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Functional relationship between woody plants and insect communities in response to Bursaphelenchus xylophilus infestation in the Three Gorges Reservoir region
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  • Zhuang Wang,
  • Lijuan Zhao,
  • Jiaqi Liu,
  • Yajie Yang,
  • Juan Shi,
  • Junbao Wen,
  • Ruihe Gao
Zhuang Wang
Beijing Forestry University College of Forestry

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Lijuan Zhao
Shanxi Agricultural University
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Jiaqi Liu
Shanxi Agricultural University
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Yajie Yang
Shanxi Agricultural University
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Juan Shi
Beijing Forestry University College of Forestry
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Junbao Wen
Beijing Forestry University College of Forestry
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Ruihe Gao
Shanxi Agricultural University
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Abstract

To study the effect of the invasion of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus on the functional relationship between woody plants and insect communities, the populations of tree species and insect communities were investigative in the Masson pine forests with different infestation durations of B. xylophilus. In this study, the number of Pinus massoniana began to decrease sharply, whereas the total number of other tree species in the arboreal layer increased gradually with the infestation duration of B. xylophilus. The principal component analysis ordination biplot shows that there was a significant change in the spatial distribution of woody plant species in different Masson pine forest stands. Additionally, a total of 7,188 insect specimens was obtained. The insect population showed an upward trend in stand types with the increase of pine wilt disease infection periods, which demonstrated that the insect community had been significantly affected by the invasion of B. xylophilus. The structure of insect functional groups changed from herbivorous (He) > omnivorous (Om) > predatory (Pr) > parasitic (Pa) > detritivorous (De) in the control stand to He > Pa > Om, De > Pr after B. xylophilus infestation in the forests. The results showed that the populations of He, Pa, and De increased after the invasion of B. xylophilus, but the populations of Pr decreased. Moreover, the redundancy analysis ordination bi-plots reflected the complicated functional relationship between woody plant communities and insects after the invasion of B. xylophilus. The present study provides insights into the changes in the community structure of woody plants and insects, as well as the functional relationship between woody plant communities and insect communities after invasion of B. xylophilus.
03 Jan 2021Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
07 Jan 2021Submission Checks Completed
07 Jan 2021Assigned to Editor
14 Jan 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
25 Feb 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Feb 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Apr 20211st Revision Received
21 Apr 2021Submission Checks Completed
21 Apr 2021Assigned to Editor
21 Apr 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Apr 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
27 Apr 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
05 May 20212nd Revision Received
06 May 2021Submission Checks Completed
06 May 2021Assigned to Editor
06 May 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 May 2021Editorial Decision: Accept