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Locust outbreaks have impacted agricultural societies for millennia, they persist today, and humans aim to manage them using preventative strategies. While locusts have been a focus for natural sciences for more than a century, social sciences remain largely underrepresented. Yet, organizational, economic, and cultural variables substantially impact these management strategies. The social sciences are one important means through which researchers and practitioners can better understand these issues. This paper examines the scope and purpose of different subfields of social science and explores how they can be applied to different issues faced by entomologists and practitioners to implement sustainable locust research and management. In particular, we discuss how environmental governance studies resonate with two major challenges faced by locust managers: implementing a preventative strategy over a large spatial scale and managing an intermittent outbreak dynamic characterized by periods of recession and absence of the threat. We contend that the social sciences can help facilitate locust management policies, actions and outcomes that are more legitimate, salient, robust, and effective.
Clara Therville; John Anderies; Michel Lecoq; Arianne Cease. Locusts and People: Integrating the Social Sciences in Sustainable Locust Management. Agronomy 2021, 11, 951 .
AMA StyleClara Therville, John Anderies, Michel Lecoq, Arianne Cease. Locusts and People: Integrating the Social Sciences in Sustainable Locust Management. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (5):951.
Chicago/Turabian StyleClara Therville; John Anderies; Michel Lecoq; Arianne Cease. 2021. "Locusts and People: Integrating the Social Sciences in Sustainable Locust Management." Agronomy 11, no. 5: 951.
Locusts are major intermittent threats to food security and the ecological factors determining where and when these occur remain poorly understood. For many herbivores, obtaining adequate protein from plants is a key challenge. We tested how the dietary protein : non-structural carbohydrate ratio (p : c) affects the developmental and physiological performance of 4th-5th instar nymphs of the South American locust, Schistocerca cancellata, which has recently resurged in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Field marching locusts preferred to feed on high carbohydrate foods. Field-collected juveniles transferred to the laboratory selected artificial diets or local plants with low p : c. On single artificial diets, survival rate increased as foods became more carbohydrate-biased. On single local plants, growth only occurred on the plant with the lowest p : c. Most local plants had p : c ratios substantially higher than optimal, demonstrating that field marching locusts must search for adequate carbohydrate or their survival and growth will be carbohydrate-limited. Total body lipids increased as dietary p : c decreased on both artificial and plant diets, and the low lipid contents of field-collected nymphs suggest that obtaining adequate carbohydrate may pose a strong limitation on migration for S. cancellata . Anthropogenic influences such as conversions of forests to pastures, may increase carbohydrate availability and promote outbreaks and migration of some locusts.
Stav Talal; Arianne J. Cease; Jacob P. Youngblood; Ruth Farington; Eduardo V. Trumper; Hector E. Medina; Julio E. Rojas; A. Fernando Copa; Jon F. Harrison. Plant carbohydrate content limits performance and lipid accumulation of an outbreaking herbivore. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2020, 287, 20202500 .
AMA StyleStav Talal, Arianne J. Cease, Jacob P. Youngblood, Ruth Farington, Eduardo V. Trumper, Hector E. Medina, Julio E. Rojas, A. Fernando Copa, Jon F. Harrison. Plant carbohydrate content limits performance and lipid accumulation of an outbreaking herbivore. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2020; 287 (1940):20202500.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStav Talal; Arianne J. Cease; Jacob P. Youngblood; Ruth Farington; Eduardo V. Trumper; Hector E. Medina; Julio E. Rojas; A. Fernando Copa; Jon F. Harrison. 2020. "Plant carbohydrate content limits performance and lipid accumulation of an outbreaking herbivore." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1940: 20202500.
There is generally a close relationship between a consumer's food and its optimal nutrients. When there is a mismatch, it is hypothesized that mobile herbivores switch between food items to balance nutrients, however, there are limited data for field populations. In this study, we measured ambient plant nutrient content at two time points and contrasted our results with the nutrient ratio selected by wild female and male grasshoppers (Oedaleus senegalensis). Few plants were near O. senegalensis’ optimal protein:carbohydrate ratio (P:C), nor were plants complementary. Grasshoppers collected earlier all regulated for a carbohydrate-biased ratio but females ate slightly more protein. We hypothesized that the long migration undertaken by this species may explain its carbohydrate needs. In contrast to most laboratory studies, grasshoppers collected later did not tightly regulate their P:C. These results suggest that field populations are not shifting their P:C to match seasonal plant nutrient shifts and that mobile herbivores rely on post-ingestive mechanisms in the face of environmental variation. Because this is among the first studies to examine the relationship between ambient nutrient landscape and physiological state our data are a key step in bridging knowledge acquired from lab studies to hypotheses regarding the role ecological factors play in foraging strategies.
Marion Le Gall; Mira L. Word; Alioune Beye; Arianne J. Cease. Physiological status is a stronger predictor of nutrient selection than ambient plant nutrient content for a wild herbivore. Current Research in Insect Science 2020, 1, 100004 .
AMA StyleMarion Le Gall, Mira L. Word, Alioune Beye, Arianne J. Cease. Physiological status is a stronger predictor of nutrient selection than ambient plant nutrient content for a wild herbivore. Current Research in Insect Science. 2020; 1 ():100004.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarion Le Gall; Mira L. Word; Alioune Beye; Arianne J. Cease. 2020. "Physiological status is a stronger predictor of nutrient selection than ambient plant nutrient content for a wild herbivore." Current Research in Insect Science 1, no. : 100004.
Agriculture is a major factor in landscape fragmentation, altering nutrient cycling and animal and plant populations through increasing habitat edge density. Most research on insect herbivores in agroecosystems has focused on the top-down effects of predators moving throughout the habitat mosaic. Few studies have focused on the top-down and bottom-up factors modulating the distribution of insect herbivore populations between natural and agricultural patches. For example, despite an understanding that Australian plague locusts (Chortoicetes terminifera) avoid tree patches, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we explored how wooded remnants within pastures affect locust density and the potential top-down and bottom-up mechanistic explanations. We tested three hypotheses: 1) grasses near wooded areas are nutritionally suboptimal, 2) predator density is higher near wooded areas, and 3) temperatures are cooler underneath trees. We measured locust density, grass nutrient content, predator abundance, temperature, and ground cover along 50 m transects from wooded areas to open grassy areas. We ran those transects in three fields and had four transects per field. We confirmed locust avoidance for trees at a 20 m periphery, however none of the variables tested independently explained this trend. Grass nutrient content was similar underneath wooded areas and in open patches. Predator abundance did not differ between the two habitats. The ground was warmer under wooded areas than in grassy areas potentially due to woody vegetation negating windchill. Further, we found that locust density was negatively correlated with plant protein content and was highest in areas with approximately 20 % bare ground cover. Both plant protein and ground cover are important for grasshopper performance and reproduction. It is likely a complex interaction between these variables and others that drive the distribution of this species and other insect herbivores in agroecosystems. The small-scale mechanisms driving the response of insect herbivores to landscape changes is critical to understanding and predicting population dynamics at large-scales.
Douglas Lawton; Cathy Waters; Marion Le Gall; Arianne Cease. Woody vegetation remnants within pastures influence locust distribution: Testing bottom-up and top-down control. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2020, 296, 106931 .
AMA StyleDouglas Lawton, Cathy Waters, Marion Le Gall, Arianne Cease. Woody vegetation remnants within pastures influence locust distribution: Testing bottom-up and top-down control. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2020; 296 ():106931.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDouglas Lawton; Cathy Waters; Marion Le Gall; Arianne Cease. 2020. "Woody vegetation remnants within pastures influence locust distribution: Testing bottom-up and top-down control." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 296, no. : 106931.
Marion Le Gall; Rick Overson; Arianne Cease. A Global Review on Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Their Interactions With Livestock Grazing Practices. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 2019, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleMarion Le Gall, Rick Overson, Arianne Cease. A Global Review on Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Their Interactions With Livestock Grazing Practices. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 2019; 7 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarion Le Gall; Rick Overson; Arianne Cease. 2019. "A Global Review on Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and Their Interactions With Livestock Grazing Practices." Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7, no. : 1.
Agricultural land use has intended and unintended consequences for human livelihoods through feedbacks within coupled human and natural systems. In Senegal, West Africa, soils are a vital resource for livelihoods and food security in smallholder farming communities. In this study, we explored the connections among land use, soil conditions, plant nutrient content, and the abundance of several locust and grasshopper species. We worked in two rural farming villages in the Kaffrine region of Senegal. Oedaleus senegalensis was least abundant in groundnut areas where plant N was highest and abundance was negatively correlated with plant N across land use types. Overall, grasshoppers were most numerous in grazing and fallow areas. There was little variation in soil properties across land use types and soil organic matter (SOM) and inorganic soil N content were low throughout. SOM was positively correlated with soil inorganic N concentration, which in turn was positively correlated with plant N content. Of the management practices we surveyed, fallowing fields was important for soil N and SOM replenishment. These results corroborate other research indicating that land use, management practices, soil and plant nutrients, and insect herbivore abundance are mechanistically coupled. Although further research is needed, improving soil fertility could be used as an alternative to pesticides to keep locusts at bay and improve crop yields.
Mira L. Word; Sharon Hall; Brian E. Robinson; Balanding Manneh; Alioune Beye; Arianne J. Cease. Soil-targeted interventions could alleviate locust and grasshopper pest pressure in West Africa. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 663, 632 -643.
AMA StyleMira L. Word, Sharon Hall, Brian E. Robinson, Balanding Manneh, Alioune Beye, Arianne J. Cease. Soil-targeted interventions could alleviate locust and grasshopper pest pressure in West Africa. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 663 ():632-643.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMira L. Word; Sharon Hall; Brian E. Robinson; Balanding Manneh; Alioune Beye; Arianne J. Cease. 2019. "Soil-targeted interventions could alleviate locust and grasshopper pest pressure in West Africa." Science of The Total Environment 663, no. : 632-643.
Optimal breeding conditions for locust swarms often include heavy rainfall and flooding, exposing individuals to the risk of immersion and anoxia. We investigated anoxia tolerance in solitarious and gregarious adults of the Australian Plague Locust, Chortoicetes terminifera, by measuring the time to enter an anoxic coma after submersion in water, the time for recovery of ventilation and the ability to stand on return to air. We found a longer time to succumb in immature adults that we attribute to a larger tracheal volume. Time to succumb was also longer after autotomizing the hindlegs to reduce the energetic cost of muscular activity. Time to recover was longer in gregarious males and this developed during maturation, suggesting an increase in the cost of neural processing associated with social interactions under crowded conditions. Short-term changes in rearing conditions had effects that we interpret as stress responses, potentially mediated by octopamine.
R. Meldrum Robertson; Arianne Cease; Stephen J. Simpson. Anoxia tolerance of the adult Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes terminifera). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 2018, 229, 81 -92.
AMA StyleR. Meldrum Robertson, Arianne Cease, Stephen J. Simpson. Anoxia tolerance of the adult Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes terminifera). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 2018; 229 ():81-92.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Meldrum Robertson; Arianne Cease; Stephen J. Simpson. 2018. "Anoxia tolerance of the adult Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 229, no. : 81-92.
Increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition may affect plant biodiversity, subsequently altering ecosystem stability. While a few studies have explored how simulated N deposition affects community stability and its underlying mechanisms, the experimental levels of N addition used are usually higher than current and future N deposition rates. Thus, their results could produce highly uncertain predictions of ecosystem function, especially if the responses to N deposition are nonlinear. We conducted a manipulative experiment that simulated elevated atmospheric N deposition with several N addition levels to evaluate the effect of N deposition on ecosystem stability and its underlying mechanisms in a semiarid grassland in northern China. Here we show that N addition altered community diversity, reducing species richness, evenness, diversity and dominance. In addition, we found that N addition at current N deposition levels had no significant impact on community stability. In contrast, N addition at levels from 4.6 to 13.8 g N m− 2 yr− 1 significantly decreased community stability, although community stability for the 13.8 g N m− 2 yr− 1 treatment was higher than that for the 4.6 g N m− 2 yr− 1 treatment. These results indicate that the response of community stability to N enrichment is nonlinear. This nonlinear change in community stability was positively correlated with species asynchrony, species richness, and species diversity as well as the stability of dominant species and the stability of the grass functional group. Our data suggest a need to re-evaluate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of N deposition on natural ecosystem stability across multiple levels of N enrichment and that additional experimentation with gradients of N loads more similar to future atmospheric N deposition rates is needed.
Decao Niu; Xiaobo Yuan; Arianne J. Cease; Haiyan Wen; Chunping Zhang; Hua Fu; James J. Elser. The impact of nitrogen enrichment on grassland ecosystem stability depends on nitrogen addition level. Science of The Total Environment 2017, 618, 1529 -1538.
AMA StyleDecao Niu, Xiaobo Yuan, Arianne J. Cease, Haiyan Wen, Chunping Zhang, Hua Fu, James J. Elser. The impact of nitrogen enrichment on grassland ecosystem stability depends on nitrogen addition level. Science of The Total Environment. 2017; 618 ():1529-1538.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDecao Niu; Xiaobo Yuan; Arianne J. Cease; Haiyan Wen; Chunping Zhang; Hua Fu; James J. Elser. 2017. "The impact of nitrogen enrichment on grassland ecosystem stability depends on nitrogen addition level." Science of The Total Environment 618, no. : 1529-1538.
For many species, migration evolves to allow organisms to access better resources. However, the proximate factors that trigger these developmental changes, and how and why these vary across species, remain poorly understood. One prominent hypothesis is that poor-quality food promotes development of migratory phenotypes and this has been clearly shown for some polyphenic insects. In other animals, particularly long-distance bird migrants, it is clear that high-quality food is required to prepare animals for a successful migration. We tested the effect of diet quality on the flight behaviour and morphology of the Mongolian locust, Oedaleus asiaticus . Locusts reared at high population density and fed low-N grass (performance-enhancing for this species) had enhanced migratory morphology relative to locusts fed high-N grass. Furthermore, locusts fed synthetic diets with an optimal 1 : 2 protein : carbohydrate ratio flew for longer times than locusts fed diets with lower or higher protein : carbohydrate ratios. In contrast to the hypothesis that performance-degrading food should enhance migration, our results support the more nuanced hypothesis that high-quality diets promote development of migratory characteristics when migration is physiologically challenging.
Arianne J. Cease; Jon F. Harrison; Shuguang Hao; Danielle C. Niren; Guangming Zhang; Le Kang; James J. Elser. Nutritional imbalance suppresses migratory phenotypes of the Mongolian locust ( Oedaleus asiaticus ). Royal Society Open Science 2017, 4, 161039 -161039.
AMA StyleArianne J. Cease, Jon F. Harrison, Shuguang Hao, Danielle C. Niren, Guangming Zhang, Le Kang, James J. Elser. Nutritional imbalance suppresses migratory phenotypes of the Mongolian locust ( Oedaleus asiaticus ). Royal Society Open Science. 2017; 4 (6):161039-161039.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArianne J. Cease; Jon F. Harrison; Shuguang Hao; Danielle C. Niren; Guangming Zhang; Le Kang; James J. Elser. 2017. "Nutritional imbalance suppresses migratory phenotypes of the Mongolian locust ( Oedaleus asiaticus )." Royal Society Open Science 4, no. 6: 161039-161039.
Darron A. Cullen; Arianne J. Cease; Alexandre V. Latchininsky; Amir Ayali; Kevin Berry; Jerome Buhl; Rien De Keyser; Bert Foquet; Joleen C. Hadrich; Tom Matheson; Swidbert R. Ott; Mario A. Poot-Pech; Brian E. Robinson; Jonathan M. Smith; Hojun Song; Gregory A. Sword; Jozef Vanden Broeck; Rik Verdonck; Heleen Verlinden; Stephen M. Rogers. From Molecules to Management: Mechanisms and Consequences of Locust Phase Polyphenism. Advances in Insect Physiology 2017, 167 -285.
AMA StyleDarron A. Cullen, Arianne J. Cease, Alexandre V. Latchininsky, Amir Ayali, Kevin Berry, Jerome Buhl, Rien De Keyser, Bert Foquet, Joleen C. Hadrich, Tom Matheson, Swidbert R. Ott, Mario A. Poot-Pech, Brian E. Robinson, Jonathan M. Smith, Hojun Song, Gregory A. Sword, Jozef Vanden Broeck, Rik Verdonck, Heleen Verlinden, Stephen M. Rogers. From Molecules to Management: Mechanisms and Consequences of Locust Phase Polyphenism. Advances in Insect Physiology. 2017; ():167-285.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDarron A. Cullen; Arianne J. Cease; Alexandre V. Latchininsky; Amir Ayali; Kevin Berry; Jerome Buhl; Rien De Keyser; Bert Foquet; Joleen C. Hadrich; Tom Matheson; Swidbert R. Ott; Mario A. Poot-Pech; Brian E. Robinson; Jonathan M. Smith; Hojun Song; Gregory A. Sword; Jozef Vanden Broeck; Rik Verdonck; Heleen Verlinden; Stephen M. Rogers. 2017. "From Molecules to Management: Mechanisms and Consequences of Locust Phase Polyphenism." Advances in Insect Physiology , no. : 167-285.
Context Grasshoppers are a dominant herbivore assemblage globally and play an important role for ecosystem nutrient cycling. Yet, we lack a strong understanding of the relationship between grasshopper diversity and plant community composition at the landscape scale. Objective Our aim was to test landscape scale relationships between plant and grasshopper communities. Methods We used a large-scale, replicated experiment at four sites, including grazed and protected pastures across a 350 km transect and 200–400 mm precipitation gradient in the steppes of Inner Mongolia, China. We analyzed the relationships between plant and grasshopper parameters with ANOVAs and CCA. Results We collected 17 grasshopper species and 15,000+ individuals. The desert steppe (lowest precipitation) had the lowest grasshopper richness and diversity, but abundance was not different from the other sites. In two dry sites (desert steppe and Stipa steppe), livestock grazing decreased grasshopper diversity and increased abundance of the main pest species. In contrast, at the highest precipitation site (meadow steppe), grasshopper communities did not differ between grazing levels. Across all sites and grazing intensities, grasshopper abundance tended to be lowest and diversity highest in plant communities with intermediate levels of biomass and plant species richness. Conclusion These results support the concept that appropriate land use management practices would be beneficial for increasing biodiversity, promoting grassland sustainability, and reducing outbreaks of the dominant pest grasshopper in Inner Mongolia. Our study suggests that different management approaches are necessary depending on the average annual precipitation and that the driest sites are most vulnerable to disturbance.
Shuguang Hao; Shiping Wang; Arianne Cease; Le Kang. Landscape level patterns of grasshopper communities in Inner Mongolia: interactive effects of livestock grazing and a precipitation gradient. Landscape Ecology 2015, 30, 1657 -1668.
AMA StyleShuguang Hao, Shiping Wang, Arianne Cease, Le Kang. Landscape level patterns of grasshopper communities in Inner Mongolia: interactive effects of livestock grazing and a precipitation gradient. Landscape Ecology. 2015; 30 (9):1657-1668.
Chicago/Turabian StyleShuguang Hao; Shiping Wang; Arianne Cease; Le Kang. 2015. "Landscape level patterns of grasshopper communities in Inner Mongolia: interactive effects of livestock grazing and a precipitation gradient." Landscape Ecology 30, no. 9: 1657-1668.
Coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) are systems of feedback linking people and ecosystems. A feature of CHANS is that this ecological feedback connects people across time and space. Failing to account for these dynamic links results in intertemporal and spatial externalities, reaping benefits in the present but imposing costs on future and distant people, such as occurs with overgrazing. Recent findings about locust–nutrient dynamics create new opportunities to address spatiodynamic ecosystem externalities and develop new sustainable strategies to understand and manage locust outbreaks. These findings in northeast China demonstrate that excessive livestock grazing promotes locust outbreaks in an unexpected way: by lowering plant nitrogen content due to soil degradation. We use these human–locust–livestock–nutrient interactions in grasslands to illustrate CHANS concepts. Such empirical discoveries provide opportunities to address externalities such as locust outbreaks, but society's ability to act may be limited by preexisting institutional arrangements.
Arianne J. Cease; James J. Elser; Eli P. Fenichel; Joleen C. Hadrich; Jon F. Harrison; Brian E. Robinson. Living With Locusts: Connecting Soil Nitrogen, Locust Outbreaks, Livelihoods, and Livestock Markets. BioScience 2015, 65, 551 -558.
AMA StyleArianne J. Cease, James J. Elser, Eli P. Fenichel, Joleen C. Hadrich, Jon F. Harrison, Brian E. Robinson. Living With Locusts: Connecting Soil Nitrogen, Locust Outbreaks, Livelihoods, and Livestock Markets. BioScience. 2015; 65 (6):551-558.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArianne J. Cease; James J. Elser; Eli P. Fenichel; Joleen C. Hadrich; Jon F. Harrison; Brian E. Robinson. 2015. "Living With Locusts: Connecting Soil Nitrogen, Locust Outbreaks, Livelihoods, and Livestock Markets." BioScience 65, no. 6: 551-558.
Studies in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have documented the potential importance of consumers on ecosystem-level nutrient dynamics. This is especially true when aggregations of organisms create biogeochemical hotspots through nutrient consumption, assimilation, and remineralization via excretion and egestion. Here, we focused on aggregations of humans in cities to examine how diet and waste management interact to drive nitrogen- (N) and phosphorus- (P) fluxes into nutrient pollution, inert forms, and nutrient recycling. We constructed six diet patterns (five US-based and one developing nation) to examine N- and P-consumption and excretion, and explored their implications for human health. Next, we constructed six waste-management patterns (three US and three for developing nations) to model how decisions at household and city scales determine the eventual fates of N and P. When compared to the US Recommended Daily Intake, all US diet patterns exceeded N and P requirements. Other than the “enriched CO[subscript 2] environment scenario” diet, the typical US omnivore had the greatest excess (37% N and 62% P). Notably, P from food additives could account for all of the excess P found in US omnivore and vegetarian diets. Across all waste-management approaches, a greater proportion of P was stored or recycled (0 to > 100% more P than N) and a greater proportion of N was released as effluent (20 to > 100% more N than P) resulting in pollution enriched with N and a recycling stream enriched with P. In developing nations, 60% of N and 50% of P from excreta entered the environment as pollution because of a lack of sanitation infrastructure. Our study demonstrates a novel addition to modeling sustainable scenarios for urban N- and P-budgets by linking human diets and waste management through socio-ecological systems.This is the peer reviewed version of the article, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/oik.0239
Arianne J. Cease; Krista A. Capps; Kiza K. Gates; Michelle McCrackin; Daniel A. Nidzgorski. Consumer-driven nutrient dynamics in urban environments: the stoichiometry of human diets and waste management. Oikos 2015, 124, 931 -948.
AMA StyleArianne J. Cease, Krista A. Capps, Kiza K. Gates, Michelle McCrackin, Daniel A. Nidzgorski. Consumer-driven nutrient dynamics in urban environments: the stoichiometry of human diets and waste management. Oikos. 2015; 124 (7):931-948.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArianne J. Cease; Krista A. Capps; Kiza K. Gates; Michelle McCrackin; Daniel A. Nidzgorski. 2015. "Consumer-driven nutrient dynamics in urban environments: the stoichiometry of human diets and waste management." Oikos 124, no. 7: 931-948.
Comparisons of the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents of plants and insect herbivores suggest that phosphorus (P) limitation and herbivore foraging to balance P intake could be common. However, lack of synthetic diets for testing the effects of lower ranges of dietary P has been a major impediment to experimental assessment of the ecological importance of, and physiological responses to, P limitation for terrestrial herbivores. We manipulated dietary P content (% P) over its observed range in terrestrial foliage using artificial diets containing near-optimal contents of other nutrients for the grasshopper Schistocerca americana. Over much of the ecologically relevant range, when consuming single diets over a lifetime, higher P stimulated growth rates and increased survival, with an optimal dietary % P of 0.25-0.50% when measured throughout development. Excessive dietary P (1%) reduced growth and survival. However, with only short-term (3 day) confinement to single diets, dietary P had no effect on food consumption or growth rates. During these short exposures, fifth (but not third) instar hoppers increased the proportion of P excreted relative to P assimilated as dietary P increased. Target experiments demonstrated that, when given a choice, grasshoppers select among foods to attain a P intake target of 0.6%. These data suggest that P-limitation could be common for terrestrial insect herbivores and that they can exhibit ingestive and post-ingestive mechanisms to attain sufficient but not excessive P.
Arianne J. Cease; Michelle Fay; James J. Elser; Jon F. Harrison. Dietary phosphate affects food selection, post-ingestive P fate, and performance of a polyphagous herbivore. Journal of Experimental Biology 2015, 219, jeb.126847 -72.
AMA StyleArianne J. Cease, Michelle Fay, James J. Elser, Jon F. Harrison. Dietary phosphate affects food selection, post-ingestive P fate, and performance of a polyphagous herbivore. Journal of Experimental Biology. 2015; 219 ():jeb.126847-72.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArianne J. Cease; Michelle Fay; James J. Elser; Jon F. Harrison. 2015. "Dietary phosphate affects food selection, post-ingestive P fate, and performance of a polyphagous herbivore." Journal of Experimental Biology 219, no. : jeb.126847-72.
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important limiting nutrients for plant production and consumer performance in a variety of ecosystems. As a result, the N:P stoichiometry of herbivores has received increased attention in ecology. However, the mechanisms by which herbivores maintain N:P stoichiometric homeostasis are poorly understood. Here, using a field manipulation experiment we show that the grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus maintains strong N:P stoichiometric homeostasis regardless of whether grasshoppers were reared at low or high density. Grasshoppers maintained homeostasis by increasing P excretion when eating plants with higher P contents. However, while grasshoppers also maintained constant body N contents, we found no changes in N excretion in response to changing plant N content over the range measured. These results suggest that O. asiaticus maintains P homeostasis primarily by changing P absorption and excretion rates, but that other mechanisms may be more important for regulating N homeostasis. Our findings improve our understanding of consumer-driven P recycling and may help in understanding the factors affecting plant-herbivore interactions and ecosystem processes in grasslands.
Zijia Zhang; James J. Elser; Arianne J. Cease; Ximei Zhang; Qiang Yu; Xingguo Han; Guangming Zhang. Grasshoppers Regulate N:P Stoichiometric Homeostasis by Changing Phosphorus Contents in Their Frass. PLOS ONE 2014, 9, e103697 .
AMA StyleZijia Zhang, James J. Elser, Arianne J. Cease, Ximei Zhang, Qiang Yu, Xingguo Han, Guangming Zhang. Grasshoppers Regulate N:P Stoichiometric Homeostasis by Changing Phosphorus Contents in Their Frass. PLOS ONE. 2014; 9 (8):e103697.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZijia Zhang; James J. Elser; Arianne J. Cease; Ximei Zhang; Qiang Yu; Xingguo Han; Guangming Zhang. 2014. "Grasshoppers Regulate N:P Stoichiometric Homeostasis by Changing Phosphorus Contents in Their Frass." PLOS ONE 9, no. 8: e103697.
This study examined whether hormonal and behavioral responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone (CORT) vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Female snakes were collected during the spring mating season and treated with 4 h of capture stress. We measured plasma CORT and estradiol before, during and after capture stress treatment followed by latency to copulate, a measure of female receptivity. Body condition was determined as the residual from a regression of body mass on snout-vent-length. Baseline CORT did not differ between females in positive and negative body condition, but females in negative body condition showed a significantly larger increase in plasma CORT in response to capture stress. Estradiol, which is generally low during the mating season in this population, did not change in response to capture stress. Body condition, but not capture stress, influenced latency to copulate, suggesting that females are resistant to the behavioral effects of capture stress during the spring mating season. In a second experiment, only females in negative body condition increased latency to copulate in response to injection of a physiological (15 μg) dose of exogenous CORT, while all females responded to a pharmacological (60 μg) dose. These results indicate that behavioral responses to exogenous CORT vary with female body condition during the short mating season. Taken together, our data suggest that variation in body condition may be associated with differences in HPA axis sensitivity and/or glucocorticoid receptor density in the brain.
Catherine A. Dayger; Arianne J. Cease; Deborah I. Lutterschmidt. Responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Hormones and Behavior 2013, 64, 748 -754.
AMA StyleCatherine A. Dayger, Arianne J. Cease, Deborah I. Lutterschmidt. Responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Hormones and Behavior. 2013; 64 (4):748-754.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCatherine A. Dayger; Arianne J. Cease; Deborah I. Lutterschmidt. 2013. "Responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)." Hormones and Behavior 64, no. 4: 748-754.
Recent studies suggest that higher growth rates may be associated with reduced capacities for stress tolerance and increased accumulated damage due to reactive oxygen species. We tested the response of Manduca sexta (Sphingidae) lines selected for large or small body size and short development time to hypoxia (10 kPa) and hyperoxia (25, 33, and 40 kPa); both hypoxia and hyperoxia reduce reproduction and oxygen levels over 33 kPa have been shown to increase oxidative damage in insects. Under normoxic (21 kPa) conditions, individuals from the large‐selected (big‐fast) line were larger and had faster growth rates, slightly longer developmental times, and reduced survival rates compared to individuals from a line selected for small size (small‐fast) or an unselected control line. Individuals from the big‐fast line exhibited greater negative responses to hyperoxia with greater reductions in juvenile and adult mass, growth rate, and survival than the other two lines. Hypoxia generally negatively affected survival and growth/size, but the lines responded similarly. These results are mostly consistent with the hypothesis that simultaneous acquisition of large body sizes and short development times leads to reduced capacities for coping with stressful conditions including oxidative damage. This result is of particular importance in that natural selection tends to decrease development time and increase body size.
Jon F. Harrison; Arianne J. Cease; John M. VandenBrooks; Todd Albert; Goggy Davidowitz. Caterpillars selected for large body size and short development time are more susceptible to oxygen-related stress. Ecology and Evolution 2013, 3, 1305 -1316.
AMA StyleJon F. Harrison, Arianne J. Cease, John M. VandenBrooks, Todd Albert, Goggy Davidowitz. Caterpillars selected for large body size and short development time are more susceptible to oxygen-related stress. Ecology and Evolution. 2013; 3 (5):1305-1316.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJon F. Harrison; Arianne J. Cease; John M. VandenBrooks; Todd Albert; Goggy Davidowitz. 2013. "Caterpillars selected for large body size and short development time are more susceptible to oxygen-related stress." Ecology and Evolution 3, no. 5: 1305-1316.
Responses to hypoxia have been investigated in many species; however, comparative studies between conspecific geographical populations at different altitudes are rare, especially for invertebrates. The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, is widely distributed around the world, including on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau (TP) and the low-altitude North China Plain (NP). TP locusts have inhabited Tibetan Plateau for over 34,000 years and thus probably have evolved superior capacity to cope with hypoxia.
Dejian Zhao; Zhenyu Zhang; Arianne Cease; Jon Harrison; Le Kang. Efficient utilization of aerobic metabolism helps Tibetan locusts conquer hypoxia. BMC Genomics 2013, 14, 631 -631.
AMA StyleDejian Zhao, Zhenyu Zhang, Arianne Cease, Jon Harrison, Le Kang. Efficient utilization of aerobic metabolism helps Tibetan locusts conquer hypoxia. BMC Genomics. 2013; 14 (1):631-631.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDejian Zhao; Zhenyu Zhang; Arianne Cease; Jon Harrison; Le Kang. 2013. "Efficient utilization of aerobic metabolism helps Tibetan locusts conquer hypoxia." BMC Genomics 14, no. 1: 631-631.
Insect tracheal-respiratory systems achieve high fluxes and great dynamic range with low energy requirements and could be important models for bioengineers interested in developing microfluidic systems. Recent advances suggest that insect cardiorespiratory systems have functional valves that permit compartmentalization with segment-specific pressures and flows and that system anatomy allows regional flows. Convection dominates over diffusion as a transport mechanism in the major tracheae, but Reynolds numbers suggest viscous effects remain important.
Jon F. Harrison; James Waters; Arianne Cease; John M. VandenBrooks; Viviane Callier; C. Jaco Klok; Kimberly Shaffer; John J. Socha. How Locusts Breathe. Physiology 2013, 28, 18 -27.
AMA StyleJon F. Harrison, James Waters, Arianne Cease, John M. VandenBrooks, Viviane Callier, C. Jaco Klok, Kimberly Shaffer, John J. Socha. How Locusts Breathe. Physiology. 2013; 28 (1):18-27.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJon F. Harrison; James Waters; Arianne Cease; John M. VandenBrooks; Viviane Callier; C. Jaco Klok; Kimberly Shaffer; John J. Socha. 2013. "How Locusts Breathe." Physiology 28, no. 1: 18-27.
Current paradigms generally assume that increased plant nitrogen (N) should enhance herbivore performance by relieving protein limitation, increasing herbivorous insect populations. We show, in contrast to this scenario, that host plant N enrichment and high-protein artificial diets decreased the size and viability of Oedaleus asiaticus, a dominant locust of north Asian grasslands. This locust preferred plants with low N content and artificial diets with low protein and high carbohydrate content. Plant N content was lowest and locust abundance highest in heavily livestock-grazed fields where soils were N-depleted, likely due to enhanced erosion. These results suggest that heavy livestock grazing and consequent steppe degradation in the Eurasian grassland promote outbreaks of this locust by reducing plant protein content.
Arianne J. Cease; James J. Elser; Colleen F. Ford; Shuguang Hao; L. Kang; Jon F. Harrison. Heavy Livestock Grazing Promotes Locust Outbreaks by Lowering Plant Nitrogen Content. Science 2012, 335, 467 -469.
AMA StyleArianne J. Cease, James J. Elser, Colleen F. Ford, Shuguang Hao, L. Kang, Jon F. Harrison. Heavy Livestock Grazing Promotes Locust Outbreaks by Lowering Plant Nitrogen Content. Science. 2012; 335 (6067):467-469.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArianne J. Cease; James J. Elser; Colleen F. Ford; Shuguang Hao; L. Kang; Jon F. Harrison. 2012. "Heavy Livestock Grazing Promotes Locust Outbreaks by Lowering Plant Nitrogen Content." Science 335, no. 6067: 467-469.