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Forests
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Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management
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Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 14573

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Julianne O'Reilly-Wapstra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Interests: mammalian herbivores; plant defence; forest management; genetic variation; extended genetic effects
Dr. Ben Moore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
Interests: mammalian herbivores; plant defence and chemical ecology; herbivore nutrition; herbivore foraging; effects of climate change on herbivory

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The reciprocal ecological and evolutionary interactions between forest trees and mammalian herbivores have received considerable research attention over the past few decades. However, contemporary forest management requires a deeper understanding of the interactions between mammalian herbivores and forests, from the tree to the landscape scale, especially under significant global change. This Special Issue welcomes papers focused on any aspect of forest–mammalian herbivore interactions with a particular focus on modern or novel approaches to the management of native and non-native forests, including in the context of global change and recovery from a major disturbance. The scope of the papers includes empirical research with a mechanistic, process, ecological, genetic, or modeling focus and review-style papers. 

Dr. Julianne O'Reilly-Wapstra
Dr. Ben Moore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mammalian herbivores
  • forest management under global change
  • ecological and evolutionary plant–herbivore interactions
  • plant defence
  • effects of climate change on herbivory

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3722 KiB  
Article
Seedling Response to Simulated Browsing and Reduced Water Availability: Insights for Assisted Migration Plantations
by Emilie Champagne, Roxanne Turgeon, Alison D. Munson and Patricia Raymond
Forests 2021, 12(10), 1396; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101396 - 14 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2354
Abstract
To facilitate forest transition to future climate conditions, managers can use adaptive silvicultural tools, for example the assisted translocation of tree species and genotypes to areas with suitable future climate conditions (i.e., assisted migration). Like traditional plantations, however, assisted migration plantations are at [...] Read more.
To facilitate forest transition to future climate conditions, managers can use adaptive silvicultural tools, for example the assisted translocation of tree species and genotypes to areas with suitable future climate conditions (i.e., assisted migration). Like traditional plantations, however, assisted migration plantations are at risk of failure because of browsing by ungulate herbivores. The ability of seedlings to tolerate browsing could also be hampered by low water availability, as is expected under climate change. Using a greenhouse experiment with five eastern North American tree species, we evaluated the effects of simulated winter browsing and reduced water availability on the growth (total biomass, shoot:root ratio), survival, and chemical composition (nitrogen, total phenolics, flavonoids) of seedlings. We compared seedlings from three geographic provenances representing three climate analogues, i.e., locations with a current climate similar to the climate predicted at the plantation site at a specific time (here: current, mid-century and end of the century). We hypothesized that seedlings would allocate resources to the system (shoots or roots) affected by the most limiting treatment (simulated browsing or reduced water availability). Additionally, we evaluated whether the combination of treatments would have an additive or non-additive effect on the growth, survival and chemical composition of the seedlings. Quercus rubra seedlings reacted only to the water reduction treatment (changes in biomass and N concentration, dependent on geographic provenance) while Pinus strobus reacted only to the simulated browsing treatment (biomass and chemical composition). We also observed non-additive effects of reduced water availability and simulated browsing on Prunus serotina, Acer saccharum and Thuja occidentalis. In general, shoot:root ratio and investment in chemical defense did not vary in response to treatments. The regrowth response observed in Q. rubra and A. saccharum suggests that these species could tolerate periodic browsing events, even when water availability is reduced. More information is required to understand their long-term tolerance to repeated browsing events and to harsher and more frequent water stress. We highlight the importance of species-specific growth and allocation responses that vary with geographic provenance, which should be considered by managers when planning climate-adapted strategies, such as assisted migration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management)
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18 pages, 1685 KiB  
Article
Beavers, Bugs and Chemistry: A Mammalian Herbivore Changes Chemistry Composition and Arthropod Communities in Foundation Tree Species
by Rachel M. Durben, Faith M. Walker, Liza Holeski, Arthur R. Keith, Zsuzsi Kovacs, Sarah R. Hurteau, Richard L. Lindroth, Stephen M. Shuster and Thomas G. Whitham
Forests 2021, 12(7), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070877 - 3 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3011
Abstract
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type. Few studies have tested the effect of these interactions on plant [...] Read more.
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type. Few studies have tested the effect of these interactions on plant chemistry and a diverse arthropod community. We experimentally examined the impact of beaver foraging on riparian communities by first investigating beaver food preferences for one cottonwood species, Fremont cottonwood (P. fremontii S. Watson), compared to other locally available woody species. We next examined the impact of beaver foraging on twig chemistry and arthropod communities in paired samples of felled and unfelled cottonwood species in northern Arizona (P. fremontii) and southwestern Colorado (narrowleaf cottonwood, P. angustifolia James, and Eastern cottonwood, P. deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall). Four major patterns emerged: (1) In a cafeteria experiment, beavers chose P. fremontii six times more often than other woody native and exotic species. (2) With two cottonwood species, we found that the nitrogen and salicortin concentrations were up to 45% greater and lignin concentration 14% lower in the juvenile resprout growth of felled trees than the juvenile growth on unfelled trees (six of seven analyses were significant for P. fremontii and four of six were significant for P. angustifolia). (3) With two cottonwood species, arthropod community composition on juvenile branches differed significantly between felled and unfelled trees, with up to 38% greater species richness, 114% greater relative abundance and 1282% greater species diversity on felled trees (six of seven analyses with P. fremontii and four of six analyses with P. angustifolia were significant). The above findings indicate that the highest arthropod diversity is achieved in the heterogenous stands of mixed felled and unfelled trees than in stands of cottonwoods, where beavers are not present. These results also indicate that beaver herbivory changes the chemical composition in 10 out of 13 chemical traits in the juvenile growth of two of the three cottonwood species to potentially allow better defense against future beaver herbivory. (4) With P. deltoides, only one of five analyses in chemistry was significant, and none of the four arthropod community analyses were significant, suggesting that this species and its arthropod community responds differently to beaver. Potential reasons for these differences are unknown. Overall, our findings suggest that in addition to their impact on riparian vegetation, other mammals, birds, and aquatic organisms, beavers also may define the arthropod communities of two of three foundation tree species in these riparian ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management)
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16 pages, 2301 KiB  
Article
Heterozygous Trees Rebound the Fastest after Felling by Beavers to Positively Affect Arthropod Community Diversity
by Faith M. Walker, Rachel Durben, Stephen M. Shuster, Richard L. Lindroth and Thomas G. Whitham
Forests 2021, 12(6), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12060694 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
Although genetic diversity within stands of trees is known to have community-level consequences, whether such effects are present at an even finer genetic scale is unknown. We examined the hypothesis that genetic variability (heterozygosity) within an individual plant would affect its dependent community, [...] Read more.
Although genetic diversity within stands of trees is known to have community-level consequences, whether such effects are present at an even finer genetic scale is unknown. We examined the hypothesis that genetic variability (heterozygosity) within an individual plant would affect its dependent community, which adds a new dimension to the importance of genetic diversity. Our study contrasted foliar arthropod community diversity and microsatellite marker-derived measures of genetic diversity of cottonwood (Populus fremontii) trees that had been felled by beavers (Castor canadensis) and were resprouting, relative to adjacent standing, unfelled trees. Three patterns emerged: 1. Productivity (specific leaf area), phytochemical defenses (salicortin), and arthropod community richness, abundance, and diversity were positively correlated with the heterozygosity of individual felled trees, but not with that of unfelled trees; 2. These relationships were not explained by population substructure, genetic relatedness of the trees, or hybridization; 3. The underlying mechanism appears to be that beaver herbivory stimulates increased productivity (i.e., 2× increase from the most homozygous to the most heterozygous tree) that is the greatest in more heterozygous trees. Salicortin defenses in twigs were also expressed at higher concentrations in more heterozygous trees (i.e., 3× increase from the most homozygous to the most heterozygous tree), which suggests that this compound may dissuade further herbivory by beavers, as has been found for other mammalian herbivores. We suggest that high stress to trees as a consequence of felling reveals a heterozygosity–productivity linkage, which in turn is attractive to arthropods. Although experiments are required to demonstrate causality, these results link the genetic diversity of individual trees to community diversity, supporting the hypothesis that interactions among foundation species (beavers and trees) have community-level effects, and underscores the importance of genetic diversity for biodiversity, conservation, and restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management)
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16 pages, 7515 KiB  
Article
Vegetation Height and Diurnal Period Influenced the Landscape-Use Pattern of Small Ruminants in Woodlands around Summer
by Shailes Bhattrai, Uma Karki and Sanjok Poudel
Forests 2021, 12(2), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12020205 - 10 Feb 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2442
Abstract
Despite the huge potential of using woodlands for small ruminant grazing in the southeast US, unmanaged understory shrubs grown beyond animals’ access minimize the utilization of such vegetation. This study aimed to determine the effect of vegetation height and diurnal period on the [...] Read more.
Despite the huge potential of using woodlands for small ruminant grazing in the southeast US, unmanaged understory shrubs grown beyond animals’ access minimize the utilization of such vegetation. This study aimed to determine the effect of vegetation height and diurnal period on the behavior and distribution patterns of goats and sheep in woodlands around summer. The study was conducted in six woodland plots (0.4 ha each) comprising southern pines and non-pine (non-target) plant species. Non-pine plants in each study plot were assigned to four treatments: cut to 0 m, 0.9 m, or 1.5 m from the ground level or left uncut (control). Cut plant stubs were allowed to regrow to full canopy before stocking animals. Eight Kiko wethers and five Katahdin rams were rotationally stocked in separate plots, and their diurnal (dawn–dusk) behaviors and distribution patterns were monitored when they were in each plot (three plots per animal species) around the summer of 2018. Animal behavior data were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) procedure with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in SAS, while animal distribution pattern and weather data were analyzed in SAS using a GLM procedure and the distribution evenness index (DEI) using the Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum test in R. Level of significance was set at 5%. Both animal species visited the control area the least. Wethers browsed predominantly in areas where non-pine plants were cut to 0.9 m from the ground level, and rams grazed mostly in areas where non-pine plants were cut to the ground level, mostly during the post-midday period. Browsing was the dominant feeding behavior of wethers (39% browsing vs. 4% grazing), while rams’ feeding behavior was dominated with grazing (24% grazing vs. 12% browsing). Lying was a predominant diurnal behavior in both wethers (46%) and rams (35%), mostly during the midday period. Wethers had a higher value for DEI than rams during the morning and post-midday periods. This study established that (1) the utilization of woodland understory foliage by small ruminants can be increased by lowering plant height, and (2) both vegetation characteristics and diurnal period are important factors for influencing small ruminants’ behavior while stocked in woodlands around summer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management)
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24 pages, 1915 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Genetic Variation in Bark Stripping of Pinus radiata
by Judith S. Nantongo, Brad M. Potts, Hugh Fitzgerald, Jessica Newman, Stephen Elms, Don Aurik, Heidi Dungey and Julianne M. O’Reilly-Wapstra
Forests 2020, 11(12), 1356; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121356 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3342
Abstract
Bark stripping by mammals is a major problem for conifer forestry worldwide. In Australia, bark stripping in the exotic plantations of Pinus radiata is mainly caused by native marsupials. As a sustainable management option, we explored the extent to which natural variation in [...] Read more.
Bark stripping by mammals is a major problem for conifer forestry worldwide. In Australia, bark stripping in the exotic plantations of Pinus radiata is mainly caused by native marsupials. As a sustainable management option, we explored the extent to which natural variation in the susceptibility of P. radiata is under genetic control and is thus amenable to genetic improvement. Bark stripping was assessed at ages four and five years in two sister trials comprising 101 and 138 open-pollinated half-sib families. A third younger trial comprising 74 full-sib control-pollinated families was assessed at two and three years after planting. Significant additive genetic variation in bark stripping was demonstrated in all trials, with narrow-sense heritability estimates between 0.06 and 0.14. Within sites, the amount of additive genetic variation detected increased with the level of bark stripping. When strongly expressed across the two sister trials, the genetic signal was stable (i.e., there was little genotype × environment interaction). No significant non-additive effect (specific combining ability effect) on bark stripping was detected in the full-sib family trial, where it was estimated that up to 22.1% reduction in bark stripping might be achieved by selecting 20% of the less susceptible families. Physical traits that were genetically correlated, and likely influenced the amount of bark removed from the trees by the marsupials, appeared to depend upon tree age. In the older trials, these traits included bark features (presence of rough bark, rough bark height, and bark thickness), whereas in the younger trial where rough bark was not developed, it was the presence of obstructive branches or needles on the stem. In the younger trial, a positive genetic correlation between prior height and bark stripping was detected, suggesting that initially faster growing trees exhibit more bark stripping than slower growing trees but later develop rough bark faster and became less susceptible. While the presence of unexplained genetic variation after accounting for these physical factors suggests that other explanatory plant traits may be involved, such as chemical traits, overall the results indicate that selection for reduced susceptibility is possible, with potential genetic gains for deployment and breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest-Mammalian Herbivore Interactions and Contemporary Forest Management)
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