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Research article2003Peer reviewed

Masting of rowan Sorbus aucuparia L. and consequences for the apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella Zeller

Kobro S, Soreide L, Djonne E, Rafoss T, Jaastad G, Witzgall P

Abstract

Masting of rowan Sorbus aucuparia L. has been studied in 45 sites in southern Norway for 22 years. We present data on the year-to-year variation in fruit setting of rowan, and show that masting is spatially synchronous in Norway and probably all over Fennoscandia. The apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella Zeller is an important seed predator on rowan. We present data on the abundance of apple fruit moth in rowanberries during these years and discuss the consequences of masting and intermasting of rowan for apple fruit moth as a pest of apple. We conclude that growth and climate have little impact on flowering intensity and suggest that masting of rowan is an adaptive defense against seed predation and a new example of predator satiation: intermast years inhibit predators and prepare the rowan for the subsequent mast

Published in

Population Ecology
2003, Volume: 45, number: 1, pages: 25-30
Publisher: SPRINGER-VERLAG TOKYO

      SLU Authors

    • Witzgall, Peter

      • Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Food Science
    Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10104-003-0136-x

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/1651