Evolutionary Ecology across Three Trophic Levels: Goldenrods, Gallmakers, and Natural Enemies (MPB-29)

by Warren G. Abrahamson, Arthur E. Weis

Overview

In a work that will interest researchers in ecology, genetics, botany, entomology, and parasitology, Warren Abrahamson and Arthur Weis present the results of more than twenty-five years of studying plant-insect interactions. Their study centers on the ecology and evolution of interactions among a host plant, the parasitic insect that attacks it, and the suite of insects and birds that are the natural enemies of the parasite. Because this system provides a model that can be subjected to experimental manipulations, it has allowed the authors to address specific theories and concepts that have guided biological research for more than two decades and to engage general problems in evolutionary biology.


The specific subjects of research are the host plant goldenrod (Solidago), the parasitic insect Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae) that induces a gall on the plant stem, and a number of natural enemies of the gallfly. By presenting their detailed empirical studies of the Solidago-Eurosta natural enemy system, the authors demonstrate the complexities of specialized enemy-victim interactions and, thereby, the complex interactive relationships among species more broadly. By utilizing a diverse array of field, laboratory, behavioral, genetic, chemical, and statistical techniques, Abrahamson and Weis present the most thorough study to date of a single system of interacting species. Their interest in the evolutionary ecology of plant-insect interactions leads them to insights on the evolution of species interactions in general. This major work will interest anyone involved in studying the ways in which interdependent species interact.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691012087
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	05/04/1997
Series:	Monographs in Population Biology , #29
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Warren G. Abrahamson is David Burpee Professor of Plant Genetics at Bucknell University. Arthur E. Weis is Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgments
1	Evolutionary Ecology and the Interactions of Plants with Insects	3
2	The Stem Gallmaker, Its Natural Enemies, and Goldenrod: A Model System of Tritrophic-Level Interaction	14
3	Eurosta's Impact on Goldenrod	50
4	Host-Plant Resistance to Gallmaker Attack: The Plant-Gallmaker Encounter - The Plant's Perspective	100
5	Host-Plant Choice	135
6	The Gall as Eurosta's Extended Phenotype	171
7	Host Specificity and Herbivore Speciation	194
8	The Third Trophic Level as an Agent of Selection	254
9	The Variable Biotic Environment and Variable Selection	286
10	Phenotypic Plasticity and Spurious Evolution	321
11	Selection on the Hierarchy of Attack and Defense	337
12	Goldenrod, Gallmakers, and the Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Insect Interactions	382
References	399
Author Index	437
Subject Index	448

What People are Saying About This

David Tonkyn

An unparalleled, creative, and diversified assault on a single set of related questions which sets a new, higher standard for comparable 'field' studies in the future. Most importantly, while this is a solid book for those who are interested in the biology of gall-formers, it is also a fertile source of ideas for a much larger audience. It should be appreciated by many biologists interested in the evolution and dynamics of interacting species.
— David Tonkyn, Clemson University

From the Publisher

"An unparalleled, creative, and diversified assault on a single set of related questions which sets a new, higher standard for comparable 'field' studies in the future. Most importantly, while this is a solid book for those who are interested in the biology of gall-formers, it is also a fertile source of ideas for a much larger audience. It should be appreciated by many biologists interested in the evolution and dynamics of interacting species."—David Tonkyn, Clemson University

Editorial Reviews

"In a writing style both consistent and fluid, Abrahamson and Weis weave a story that includes the ecology, evolution, systematics, physiology, behavior, molecular and developmental biology, and genetics of their system. Throughout, the excellent illustrations and detailed citations help to draw parallels with other studies, and place their research within current theories of insect-plant interactions. This is a 'must-read' for serious students of evolutionary biology and the scientific method."

Ecoscience

"An unparalleled, creative, and diversified assault on a single set of related questions which sets a new, higher standard for comparable 'field' studies in the future. Most importantly, while this is a solid book for those who are interested in the biology of gall-formers, it is also a fertile source of ideas for a much larger audience. It should be appreciated by many biologists interested in the evolution and dynamics of interacting species."—David Tonkyn, Clemson University

From the Publisher