Human-mediated disturbance in multitrophic interactions results in outbreak levels of North America's most venomous caterpillar.
Biol Lett
; 15(9): 20190470, 2019 09 27.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31480937
ABSTRACT
Anthropogenic environmental change is predicted to disrupt multitrophic interactions, which may have drastic consequences for population-level processes. Here, we investigate how a large-scale human-mediated disturbance affects the abundance of North America's most venomous caterpillar species, Megalopyge opercularis. Specifically, we used a natural experiment where netting was deployed to cover the entire canopies of a subset of mature southern live oak trees (Quercus virginiana) to exclude urban pest birds (grackles and pigeons), throughout an 8.1 km2 area encompassing a medical centre in Houston, Texas. We used this experimental exclusion to test the following hypothesis:
release from avian predators increases caterpillar abundance to outbreak levels, which increases the risk to human health. Results from a multi-year survey show that caterpillar abundance increased, on average, more than 7300% on netted versus non-netted trees. Thus, increases in caterpillar abundance due to anthropogenic enemy release increase human exposure to this venomous pest, and should be considered a health threat in the area. This study emphasizes the unforeseen consequences of ecological disturbance for species interactions and highlights the importance of considering ecology in urban planning.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Ponzoñas
/
Mariposas Nocturnas
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biol Lett
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos