Differences in recovery between a deciduous and an evergreen ericaceous clonal dwarf shrub after simulated aboveground herbivory and belowground damage

Abstract

Insect and microtine rodent herbivory (defoliation and branch clipping, respectively) were simulated in stands of the deciduous Vaccinium myrtillus L. and evergreen V. vitis-idaea L. Rhizome connections around the treated plots were either left intact or severed. Recovery in the plots was monitored for two growth seasons, from 1991 to 1992. It was hypothesized that the evergreen V. vitis-idaea would suffer more from the simulated herbivory treatment than V. myrtillus, but that severing the rhizome connections would decrease recovery of both species, because clonal integration is disrupted and wounding may have a harmful influence on growth. After two growth seasons, recovery was complete from simulated herbivory in V. myrtillus, whereas the new dry biomass was reduced slightly (22 – 37%) or significantly (49%) compared with that of the control in V. vitis-idaea. Rhizome severing reduced the growth of the branches and ramets and the aboveground dry biomass by 34% compared with that of the unsevered control in V. myrtillus. In the evergreen V. vitis-idaea, severing slightly reduced growth, the effect being significant only in the clipped treatment. The results suggest that the deciduous V. myrtillus recovers more rapidly from simulated herbivory than the evergreen V. vitis-idaea. Rhizome severing is more detrimental to the growth of V. myrtillus, but less detrimental to recovery from simulated herbivory. Sexual reproduction decreases more in V. vitis-idaea than in V. myrtillus after damage. Key words: compensation, growth form, herbivory, rhizome severing, Vaccinium