Artificial Diversity of Plant–Insect Communities and Modern Crop Stoichiometry in Small Closed Patches in Greenhouse

Authors
M. Soufbaf 1
Y. Fathipour 1
C. Hui 2
1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: 14115-336, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, and Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town 7945, South Africa.
Abstract
Little is known about the effect of artificial diversity of plant – insect communities on the carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry, weight, and water content of the modern crops. Using a microcosm experiment with two closely related crop species (Brassica napus and B. juncea), the sap feeder turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi), the folivore diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and its larval-pupal parasitoid wasp, Diadegma semiclausum, the Shannon biodiversity index was evaluated and regressed to the experimental data of carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry, water content and weight of the crops. Carbon: Nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the modern cultivar under single planting had a logarithmic relationship with the artificial biodiversity index, while this relationship under plant interference was linear and positive. Water content of both experimental crops changed with the artificial biodiversity index conversely under single planting setup. When insects (either the folivore or the phloem feeder) damaged the host plants, the weight and water content of both crop species were 1.8 – 4.1 times higher than the control treatment. Apart from being a recurrent demonstration of the plant tolerance against insect feeding activity, current results can take a step forward for developing a theory on functional artificial biodiversity after herbivore insect–crop interactions.

Keywords

1. Aguiar, C. M., Santos, G. M. D. M., Martins, C. F. and Presley, S. J. 2013. Trophic Niche Breadth and Niche Overlap in a Guild of Flower-Visiting Bees in a Brazilian Dry Forest. Apidologie, 44: 153-162
2. Cadotte, M. W. 2013. Experimental Evidence that Evolutionarily Diverse Assemblages Result in Higher Productivity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 110: 8996-9000
3. Cardinale, B. J., Wright, J. P., Cadotte, M. W., Carroll, I. T., Hector, A., Srivastava, D. S., Loreau, M. and Weis, J. J. 2007. Impacts of Plant Diversity on Biomass Production Increase through Time Because of Species Complementarity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 104: 18123-18128
4. Chapin III, F. S., Zavaleta, E. S., Eviner, V. T., Naylor, R. L., Vitousek, P. M., Reynolds, H. L., Hooper, D. U., Lavorel, S., Sala, O. E. and Hobbie, S. E. 2000. Consequences of Changing Biodiversity. Nature, 405: 234-242
5. Fagan, W. F. and Denno, R. F. 2004. Stoichiometry of Actual vs. Potential Predator–Prey Interactions: Insights into Nitrogen Limitation for Arthropod Predators. Ecol. Let., 7: 876-883
6. Jiang, X. L., Zhang, W. G. and Wang, G. 2007. Biodiversity Effects on Biomass Production and Invasion Resistance in Annual versus Perennial Plant Communities. Biodivers. Conserv., 16: 1983-1994
7. Loladze, I. 2002. Rising Atmospheric CO2 and Human Nutrition: Toward Globally Imbalanced Plant Stoichiometry? Trend. Ecol. Evol., 17: 457-461
8. Loreau, M. 2010. Linking Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Towards a Unifying Ecological Theory. Philos. Trans. R Soc. Lond B Biol. Sci., 365: 49-60
9. Matthiessen, B., Gamfeldt, L., Jonsson, P. R. and Hillebrand, H. 2007. Effects of Grazer Richness and Composition on Algal Biomass in a Closed and Open Marine System. Ecol., 88: 178-187.
10. Soufbaf, M., Fathipour, Y., Karimzadeh, J. and Zalucki, M. P. 2010a. Bottom-up Effect of Different Host Plants on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae): A Life-Table Study on Canola. J. Econ. Entomol., 103: 2019-2027
11. Soufbaf, M., Fathipour, Y., Karimzadeh, J., and Zalucki, M. P. 2010b. Development and Age-Specific Mortality of Diamondback Moth on Brassica Host Plants: Pattern and Causes of Mortality under Laboratory Conditions. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 103: 574-579
12. Soufbaf, M., Fathipour, Y., Zalucki, M. P., and Hui, C. 2012. Importance of Primary Metabolites in Canola in Mediating Interactions between a Specialist Leaf-Feeding Insect and Its Specialist Solitary Endoparasitoid. Arthropod Plant Interact., 6: 241-250
13. SPSS 2008. SPSS Base 16.0.2 for Windows User's Guide. SPSS Inc.
14. Throop, H. L., Holland, E. A., Parton, W.J., Ojima, D. S., and Keough, C. A. 2004. Effects of Nitrogen Deposition and Insect Herbivory on Patterns of Ecosystem-Level Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics: Results from the CENTURY Model. Glob. Change Biol., 10: 1092-1105
15. Vance, C. P., Uhde-Stone, C., and Allan, D. L. 2003. Phosphorus Acquisition and Use: Critical Adaptations by Plants for Securing a Nonrenewable Resource. New Phytol., 157: 423-447
16. Wilsey, B. and Stirling, G. 2007. Species Richness and Evenness Respond in a Different Manner to Propagule Density in Developing Prairie Microcosm Communities. Plant Ecol., 190: 259-273.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 19, Issue 6
November and December 2017
Pages 1291-1302