ARS | Publication request: CLIMATE CHANGE AND HERBIVORY: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LONGLEAF PINE SAWFLY (PINUS PALUSTRIS) AND RED-HEADED PINE (NEODIPRION LECONTEI) UNDER ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 17, 2002
Publication Date: November 17, 2002
Citation: Davis, M.A., Pritchard, S.G., Rogers, H.H., Prior, S.A. Runion, and G.B.Gjerstad, D.H. 2002. Climate change and herbivory: Interactions between longleaf pine sawfly (Pinus palustris) and red-headed pine (Neodiprion lecontei) under elevated atmospheric CO2. p. 11. In 4th Longleaf Alliance Regional Conference: Longleaf Pine: A Southern Legacy Rising from the Ashes, Program and Abstracts. Pinehurst, NC, Nov. 17-20.

Technical Abstract: Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings were grown in a model regenerating ecosystem in open-topped chambers under two CO2 regimes: ambient, 365 ppm and elevated, 720 ppm. Several feeding experiments were conducted using red-headed pine sawfly larvae (Neodiprion lecontei Fitch; Diprionidae: Hymenoptera) to assess the effects of CO2-enriched diets on larval growth and development. Needle chemistry (macro- and micronutrients, total phenolics, condensed tannins) did not significantly differ between CO2 treatments. In general, most measures of larval performance (growth rates, consumption rates, length of time to pupation) were unaffected by CO2-enriched diets. Initial larval survival, however, was greatly reduced for larvae that were exposed to CO2-enriched foliage from nascence. Nevertheless, subsequent larval development of surviving larvae was not affected by elevated CO2. We predict that pine sawfly populations will not be significantly impacted as atmospheric CO2 continues to rise towards predicted levels.