Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

13 Jul, 03 AM - 14 Jul, 09 AM

This project examines the effects of temperature, precipitation and elevation on leaf damage by insects on five species of Quercus: Q. douglasii, Q. lobata, Q. agrifolia Q. kelloggii and Q. chrysolepis. Leaves will be sampled from the leaf litter surrounding twenty trees of each species along an elevation transect. Thirty leaves from each tree will be photographed and the amount and types of insect damage present will be recorded. Patterns of damage will be compared to climate models for annual temperature and precipitation and to measured elevation at each tree. These data will allow us to examine the hypothesis that precipitation is the best predictor of damage on oak leaves. Previous work on these species from Hastings Natural History Reserve has examined how site fertility influences nutrient levels in leaves of these five species. By using the same species from the same area we will be able to control for differences in leaf nitrogen between species, a potentially confounding variable.

Visit #13146 @Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 8625 | Research

Effects of climate on herbivory in Quercus species

graduate_student - University of Colorado

Reservation Members(s)

Erin Leckey Jul 13 - 14, 2007 (2 days)
Erin Leckey Jul 13 - 14, 2007 (2 days)

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