Browsing by Author "Howe, Andy G."
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- Can School Children Support Ecological Research? Lessons from the Oak Bodyguard Citizen Science ProjectPublication . Castagneyrol, Bastien; Valdés-Correcher, Elena; Bourdin, Audrey; Barbaro, Luc; Bouriaud, Olivier; Branco, Manuela; Centenaro, Giada; Csóka, György; Duduman, Mihai-Leonard; Dulaurent, Anne-Maïmiti; Eötvös, Csaba B.; Faticov, Maria; Ferrante, Marco; Fürjes-Mikó, Ágnes; Galmán, Andrea; Gossner, Martin M.; Harvey, Deborah; Howe, Andy G.; Kaennel-Dobbertin, Michèle; Koricheva, Julia; Löveï, Gábor L.; Lupaștean, Daniela; Milanović, Slobodan; Mrazova, Anna; Opgennoorth, Lars; Pitkänen, Juha-Matti; Popović, Marija; Roslin, Tomas V.; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael; Sam, Katerina; Tahadlová, Markéta; Thomas, Rebecca; Tack, Ayco J. M.Scientific knowledge in the field of ecology is increasingly enriched by data acquired by the general public participating in citizen science (CS) programs. Yet, doubts remain about the reliability of such data, in particular when acquired by schoolchildren. We built upon an ongoing CS program, Oak Bodyguards, to assess the ability of schoolchildren to accurately estimate the strength of biotic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. We used standardized protocols to estimate attack rates on artificial caterpillars and insect herbivory on oak leaves. We compared estimates made by schoolchildren with estimates made by professional scientists who had been trained in predation and herbivory assessments (henceforth, trained scientists), and trained scientists’ estimates with those made by professional scientists with or without expertise (untrained) in predation or herbivory assessment. Compared with trained scientists, both schoolchildren and untrained professional scientists overestimated attack rates, but assessments made by the latter were more consistent. Schoolchildren tended to overestimate insect herbivory, as did untrained professional scientists. Raw data acquired by schoolchildren participating in CS programs therefore require several quality checks by trained professional scientists before being used. However, such data are of no less value than data collected by untrained professional scientists. CS with schoolchildren can be a valuable tool for carrying out ecological research, provided that the data itself is acquired by professional scientists from material collected by citizens.
- Exotic ladybirds for biological control of herbivorous insects : a reviewPublication . Rondoni, Gabriele; Borges, Isabel; Collatz, Jana; Conti, Eric; Costamagna, Alejandro C.; Dumont, François; Evans, Edward W.; Grez, Audrey A.; Howe, Andy G.; Lucas, Éric; Maisonhaute, Julie‐Éléonore; Soares, António O.; Zaviezo, Tania; Cock, Matthew J. W.Since the late 19th century, exotic ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) have been used extensively for suppressing herbivorous insects of economic importance. In recent decades, the introduction of non-native biological control (BC) agents has been greatly limited due to the awareness of the potential non-target effects of introductions. Nonetheless, recent episodes of biological invasions of economically important pests have raised the need to carefully consider whether the expected benefits of pest control go beyond the possible environmental risks of introduction. To better understand the factors that contributed to successful BC programs, here we review the literature behind classical and augmentative BC using exotic ladybirds. Additionally, by means of case studies, we discuss the BC efficacy of selected exotic species, e.g., Coccinella septempunctata L., Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), and Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), and their position within the communities of predators in the introduced areas of USA, Canada, and Chile. In Europe, much of the research on exotic ladybirds has been conducted on the undesired impact of H. axyridis. Therefore, we summarize the risk assessment data for this species and review the field research investigating the ecological impact on European aphidophagous predators. According to the BIOCAT database of classical BC programs, 212 ladybird species belonging to 68 genera have been released in about 130 years of BC activity, with 14.6% of introductions having resulted in partial, substantial, or complete control of the target pest. However, because post-release evaluation of establishment and BC success has not always been conducted, this rate could underestimate the successful cases. Among other factors, ladybird establishment and pest suppression mostly depend on (1) intrinsic factors, i.e., high voracity, synchronized predator-prey life cycle, and high dispersal ability, and (2) extrinsic factors, i.e., adaptability to the new environment and landscape composition. This review contributes to improved understanding of ladybirds as exotic BC agents.
- Herbivory on the pedunculate oak along an urbanization gradient in Europe : Effects of impervious surface, local tree cover, and insect feeding guildPublication . Valdés‐Correcher, Elena; Popova, Anna; Galmán, Andrea; Prinzing, Andreas; Selikhovkin, Andrey V.; Howe, Andy G.; Mrazova, Anna; Dulaurent, Anne‐Maïmiti; Hampe, Arndt; Tack, Ayco J. M.; Bouget, Christophe; Lupaștean, Daniela; Harvey, Deborah; Musolin, Dmitry L.; Lövei, Gábor L.; Centenaro, Giada; Halder, Inge Van; Hagge, Jonas; Dobrosavljević, Jovan; Pitkänen, Juha‐Matti; Koricheva, Julia; Sam, Katerina; Barbaro, Luc; Branco, Manuela; Ferrante, Marco; Faticov, Maria; Tahadlová, Markéta; Gossner, Martin M.; Cauchoix, Maxime; Bogdziewicz, Michał; Duduman, Mihai‐Leonard; Kozlov, Mikhail V.; Bjoern, Mona C.; Mamaev, Nikita A.; Fernandez‐Conradi, Pilar; Thomas, Rebecca; Wetherbee, Ross; Green, Samantha; Milanović, Slobodan; Moreira, Xoaquín; Mellerin, Yannick; Kadiri, Yasmine; Castagneyrol, BastienUrbanization is an important driver of the diversity and abundance of tree-associated insect herbivores, but its consequences for insect herbivory are poorly understood. A likely source of variability among studies is the insufficient consideration of intraurban variability in forest cover. With the help of citizen scientists, we investigated the independent and interactive effects of local canopy cover and percentage of impervious surface on insect herbivory in the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) throughout most of its geographic range in Europe. We found that the damage caused by chewing insect herbivores as well as the incidence of leaf-mining and gall-inducing herbivores consistently decreased with increasing impervious surface around focal oaks. Herbivory by chewing herbivores increased with increasing forest cover, regardless of impervious surface. In contrast, an increase in local canopy cover buffered the negative effect of impervious surface on leaf miners and strengthened its effect on gall inducers. These results show that – just like in non-urban areas – plant-herbivore interactions in cities are structured by a complex set of interacting factors. This highlights that local habitat characteristics within cities have the potential to attenuate or modify the effect of impervious surfaces on biotic interactions.