The Effect of Insect Herbivory on the Growth and Reproduction of Two Annual Vicia Species at Different Stages in Plant Succession

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Abstract
(1) In natural plant communities Vicia sativa is attacked mainly by chewing insects and V. hirsuta by sap-feeding insects. (2) The performance of V. hirsuta and V. sativa was examined under natural and reduced levels of insect herbivory at three different points along a successional gradient. (3) Under natural levels of insect herbivory (controls), V. sativa produced more leaves and V. hirsuta fewer leaves than when herbivory was reduced. In both species, leaves from control plants had fewer leaflets, resulting in a reduction in total leaf biomass. (4) In V. sativa, herbivory caused a reduction in the number of seed pods per plant and the number of seed per pod. No effect on individual seed weight was observed. In V. hirsuta herbivory had no effect on pod or seed number but caused a reduction in seed weight. (5) The effect of insect herbivory on the establishment and competitive ability of the two species in secondary succession is discussed.