English Trees Research Articles

British Insects and Trees: A Study in Island Biogeography or Insect/Plant Coevolution?

Previous articleNext article No AccessLetters to the EditorsBritish Insects and Trees: A Study in Island Biogeography or Insect/Plant Coevolution?M. F. Claridge and M. R. WilsonM. F. Claridge Search for more articles by this author and M. R. Wilson Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 112, Number 984Mar. - Apr., 1978 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/283288 Views: 20Total views on this site Citations: 17Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1977 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Yevhen Sosnovsky Sucking herbivore assemblage composition on greenhouse Ficus correlates with host plant leaf architecture, Arthropod-Plant Interactions 10, no.11 (Dec 2015): 55–69.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-015-9408-6Zachariah J. Miller Fungal Pathogen Species Richness: Why Do Some Plant Species Have More Pathogens than Others?, The American Naturalist 179, no.22 (Jul 2015): 282–292.https://doi.org/10.1086/663676Harry Kenward The visibility of past trees and woodland: testing the value of insect remains, Journal of Archaeological Science 33, no.1010 (Oct 2006): 1368–1380.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2006.01.010Martin Brandle, Roland Brandl Species richness of insects and mites on trees: expanding Southwood, Journal of Animal Ecology 70, no.33 (May 2001): 491–504.https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2656.2001.00506.xHugh F. Evans Sitka spruce insects: past, present and future, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biological Sciences 93, no.1-21-2 (Dec 2011): 157–167.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269727000006369SIMON R. LEATHER Does the bird cherry have its ‘fair share’ of insect pests? An appraisal of the species—area relationships of the phytophagous insects associated with British Prunus species, Ecological Entomology 10, no.11 (Feb 1985): 43–56.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1985.tb00533.xM. R. Shaw Insects associated with birch, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biological Sciences 85, no.1-21-2 (Dec 2011): 169–181.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269727000003973 Andrew R. Blaustein , Armand M. Kuris , and Jose Javier Alio Pest and Parasite Species-Richness Problems, The American Naturalist 122, no.44 (Oct 2015): 556–566.https://doi.org/10.1086/284156PETER W. PRICE Hypotheses on Organization and Evolution in Herbivorous Insect Communities, (Jan 1983): 559–596.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-209160-5.50025-8 M. F. Claridge , and M. R. Wilson Species-Area Effects for Leafhoppers on British Trees: Comments on the Paper by Rey et al., The American Naturalist 119, no.44 (Oct 2015): 573–575.https://doi.org/10.1086/283932M. F. CLARIDGE, M. R. WILSON Insect herbivore guilds and species—area relationships: leafminers on British trees, Ecological Entomology 7, no.11 (Feb 1982): 19–30.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1982.tb00640.xM. F. CLARIDGE, M. R. WILSON Host plant associations, diversity and species—area relationships of mesophyll-feeding leafhoppers of trees and shrubs in Britain, Ecological Entomology 6, no.33 (Aug 1981): 217–238.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1981.tb00610.x Jorge R. Rey , Earl D. McCoy , and Donald R. Strong, Jr. Herbivore Pests, Habitat Islands, and the Species-Area Relation, The American Naturalist 117, no.44 (Oct 2015): 611–622.https://doi.org/10.1086/283747Seppo Neuvonen, Pekka Niemel� Species richness of Macrolepidoptera on Finnish deciduous trees and shrubs, Oecologia 51, no.33 (Jan 1981): 364–370.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00540907J. M. McLeod FORESTS, DISTURBANCES, AND INSECTS, The Canadian Entomologist 112, no.1111 (May 2012): 1185–1192.https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent1121185-11 H. J. B. Birks British Trees and Insects: A Test of the Time Hypothesis Over the Last 13,000 Years, The American Naturalist 115, no.44 (Oct 2015): 600–605.https://doi.org/10.1086/283584G. L. A. Fry, S. D. Wratten Insect—plant relationships in ecological teaching, Journal of Biological Education 13, no.44 (Dec 2010): 267–274.https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.1979.9654267

New records of Phytophthora on trees in Britain.

Phytophthora megasperma var. megasperma and unidentified isolates of Pbytophthora rescmbling P. cambivora were obtained from dead and dying roots of Horsc chestnut trccs with sparse foliage, small chlorotic leaves and branch dieback. P. citricola was isolatcd from soil around dead roots of similarly affected trccs and from around dcad feeder roots of a tree suffering from the common but unexplained Leaf scorch (marginal leaf necrosis) of Horse chestnut. Both P. cactorum and P. citricola were isolated from oozing acrial stem lesions on Horse chestnut trees. Inoculations with these species reproduced the damage.

History of the natural forests of Britain: establishment, dominance and destruction

The Cambridge data-bank of Quaternary fossil plant records has been used to derive an objective outline account of the chief British forest trees through the Flandrian Period, i.e. the last 10000 years. Their history is evidently related to the climatic pattern of an uncompleted interglacial cycle, showing response to pre- temperate, early-, middle- and late-temperate stages and passing through phases of establishment and dominance before becoming subject to the destruction initiated by Neolithic man about 5000 years ago and disastrously accelerated afterwards. The native birches and pine were essentially protocratic: pine, established abun­ dantly through south and east England in the first two or three millennia gave place to the mediocratic elm, oaks and limes dominant thereafter, save in Highland Scotland where pine forest, established late, continued as climax community. Beech and horn-­ beam, telocratic in character, spread only in the latest millennia, possibly in relation to relaxation of clearances but possibly also in relation to altered climate.

Species Richness of the Parasitic Fungi of British Trees

The species richness of fungi associated with British trees is described by a significant species/area curve (r = 0.53, 0.01 > P > 0.001). Introduced tree species cannot be shown to have fewer fungal species than natives, per unit distributional range about Britain. Also, among natives and among introductions, older host taxa do not have more fungal species than do younger ones. This indicates the species richness of fungi to rapidly reach the limit set by host range, within ecological time. The slope of the species/area relationship for fungi is one-fourth that for insects; we propose that this is due to the inherently greater dispersability of fungi. Finally, the species/area regression residuals for fungi are correlated with those for insects (r = 0.65, 0.001 > P), suggesting plant defense mechanisms may be generally effective to plant parasites, be they insects or fungi.

An account of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) parasitising leaf-mining insects of deciduous trees in Britain

Data on the distribution and frequency of hymenopterous parasites of leaf-mining insects on deciduous trees show that Chalcidoidea of the family Eulophidae are the chief component of the parasite faunas. The regular parasite complement of a leaf-mining species is in the order of 10 to 20 species of parasitic Hymenoptera. Many of these are polyphagous, but in almost all instances a preference for a particular type of host is evident. The parasite faunas of tree leaf-mining Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera are shown to be qualitatively similar, but those of Diptera are rather different. The parasite faunas of tree leaf-miners are different also from those of leaf gall-forming insects on trees and, to a lesser degree, from those of leaf-miners on herbaceous plants. The parasite fauna associated with a tree genus is quantitatively and qualitatively characteristic and, in general, it most resembles that found on allied tree genera. Congeneric leaf miners attacking the same tree species are attacked by very similar parasite faunas, although mine situation and season of development may exert some influence. These latter factors are considered especially in relation to leaf-miners of the genus Phyllonorycter for which most data are available.

Nonasymptotic species richness models and the insects of British trees

Nonasymptotic species richness models and the insects of British trees

The Merger with the Association of British Tree Surgeons and Arborists

The Merger with the Association of British Tree Surgeons and Arborists

Nonasymptotic Species Richness Models and the Insects of British Trees

Nonasymptotic models of species diversity are those that do not consider negative feedback between number of species in a biota and the net rate of species addition. These models propose species richness differences to be primarily the product of geologic age differences among biotas. Nonasymptotic explanations are traditional for various diversity difference spectra, including latitudinal diversity gradients and the greater species richness of ancient compared to young lakes. I review new evidence that renders these nonasymptotic explanations doubtful.The only uncontested evidence in favor of nonasymptotic species accumulation is Southwood's correlation between the number of insect species associated with British tree taxa and the number of Quaternary fossil records of these taxa. I show that nonasymptotic explanations of species richness variation are unacceptable for this system also. The variation in insect species richness among these taxa is well accounted for by a species-area relationship. The species richness asymptote is attained within a few hundred years, and the influence of cumulative host taxon abundance (number of fossil records) upon insect species richness is insignificant after the statistical influence of present-day host plant range is removed. I conclude Southwood's correlation to lack causality; it probably derives from a correlation between the number of fossil records of the host taxa and their present range.

Notes on new and rare fungi on forest trees in Britain

Notes on new and rare fungi on forest trees in Britain

The Insects of British Trees: Community Equilibration in Ecological Time

The Insects of British Trees: Community Equilibration in Ecological Time

A taxonomic history of the British birch tree

Summary Most taxonomists now agree that there are three native birches in Britain but there is disagreement on their correct specific names. Linnaeus' Species Plantarum of 1753 introduced the binomial system to taxonomy and he described two birches that occurred in the cooler parts of Europe. One of these, the dwarf birch, which he called Betula nana has retained its original name but the other, the tree birch B. alba has undergone many changes of name and has been separated into several species by some taxonomists. This paper traces the changes that have occurred in the specific name of the British birch tree since 1753, and shows that if there are two species of birch tree then they should be called B. pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh. The author concludes that until the status of the British birch tree has been satisfactorily examined B. pendula and B. pubescens should be regarded as subspecies of the Linnaean B. alba.

Trees in Britain

Trees in Britain

A Parcel of Ferns from Stephens County, Georgia

mental. The back end of the lath house is a stucco wall, now covered with ivy, where originally there was a beautiful old pepper tree. In recent years, with the construction of storm drains, the water table has gone down and after several drought years all the old and beautiful pepper trees in the neighborhood died, including ours. In the completed lath house we laid out brick walks and constructed a little ravine where some rock ferns could be grown. I also planted an English yew tree, to satisfy my desire for the woods. In the center of the area I planted a Woodwardia radicans at the time the house was enlarged. It is tremendous now. The arching fronds produce buds which root and form new plants in the winter and late spring. These I cut away and hope I can find someone who wants them. The central area has several tree ferns also. The design for a lath house planting, or any other kind of garden for that matter, is a personal matter, like painting a picture: Two can't do it. Really, if you want a fern garden, it is because you love ferns. It is the gardener who hasn't much money to spend but has lots of love to give his plants who has the best luck with ferns, for every fern must be studied and loved for itself alone. In future articles I shall write about the kinds of ferns suitable for a lath house in the Los Angeles area and about some of the problems to be solved in growing them. 5450 CARLIN ST., Los ANGELES 16, CALIFORNIA.

British Trees and Shrubs

British Trees and Shrubs

Trees of Britain

Trees of Britain By Dr. Robert Gurney. Pp. 228 + 18 plates. (London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1958.) 30s. net.

Book Reveiws

British Trees A Guide for Everyman. By Miles Hadfield. Pp. xxv + 468 (150 full-page drawings). (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1957.) 30s. net.

Bacterial diseases of stone-fruit trees in Britain: IX. Bacteriosis of apricot

A hitherto unrecorded bacterial disease of apricots, caused by Pseudomonas mors-prunorum Wormald, involving the leaves, shoots, and older wood, is described in detail. Differences in the relative amounts of acid produced on lactose and maltose is suggested as an additional criterion for distinguishing Ps. mors-prunorum from the related stone-fruit pathogen, Ps. prunicola Wormald. The existence of biologically specialized forms of Ps. mors-prunorum was demonstrated in cross-inoculation experiments with cherry, plum and apricot strains of this organism. The relation of the bacterial die-back to other forms of apricot die-back is discussed. The apricot bacteriosis is compared with that of cherry and plum, and the importance of environmental factors in the epidemiology of the shoot wilt considered briefly.

Copper deficiency of fruit trees in Britain.

Copper deficiency of fruit trees in Britain.

Zinc deficiency of fruit trees in Britain.

ZINC deficiency of fruit trees, which was first recognized by Chandler et al.1 in 1931, has since been reported as a serious trouble in many of the important fruit-growing countries of the world, particularly in the United States2 and Australia3,4,5. In Europe, instances have been reported in Hungary6, Holland, Denmark and Switzerland7. Affected fruits have included Citrus, apples, pears, most stone fruits, walnuts, grapes and pecans, the deficiency being especially widespread in all Citrus fruits.

The Floral Year

"THE FLOBAL YEAR’ has been written by a botanist who, for some years, has been preparing works on natural history which, while losing nothing, in objectivity, were deliberately aimed to win the interest of the inquiring layman by appealing to his love of the aesthetic. In 1944 he published a book called “Flowers in Britain’ which so skilfully combined the scientific and artistic approaches that it became a best-seller. Its success was soon paralleled by a companion volume, ”Trees in Britain", which, the evidence shows, has considerably added to the number of tree-lovers in Britain. Two other works of this type dealing with birds and dogs have since appeared under the editorship of L. J. F. Brimble, and their public reception has been worthy of Brimble's own works. The Floral Year By L. J. F. Brimble. Pp. xiv + 622 + 25 plates. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1949.) 30s. net.