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Predation on Artificial Caterpillars Varies With Vertical Stratification but Not Light Gradients in a Sugar Maple Temperate Forest
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DOI：10.1111/eea.70085.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Forest ecosystems are a mosaic of habitats shaped by structural and light variability, which in turn influence insect herbivores and their interactions with natural enemies. This study dives into how light conditions affect predation rates on insect herbivores feeding on sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall), in relation to observed patterns of herbivory and herbivore abundance. From 2023 to 2024, we conducted field experiments in the Kenauk Nature Reserve, Quebec, across vertical strata (sunlit canopy, shaded canopy, understory) and between sunlit and shaded saplings. Light intensity and canopy openness showed the expected clear differences among vertical strata, with sunlit canopies receiving the most light. Total predation rates measured using artificial caterpillars did not show significant differences. However, arthropod and mammal predation was higher in the understory, while bird predation was mainly confined to the canopy. A similar experiment with saplings showed no significant differences in predation rates between sunlit and shaded saplings, although the data hinted at slightly higher arthropod and mammal predation and lower bird predation on shaded saplings. Herbivory showed no significant differences between light conditions, and herbivore abundance did not vary across strata. Overall, predation rates differed across vertical strata but were not influenced by light gradients between sunlit and shaded saplings. These findings highlight the importance of vertical forest structure in shaping top-down forces and underscore the ecological role of structural heterogeneity in temperate forest ecosystems.
Keywords:
canopy ecology
forest arthropods
habitat structure
top-down force
trophic interactions
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