Herbivory in a mangrove forest subjected to severe defoliation / Herbivoria em uma floresta de mangue sujeita a severa desfolha

Abstract

Herbivory is an important plant-animal interaction that influences mangroves. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of leaf damage and the rate of herbivory in mature leaves of Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa, in a mangrove forest under severe defoliation in the Mamanguape River estuary. In the period from May/2013 to April/2014, the leaf damage observed was holes, damage to the leaf margins, fungi, galls, mines, necrosis, and scraping. Damage to the margin was the most frequent type of damage. Laguncularia racemosa exhibited a higher frequency of leaf damage and higher rates of herbivory (median of 7.5%) than those in A. germinans (median of 0.7%). The herbivory rate of both species showed a significant negative correlation with the mean air temperature, but not with the precipitation values. No severe defoliation was recorded during the study period and the low herbivory rate observed indicates normal conditions for the analyzed mangrove area.