Gall wasp community response to fragmentation of oak tree species: importance of fragment size and isolated trees

摘要: We explore the impact of habitat fragmentation on interactions between keystone resources forest trees—oaks, genus Quercus (Fagaceae)—and an associated radiation specialist cynipid gall wasps. Habitat is predicted to have bottom-up impacts communities through host plant quality (plant vigor hypothesis). explored fragment size, edge effects and presence isolated oaks. quantified temporal spatial variation leaves produced in canopy quantify vigor, surveyed species abundance richness over three years using 15 permanent patches 25 oaks a fragmented oak woodland landscape central Mexico. Cynipid were higher small fragments than larger ones. also along edges comparison with interiors. This contrasts patterns observed other taxa. In addition, was trees, smaller edges. therefore hypothesize that are driven by changes due fragmentation. Our data represent baseline for longer-term monitoring at scale. Further work required alternative potential explanations patterns, including estimation top-down mediated natural enemies.