Ecological factors affecting the structure, diversity, and specialisation of caterpillar communities in forest ecosystems

RNDr. Carlo Lutz SEIFERT, MSc.

Disertační práce

Abstract:

The aim of the thesis was to explore how caterpillar assemblages are spatially, functionally, and taxonomically structured in temperate and tropical forest ecosystems. Firstly, we investigated to what extent caterpillar assemblages are vertically structured in a temperate forest in eastern North America. By using a comprehensive dataset of temperate forest sites across three continents, we further examined if distance metrics derived from plant phylogeny can be used to predict structural changes in caterpillar assemblages among co-occurring plants. We further studied if folivorous caterpillars associated with bamboo in an Ecuadorian montane rainforest can be considered as 'classical' herbivores (sensu stricto). In the last chapter, we introduce and compare plot-based sampling approaches to study interaction networks in forest ecosystems and provide comprehensive guidelines for replication in future studies.

Abstract:

The aim of the thesis was to explore how caterpillar assemblages are spatially, functionally, and taxonomically structured in temperate and tropical forest ecosystems. Firstly, we investigated to what extent caterpillar assemblages are vertically structured in a temperate forest in eastern North America. By using a comprehensive dataset of temperate forest sites across three continents, we further examined if distance metrics derived from plant phylogeny can be used to predict structural changes in caterpillar assemblages among co-occurring plants. We further studied if folivorous caterpillars associated with bamboo in an Ecuadorian montane rainforest can be considered as 'classical' herbivores (sensu stricto). In the last chapter, we introduce and compare plot-based sampling approaches to study interaction networks in forest ecosystems and provide comprehensive guidelines for replication in future studies.

Keywords

caterpillars, forest ecosystems, guilds, insect herbivores, interaction networks, Lepidoptera, specialisation

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 21. 4. 2020

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 19. 6. 2020
• Vedoucí: prof. RNDr. Vojtěch Novotný, CSc.

JIHOČESKÁ UNIVERZITA V ČESKÝCH BUDĚJOVICÍCH

Přírodovědecká fakulta

Doktorský studijní program / obor:
Biology / Entomology