“…Previous studies have also found evidence for increased herbivory following hurricanes (Hunter and Forkner 1999, Hirsh and Marler 2002, Spiller and Agrawal 2003, Agrawal and Spiller 2004, Nakamura et al 2005, suggesting that this pattern may be fairly common (for exceptions see Schowalter and Ganio 1999, Koptur et al 2002, Angulo-Sandoval et al 2004. Studies by Spiller and Agrawal (2003) and Agrawal and Spiller (2004) on the same subject species (C. erectus) as the present study, but in a different region of the Bahamas (Exuma), revealed that following Hurricane Lili both herbivore abundance and leaf damage were higher on severely damaged than on undamaged plants and that enhanced herbivory was associated with increased leaf nitrogen and other traits that may increase foliage susceptibility to herbivores.…”

The impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria on the forest ecosystems of Saba and St. Eustatius, northern Caribbean

“…, Koptur et al . ) by assuming that all living trees would have started to produce leaves and/or shoots two months after the hurricanes. Hence, trees without green leaves or shoots were recorded as deceased.…”

Recovery of food webs following natural physical disturbances

“…Koptur et al . studied herbivory on plants immediately following Hurricane Andrew in south Florida, which was a Category 5 storm that caused catastrophic damage.…”