Primary Herbivory by Wood‐Boring Insects along an Architectural Gradient of Rhizophora mangle

Abstract

We investigated the distribution of primary xylovores in Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) first-order branches, i.e., "twigs", along an architectural gradient on Belizean mangrove cays. Greater structural diversity in R. mangle architecture, xylovore availability, occurrence of natural enemies, and habitat do not result in variable xylovore species richness. Despite large differences in architectural complexity, tall, fringe, dwarf, and sapling trees host the same set of primary twig borers. However, tall trees support greater diversity and abundance of twig inquilines than other tree forms. Primary twig borers have a key role in structuring these mangrove communities because their galleries and pupal chambers provide habitats for numerous species of secondary xylovores and inquilines. We also measured the amount of leaf area removed from R. mangle's canopy by wood-and leaf-feeding herbivores. Vigorously growing tall and sapling trees sustain greater losses because of twig borers than dwarf trees. However, xylovory in fringe trees was not different from any of the other categories. Cumulative herbivory was greatest in the tall trees. In most cases, leaf-area loss as an indirect or collateral result of primary xylovory equaled or exceeded leaf-area loss as a direct result of folivory.

Propágulos de Rhizophora mangle (Rhizophoraceae) barrenados por Coccotrypes rhizophorae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) en el manglar de Tumilco, Veracruz, México

“…De la misma forma, Gerónimo-Torres et al (2015) lo encontraron en Tabasco junto con otras especies asociadas al manglar. A nivel internacional, C. rhizophorae ha sido registrado en manglares de diferentes paí-ses (Rabinowitz 1977;Maiti & Saha, 1986;Murphy, 1990;Feller & Mathis, 1997;Wood & Bright, 1992;Castillo, 2001;Sousa et al, 2003a;Devlin, 2004;Menéndez et al, 2006). C. rhizophorae se reconoce como un parásito obligado de R. mangle y hasta ahora es el único coleóptero que se ha encontrado barrenando propágulos en el estado de Veracruz.…”

“…La depredación de propágulos y plántulas en los bosques de manglar por artrópodos, como lepidópteros y coleópteros, puede reducir el número y la calidad de las plántulas durante la fase de establecimiento (Onuf, Teal, & Valiela, 1977;Feller & Mathis, 1997;Cannicci et al, 2008). Los insectos de la familia Curculionidae son comúnmente asociados como parte de las amenazas que sufren las plantaciones forestales.…”

“…C. rhizophorae se ha registrado afectando manglares de diferentes países, como Estados Unidos, Cuba, Belice, Panamá, Costa Rica, Perú, México, Malasia, Java, Sumatra, India, Galápagos, Samoa y Singapur. En algunos casos, se menciona que puede existir un equilibrio entre las poblaciones de insectos y la conservación del manglar, con una tendencia por parte de los insectos a aumentar su abundancia, cuando se produce un estado de estrés en las plantas originado por una red de factores ambientales (Rabinowitz, 1977;Maiti & Saha, 1986;Murphy, 1990;Feller & Mathis, 1997;Bright & Peck, 1998;Castillo, 2001;Sousa et al, 2003b;Vázquez-Moreno, Rodríguez-Pérez, & Zorrilla, 2003;Menéndez et al, 2006;Devlin, 2004).…”

Rhizophora stylosa prop roots even when damaged prevent wood-boring teredinids from toppling the trees

“…Mangrove wood herbivores range from insects such as beetles (Perry, 1988;Feller & Mathis, 1997) to wood-boring aquatic molluscs (Teredinidae) (Robertson & Daniel, 1989). Mangroves are also subject to tunnelling by non-herbivorous aquatic wood-boring isopods (sphaeromatidae), where principally the mangrove prop and aerial roots are attacked and damaged (Svavarsson et al, 2002).…”

Importance of water source in controlling leaf leaching losses in a dwarf red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) wetland

“…Although biological processes are important in governing the ultimate fate of leaf litter, 4 evidence from numerous field and lab studies indicates that physical leaching is largely responsible for initial losses of these materials (Brinson 1977 dwarf mangrove wetlands where hydraulic residence times are often high and herbivory rates are very low (Twilley 1995;Feller & Mathis 1997). This combination of ecosystem properties leads 22 to more reliance on internal recycling (i.e., detrital pathways) as a means of controlling nutrient availability and productivity.…”