Understory host plant and insect gall diversity changes across topographic habitats differing in nutrient and water stress in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

Abstract

Topographic gradients in terra firme forests are associated with pronounced changes in soil texture, soil nutrients and distance to the water-table, thereby creating different hydric and nutritional conditions for plants and their associated herbivore community. The aim of this study was to investigate galling species and host plant richness and gall species composition across topographic habitats differing in nutrient and water stress in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Nineteen 250 x 3 m plots were randomly sampled in the valley, slope, plateau-slope transition, and plateau habitats in terra firme forests. All individual dicotyledonous plants 1 to 3 meters high were examined for the presence of insect galls. Galling species and host plant richness differed significantly among the studied habitats and were higher in slope habitats (drier habitats), as expected. More humid areas (valleys) showed the lowest richness of galling species, and a lower number of understory host plants. PERMANOVA and PERMDISP results demonstrated that the gall species composition differed significantly in the valley, slope, plateau-slope transition, and plateau areas. However, these structural differences in species composition could be due to unequal dispersion of variability among forest habitats. Our data suggested that spatial heterogeneity, such as a mosaic of local water status and nutrient availability resulting from the topographic conditions, can affect host plants and their associated galling insects.