Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Using associational effects of European beech on Norway spruce to mitigate damage by a forest regeneration pest, the pine weevil Hylobius abietis
Tudoran, Amelia; Bylund, Helena; Nordlander, Goran; Oltean, Ion; Puentes, AdrianaAbstract
Forest regeneration can be compromised by insect damage to newly-planted conifer seedlings, with the pine weevil, Hylobius abietis, being the most economically important pest in Europe. Seedling protection strategies include physical barriers, silvicultural measures and insecticides, while the potential benefits of Associational Effects (AE) have been little explored. Associational Resistance (AR) or Susceptibility (AS) arise when neighbouring plants decrease or increase, respectively, the likelihood and extent of attack on a focal plant. We investigated the potential of European beech, Fagus sylvatica, to mediate AE for Norway spruce, Picea abies, seedlings against pine weevil damage. First, we examined the effects of neighbor identity on damage to P. abies at a small scale, using choice arenas in the lab. Then, in the field, we examined these effects at a larger scale using plots containing only Norway spruce, or both species. We found that P. abies seedlings were attacked and damaged less by weevils when beech was their close neighbor, relative to having another Norway spruce as a neighbor in the lab. Yet, no difference in damage between only spruce and mixed seedling plots was found in the field. Our results indicate that the susceptibility of P. abies to H. abietis can be influenced by neighbor identity, and effects can vary with inter-plant distance. In close proximity, the presence of the non-host F. sylvatica can alter pine weevil feeding behaviour and thus, has the potential to mediate AR. However, these associational effects appear not to provide enhanced seedling protection at a larger scale.Keywords
Forest regeneration; Insect pest; Plant protection; Plant resistance; Forest managementPublished in
Forest Ecology and Management2021, volume: 486, article number: 118980
Publisher: ELSEVIER
Authors' information
Tudoran, Amelia (Amelia, Tudoran)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Tudoran, Amelia (Amelia, Tudoran)
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Oltean, Ion
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Associated SLU-program
SLU Network Plant Protection
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG15 Life on land
UKÄ Subject classification
Forest Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.118980
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/111085