Adaptive significance of trembling plants

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25450233
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Public Health (2017); Osaka City Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences (2013-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Yamazaki Kazuo 地方独立行政法人 大阪健康安全基盤研究所, 微生物部, 主任研究員 (30332448)
• Research Collaborator: SUGIURA Shinji
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 受動的な葉の動き / 植食性昆虫 / 風 / 対植食者防御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The hypothesis that the passive leaf movement may operate as an anti-herbivore defense was tested. (1)When Populus leaves were fixed to reduce leaf movement in the field, leaf damage did not change but aphid abundance was tended to become higher. (2)In the laboratory, lepidoteran caterpillars were placed on Populus mobile leaves or Salix immobile leaves and exposed to moderate wind using an electric fan. Then, the caterpillars fell from Populus leaves more frequently than from Salix leaves. (3)Leaf damage level on Populus and Salix that grew sympatrically was compared in the field. Consequently, Populus incurred less damage than Salix. Wind-mediated passive leaf movement appears to affect herbivory and behavior of phytophagous insects.

Free Research Field

生態学