My PhD focused on herbivory and levels of plant defence on islands versus mainlands. Broadly speaking, this research explores the areas of island biogeography, plant-herbivore interactions, plant defence strategies, and evolution.
Not many people have completed quantitative analyses of herbivory and plant defences in similar habitats on island and mainland sites. Those that have often focused on just one species of plant in just one mainland-island pair. That means that no one has tested the idea that island plants are tastier to or less defended against herbivores, nor has anyone investigated whether there is indeed less herbivory occurring on islands.
To fill in this gap, I am completed a literature review that summarised and compared existing data on plant defence and rates of herbivory in island versus mainland environments. This is a broad comparison that fits in well within the Big Ecology Lab, which has a reputation for making sure that what we think we know about global patterns in ecology stand up to a bit testing. I found that there were differences in island and mainland rates of herbivory and plant defence, but that they were inconsistent and depended on which traits were examined and how herbivory was measured.
To compliment the findings of my literature review, I also quantified levels of plant defence and leaf area lost within pairs of island-mainland sites around Australia. Most continental Australian islands were separated from the mainland about 6,000 years ago with rising sea levels, and are relatively close to the coast. Island plant communities were just as well defended as were mainland plants. Similarly, mainland plants were eaten at similar rates to island plants. This means that plants on islands are not on a holiday from one of the most important biotic forces around, as classical thought would suggest.
Publications:
Meredith FL, Tindall M, Hemmings F A, Moles A T (2019) Prickly pairs: the proportion of spinescent species does not differ between islands and mainlands, Journal of Plant Ecologyrtz031, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtz031
Saunders M E, Roger E, Geary W L, Meredith F, Welbourne D, Bako A, Canavan E, Herro F, Herron C, Hung O, Kunstler M, Lin J, Ludlow N, Paton M, Salt S, Simpson T, Wang A, Zimmerman N, Drews K B, Dawson H F, Martin L W, Sutton J B, Webber C C, Ritchie A L, Berns L D, Winch B A, Reeves H R, McLennan E C, Gardner J M, Butler C G, Sutton E I, Couttie M M, Hildebrand J B, Blackney I A, Forsyth J A, Keating D M and Moles A T (2018), Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators. Austral Ecology, 43: 635-642. doi:10.1111/aec.12608
Not many people have completed quantitative analyses of herbivory and plant defences in similar habitats on island and mainland sites. Those that have often focused on just one species of plant in just one mainland-island pair. That means that no one has tested the idea that island plants are tastier to or less defended against herbivores, nor has anyone investigated whether there is indeed less herbivory occurring on islands.
To fill in this gap, I am completed a literature review that summarised and compared existing data on plant defence and rates of herbivory in island versus mainland environments. This is a broad comparison that fits in well within the Big Ecology Lab, which has a reputation for making sure that what we think we know about global patterns in ecology stand up to a bit testing. I found that there were differences in island and mainland rates of herbivory and plant defence, but that they were inconsistent and depended on which traits were examined and how herbivory was measured.
To compliment the findings of my literature review, I also quantified levels of plant defence and leaf area lost within pairs of island-mainland sites around Australia. Most continental Australian islands were separated from the mainland about 6,000 years ago with rising sea levels, and are relatively close to the coast. Island plant communities were just as well defended as were mainland plants. Similarly, mainland plants were eaten at similar rates to island plants. This means that plants on islands are not on a holiday from one of the most important biotic forces around, as classical thought would suggest.
Publications:
Meredith FL, Tindall M, Hemmings F A, Moles A T (2019) Prickly pairs: the proportion of spinescent species does not differ between islands and mainlands, Journal of Plant Ecologyrtz031, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtz031
Saunders M E, Roger E, Geary W L, Meredith F, Welbourne D, Bako A, Canavan E, Herro F, Herron C, Hung O, Kunstler M, Lin J, Ludlow N, Paton M, Salt S, Simpson T, Wang A, Zimmerman N, Drews K B, Dawson H F, Martin L W, Sutton J B, Webber C C, Ritchie A L, Berns L D, Winch B A, Reeves H R, McLennan E C, Gardner J M, Butler C G, Sutton E I, Couttie M M, Hildebrand J B, Blackney I A, Forsyth J A, Keating D M and Moles A T (2018), Citizen science in schools: Engaging students in research on urban habitat for pollinators. Austral Ecology, 43: 635-642. doi:10.1111/aec.12608