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Pré-Publication, Document De Travail Année : 2008

Seed predation in Ulex europaeus: a geographic and temporal mosaic of interactions

Résumé

The interactions between plants and their parasites usually involve several species and present high level of variation in space and time. According to the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution, this may lead to population differentiation, large polymorphism and local maladaptation. Here we explore whether the temporal and spatial variation of the interaction between gorse (Ulex europaeus) and its seed predators can explain the polymorphism observed within and among populations of its native range. Indeed, gorse individuals present a polymorphism of flowering and fruiting phenology, and large variability for their susceptibility to seed predation. We performed a regular monitoring of five populations localised in Brittany (France) over five consecutive years. We observed the flowering and fruiting phenology of the gorses, and measured pods infestation rates by their two main seed predators, the weevil Exapion ulicis and the moth Cydia succedana. Flowering phenotypes and between year evolution of parasitism rates were conserved from year to year. Parasitism rates by weevils and moths increased over the fruiting period, and were negatively correlated one to another. Long flowering plants were more attacked by weevils, while short-flowering plants were more attacked by moths. However, the majority of the weevil larvae did not develop into adults, either because they were still at an immature stage at pod maturity, or because they were attacked by a parasitoid wasp. Year-to-year variations in the infestation rates by the two seed predators were very high, and depended on the population but not on the microclimatic conditions. These variations can thus explain the maintenance of the within populations polymorphism of gorse phenology and susceptibility to seed predation.
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Dates et versions

hal-01357460 , version 1 (29-08-2016)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-01357460 , version 1

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Anne Atlan, Myriam Barat, Gillianne Bowman, Michèle Tarayre. Seed predation in Ulex europaeus: a geographic and temporal mosaic of interactions. 2008. ⟨hal-01357460⟩
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