Female-Biased Herbivory in Fourwing Saltbush Browsed by Cattle

Changes in shrub fecundity in fourwing saltbush browsed by cattle

Shrub fecundity is critical to long term persistence of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.) populations at our research site on the shortgrass steppe in Colorado. We conducted a 2-year experiment to test hypotheses concerning the impact of cattle-browsing on fecundity-related variables in fourwing saltbush. Protection from cattle browsing was significantly associated with flora...

Heifer Performance Under Two Stocking Rates on Fourwing Saltbush-Dominated Rangeland

The efficiency of livestock production in shortgrass steppe may be increased by grazing fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens [Pursh] Nutt)-dominated rangeland in late fall and/or early spring, but there is a paucity of information concerning stocking rates and animal gains. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of light and moderate stocking rates on weight gains of heifers gr...

Historically browsed jewelweed populations exhibit greater tolerance to deer herbivory than historically protected populations

1. Browsing by overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has altered ecological relationships in forest communities across eastern North America. Recent but limited work suggests that deer browsing also selects for particular plant defensive traits. 2. We hypothesized that browsing by deer has imposed selection on defensive traits in an annual native wildflower, orange jewelweed (...

Sex-biased herbivory in Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) by a specialist thrips (Heterothrips arisaemae)

Introduction Dioecious plants offer an opportunity to examine the susceptibility of male vs. female reproductive function to herbivory and the differential effects of herbivory on each sexual morph (Watson 1995). Several recent studies have compared damage by herbivores and pathogens between genders in a number of dioecious species. However, results are contradictory, and reported patterns of h...

Female-biased maternal investment in rhesus macaques.