The interaction of herbivory and pollination is not well understood. Both topics on their own have been studied thoroughly, yet their interaction has not. Until the 1990s, few studies attempted to explore how herbivory might affect pollination, and vice versa.

Species are experiencing shifts in their phenology (i.e., seasonal timing of recurring biological events) due to climate change, leading to disruptions in the relative timing of interacting species. These shifts can be detrimental to the fitness of the consumer (e.g., herbivore) in the interaction. In its larval form, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a specialist herbivore that feeds on milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.). Given that plants generally experience seasonal declines in quality, it is hypothesized that if climate change disrupts the timing of the larval stage relative to the availability of younger milkweed plants, monarch performance will be negatively affected. In this thesis, I explore the potential for negative consequences for the eastern monarch population due to potential shifts in the timing of their interaction with milkweed—due to phenological shifts in either species. I used field surveys around Ottawa, ON to determine monarch oviposition preference on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plants and the seasonal availability of their preferred plants. To determine the potential consequences for monarch fitness where females oviposit on non-preferred plants, I conducted a field experiment to assess the effect of milkweed size on monarch larval performance. Based on field surveys, females preferentially oviposited on smaller milkweed plants in earlier developmental stages with low levels of discolouration. Plants in early developmental stages were consistently available in large proportion over the summer season. These results suggest that even if the relative timing of the monarch-milkweed interaction in the eastern population is shifted due to climate change, there will likely be suitable milkweed plants available for oviposition throughout the breeding season, which could act as a buffer to disruptions in the relative timing of the interaction. I found that bigger plants exuded more latex and had thicker leaves than smaller plants. However, larval performance was unaffected by these plant quality differences. While it is unclear how the relative timing of the monarch-milkweed interaction will change in the future, my results suggest that shifts in the relative timing of their interaction within the breeding season are unlikely to have negative consequences for larval performance in eastern Ontario. Future studies should determine how the relative timing of the interaction will change in the region and explore how climate change will affect the quality of milkweed plants.

No description available.

The hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Adelgidae) is a small invasive insect that frequently causes hemlock (Tsugae spp.) mortality in the eastern United States. Studies have shown that once healthy hemlocks become infested by the adelgid, nutrients are depleted from the tree, leading to both tree decline and a reduction of the adelgid population. Since A. tsugae is dependent on hemlock for nutrients, feeding on trees in poor health may affect the insect's ability to obtain necessary nutrients and consequently affect their population and physiological health. A cluster analysis, based on quantitative and qualitative tree health measurements, grouped sample trees into categories of lightly and moderately impacted trees. The A. tsugae population health on each tree was determined by measuring insect density, survival from aestivation, and peak fecundity. A. tsugae physiological health was determined similarly by measuring insect biomass, total carbon, carbohydrate, total nitrogen, and amino nitrogen. A. tsugae from moderately impacted trees exhibited significantly greater fecundity; however, A. tsugae from lightly impacted hemlocks contained significantly greater levels of carbohydrates, total nitrogen, and amino nitrogen. All A. tsugae physiological parameters increased significantly over time as the insects matured and reproduced regardless of tree health classification. While the results of the physiological analysis generally support our hypothesis that A. tsugae on lightly impacted trees are healthier than those on moderately impacted trees, this was not reflected in the population fitness measurements of the insects. Further examination of A. tsugae egg health may elucidate this apparent contradiction. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

No description available.

Monoculture agriculture has developed as a result of the Western agricultural growth model, which emphasizes reduced on-farm labor and maximum yield. As a result soil health, which is reliant on a diversity of soil-dwelling organisms, is compromised, pest problems are intensified, and biodiversity is lost when vast land areas are devoted to simplified vegetation schemes. There has been a tremendous rise in interest in alternative cropping schemes. The traditional practice of intercropping has received renewed interest as the emphasis on agricultural growth shifts from a purely development-based model to one of conservation and enhanced biodiversity. Although intercropping has shown promising results in controlling specialist herbivorous insects, how intercropping works is not known. Theories that explain the underlying mechanism of intercropping success include chemical repellency and physical masking. We tested these two theories by creating a simulated intercropping system in mesocosm cages in a laboratory environment. We tested twenty intercrops that varied in their vegetation type, size, and phylogenetic distance for their ability to repel an insect pest that recently invaded into North America, the swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii), from its host plant, Brassica oleracea. We found that different non-host plant treatments significantly influenced larval abundance, which indicates that C. nasturtii responded to some aspect of the varying plant combinations. We found that phylogenetic distance did not influence larval densities. Additionally, non-host plant height and leaf area of non-host plants did not influence larval densities. We found that vegetation type significantly affected larval densities. Brassica oleracea planted in combination with groundcover non-host plants had the fewest number of larvae, followed by B. oleracea planted in combination with vegetables. The highest number of larvae was found on B. oleracea plants planted in combination with herb non-host plants. Our research did not support a chemical repellency or visual masking theory of intercrop success.

Causes and patterns of invasive plant species establishment and success depend broadly upon their ecology, including habitat suitability and interactions with other plants and animals. Here I examine the traits and distribution of invasive plants in Vermont, using spatial analysis, laboratory and field studies. I used GIS to investigate environmental factors correlated with presence of 19 invasive plant species in Vermont campgrounds. My results support the assumption that human dispersal of invasive plant seed and stock may be more important than natural dispersal of these plant species to new sites. I also investigate in-depth the relationships of invasive herbaceous garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) with native tree seedlings and co-occurring herbaceous plants in the greenhouse and Vermont forests, respectively. Shade from > 1 m tall A. petiolata plants may effect root:shoot ratios of neighboring tree seedlings and interact with nutrition quality of sites to affect their growth patterns. Invasive plants' integration into novel environments is also mediated by their interactions with native invertebrate species. A. petiolata is associated with a unique assemblage of aboveground invertebrates compared with neighboring native plants. Observations indicate A. petiolata may also serve as an attractant for ants, bees, and wasps who feed from water and nectar at the base of the flower or silique during its flowering and seeding period. These results collectively inform our understanding of plant invasion patterns and management strategies of A. petiolata in Vermont. Community interactions are probably more important than allelopathy in determining the influence of Alliaria petiolata on native ecosystems.

Les plantes sont au centre d’une grande diversité d’interactions biotiques entre organismes plus ou moins proches qui les exploitent en tant que ressources. L’objectif de cette thèse a été de comprendre comment les infections fongiques de la plante et la diversité des arbres en forêt modifient les interactions arbres-insectes. Nous avons tout d’abord effectué une méta-analyse pour poser le cadre théorique des effets indirects des infections fongiques sur les insectes herbivores associés aux mêmes plantes hôtes. L'effet de l’infection préalable des plantes par les champignons sur les préférences et performances des insectes s’avère généralement négatif. Cependant, la magnitude de cet effet délétère varie selon le mode de vie du champignon, la guilde trophique de l’insecte et la spatialité des interactions (interactions locales vs distantes). Nous avons ensuite analysé de façon empirique les interactions tripartites entre le châtaignier européen (Castanea sativa) et deux de ses bioagresseurs exotiques: le cynips (Dryocosmus kuriphilus), insecte galligène, et Cryphonectria parasitica, champignon pathogène responsable de la maladie du chancre. L'effet sur les taux d’infestation par le cynips de la composition spécifique en essences forestières des forêts de châtaigniers atteintes de chancre a été également étudié. Afin d'identifier les mécanismes sous-jacents aux effets de la diversité des forêts sur cet insecte invasif, les communautés d'insectes parasitoïdes et de champignons endophytes présents dans les galles ont été décrites. Les taux d’infection par le cynips étaient plus faibles dans les mélanges de châtaignier avec du chêne et du frêne que dans des parcelles de châtaignier monospécifiques ou dans les mélanges avec du pin. La composition des forêts influence aussi la composition des communautés de parasitoïdes associés aux galles du cynips mais pas leur abondance, richesse ou diversité. Les communautés de champignons endophytes des galles, étudiées par des méthodes de séquençage de nouvelle génération, sont indépendantes de la composition forestière. Par contre, celles présentes dans les galles différent fortement de celles des tissus foliaires adjacents. Nous avons ainsi apporté de nouvelles preuves que la diversité des plantes et les champignons pathogènes sont des facteurs clés déterminant les interactions plantes-insectes. Etudier comment les plantes interagissent avec leurs insectes et champignons associés, et les mécanismes sous-jacents à l’effet de la diversité des plantes sur ces interactions, doit permettre de mieux comprendre les relations entre diversité et fonctionnement des écosystèmes et de proposer des applications pour la gestion des bio-agresseurs forestiers natifs et exotiques. / Plants are the playground of a large diversity of biotic interactions between related and unrelated organisms exploiting them as common resources. The aim of this thesis was to understand how plant-insect interactions vary with fungal infection of their host plant and plant diversity. I first performed a meta-analysis to provide a theoretical background for plant-mediated effects of fungal infection on herbivorous insects. Overall, I found a negative plant-mediated effect of fungi on both insect preference and performance. However, this effect varied according to fungus lifestyle, insect feeding guild and spatial location of the interactions (local vs distant). Then I experimentally tested plant-fungus-insect tripartite interactions in the particular case of exotic bio-aggressors of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa): the Asian chestnut Gall Wasp (ACGW, Dryocosmus kuriphilus), and the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica, the causal agent of chestnut blight. I performed an observational study, in natural chestnut forest stands in Italy, where I tested how ACGW infestation rates vary with the tree species composition. I also investigated the mechanisms underlying plant diversity effects on the invasive pest, with a particular focus on its natural enemies such as insect parasitoids and endophytic fungi. ACGW infestation rates was lower in oak and ash chestnut mixtures compared to monocultures or pine-chestnut mixtures. Plot composition also influenced ACGW parasitoid community composition but not their abundances, diversity or richness. Endophytic communities of galls, described by using next generation sequencing methods, did not vary with plot composition. However, they strongly differed from surrounding leaf tissues. We thus provided evidence that plant diversity and fungal pathogens are key drivers of plant-insect interactions. Understanding how plants interact with associated insects and fungi, and mechanisms underlying plant diversity effect on these interactions, will improve our knowledge on diversity-ecosystem functioning relationships and will have practical applications for the management of native and exotic forest pests.

Herbivore abundances are determined by a set of interacting factors that vary among different habitat types. Specifically, herbivore abundances in monocultures and polycultures may be governed by the same set of factors but with varying influences in the different habitats. In addition, monophagous and polyphagous herbivores may respond differently to the same set of influencing factors. I examined several abiotic and biotic factors in manipulated monocultures and polycultures of Borrichia frutescens in a west central Florida salt marsh. The experimental plots differed in both plant diversity and aboveground habitat structure to see how each component of diversity contributed to variability in the abiotic and biotic factors and how those factors were related to differences in herbivore abundances. The monoculture treatment involved clipping all above ground non-host plant material to achieve a host plant monoculture. The polyculture treatments involved pinning all non-host plant material to achieve a polyculture with reduced above ground habitat structure. The second polyculture treatment was a control in which the naturally diverse plots were unmanipulated. Two monophagous and one polyphagous herbivores were chosen for this study because of their abundance and availability in the field. The two monophagous herbivores on the host plant Borrichia frutescens were Pissonotus quadripustulatus (Homoptera:Delphacidae) and Asphondylia borrichiae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) both of which have been well studied in the field where the current experiment took place. The polyphagous herbivore was Cyarda acutissima (Homoptera: Flatidae), a poorly known invasive from Cuba. Soil salinity and host plant leaf nitrogen content were the abiotic factors measured. Herbivore abundances, percent egg and gall parasitism by parasitoids, spider abundances on host plant stems and ground spider abundances were the biotic factors measured. Both salinity and host plant leaf nitrogen were significantly different among the different treatments with clipped plots having the highest salinity and leaf nitrogen content. Population densities of both of the monophagous herbivores were not significantly different between treatments. The polyphagous herbivore had significantly higher abundances in the pinned and control plots than in the clipped plots. Stem spider abundances were not significantly different among treatments. Ground spiders, however, were significantly more abundant in control and pinned plots than clipped plots. Parasitism of both monophagous herbivores was not significantly different between treatments but was generally higher in the control plots. The results suggest that for monophagous herbivores bottom-up and top-down factors act antagonistically in monocultures but for the polyphagous herbivore, the presence of multiple host plants is more influential in diverse plots even given the higher abundances of generalist predators.

Baccharis halimifolia is host to many species of insect herbivore, including myrmecophilous aphids. Previous studies with B. halimifolia have revealed strong effects of competition by an early-feeding beetle, Trirhabda bacharidis, and nitrogen enrichment. The effects of ant mutualists, however, have not been evaluated for their potential influence on interspecific interactions among insects on the host plant. I have employed a series of experiments aimed at answering the following general questions. (1) How does the density of aphid-tending ants affect common insects on the host plant? (2) What are the relative effects of (a) competition from T. bacharidis, (b) nutrient enrichment, and (c) ant presence on common insects of the host plant? (3) How do the effects of exotic ants differ from those of native ants? The density of aphid-tending ants had positive effects on myrmecophilous aphids and aphid predators. However, given a choice between tended and untended aphid populations, aphid predators preferred to forage in the absence of ants. The density of aphid-tending ants also increased predation on leaf miners although this did not necessarily translate into reduced densities of leaf miners. Competition by early-season feeding of T. bacharidis negatively affected later-feeding herbivores but the effects of competition were unaffected by nutrient enrichment. Nutrient enrichment had positive effects on some herbivores, often only in the absence of early season herbivory. Trirhabda bacharidis larvae showed evidence of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation and suffered no predation by aphid-tending ants. Ant presence increased host plant survivorship from stemborer damage in 2004. Ant species identity was an important factor determining the densities of myrmecophiles and non-myrmecophiles on the host plant in addition to affecting the responses of herbivores to increases in host plant quality. Aphids were more abundant in the presence of the exotic Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Dolichoderinae) versus the native Camponotus floridanus (Hymenoptera: Formicinae). Aphid predators also had higher densities in the presence of L. humile versus C. floridanus. Only L. humile acted as predator on leaf mines although predation did not always translate into reduced seasonal abundances for both species of leaf miner.