Galls on Beech Trees in Hainich, 2008

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Original data comes from a project which takes or took place as part of the DFG priority program "Exploratories for large-scale and long-term functional biodiversity research". The data is stored together with descriptive metadata, in combination called a dataset, in the project repository (https://www.bexis.uni-jena.de). Species information was extracted from that original dataset. The second paragraph is part of the metadata of the original dataset.

Hypersensitive reactions (HR) are regarded as one of the most important induced defense mechanisms and most effective bottom-up effects in multitrophic food-webs (Cornelissen and Fernandes, 2001; Fernandes, 1998; Fernandes and Negreiros, 2001). Plant genetics and physiological properties are generally considered to constitute the main factors influencing degree and frequency of HR against galling insects (Fernandes et al., 2003; Fernandes and Negreiros, 2001). Physiological plant properties are probably influenced by abiotic site conditions (soil, climate) (Fernandes et al., 2003), but also by other abiotic and biotic habitat characteristics as canopy openings or occurrence of other tree species, which depend on forest management intensity (Collet et al., 2001; Dittmar et al., 2003; Lof et al., 2005; Marusak and Barna, 2002). The frequency, diversity and community structure of herbivores and parasitoids is expected to differ in dependence of several habitat characteristics induced by forest management as well (Gossner et al., 2006) and may influence the frequency and efficiency of HR of the host plant, bur are otherwise dependent from the host plant quality (Fonseca et al., 2006).
To reveal possible effects of forest use intensity on three-trophic-level interactions, the frequency and density of the most abundant galling insects on Fagus sylvatica (Mikiola fagi and Hartigiola annulipes, Cecidomyiidae) will be recorded on approximately 60 selected trees on plots characterized by clearly different forest management intensities in the exploratory Hainich/Dün. Recording of hypersensitive reactions to gall induction (Fernandes et al., 2003) and predators and parasitoids of M. fagi and H. annulipes (Dziurznski, 1961) will enable the analysis of the interplay of bottom-up and top-down effects in this system in dependence from the forest use intensity. The relation of hypersensitive reactions (bottom-up effect) to living gall-inducers leads to an estimation of the relevance of forest use management for the susceptibility of European beech to galling insects. These investigations lead to an estimation of the possible indicative value of easily recordable plant structures as galls and HP sites for beech susceptibility or restistance.

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