PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 34: Herbivory
Thursday, August 11, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Can tolerance to simulated and real mammal herbivory explain the invasion success of temperate vines?

Ashton, Isabel ^*,1, Lerdau, Manuel ¹, ¹ State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA

ABSTRACT- Invasive plants may succeed in novel habitats because they are tolerant of herbivory and can compensate for damage more quickly than native or exotic non-invasive plants. To test this hypothesis and to determine if herbivores influence the invasion success of temperate vines, we conducted an herbivore exclusion experiment in the field using 12 species of vines from 4 families. Within each family, we compared one invasive, one native, and one exotic non-invasive vine. We also conducted a greenhouse experiment where we simulated mammal herbivory by clipping vines. Overall, we found that in the field mammals significantly reduced the growth of all vines regardless of invasion status. After one season, invasive species appeared more tolerant to damage than native or exotic species, but there was no difference in tolerance after two growing seasons. Invasive species were more tolerant to simulated herbivory treatments and there were significant differences in tolerance across the four families. These results indicate that under some conditions, invasion success could be modulated by the ability of invasive vines to tolerate herbivory.

Key words: vines, herbivory, tolerance