Summary
The effect of artificial acid rain on the reproduction and survival of the aphid Euceraphis betulae on silver birch was studied in Turku, southern Finland. Eight bioassays were done during 1984–1986. In four of the bioassays the aphids produced 40% to over 100% more progeny on birches watered with dilute sulphuric acid (pH 3.5) than on control trees. In four other cases the performance of aphids did not differ between the treatments. An index of aphid reproduction pooled over the whole study was significantly higher on acid-treated than on control birches. The reproduction of aphids on acid-treated birches was enhanced when precipitation was below long term average, suggesting an interaction between the stress caused by acid treatment and dry periods.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alstad DN, Edmunds GF Jr, Weinstein LH (1982) Effects of air pollutants on insect populations. Ann Rev Entomol 27:369–384
Barannik AP (1979) Ecological faunistic characteristics of dendrophilous entomofauna of green plantings in industrial cities of Kemerovo province. Soviet J Ecol 10:56–59
Braun S, Flückiger W (1984) Increased population of the aphid Aphis pomi at a motorway: Part 1 — Field evaluation. Environ Pollut (Ser A) 33:107–120
Braun S, Flückiger W (1985) Increased population of the aphid Aphis pomi at a motorway: Part III — The effect of exhaust gases. Environ Pollut (Ser A) 39:183–192
Dohmen GP (1985) Secondary effects of air pollution: Enhanced aphid growth. Environ Pollut (Ser A) 39:227–234
Dohmen GP, McNeill S, Bell JN (1984) Air pollution increases Aphis fabae pest potential. Nature 307:52–53
Führer E (1985) Air pollution and the incidence of forest insect problems. Z ang Ent 99:371–377
Hajek AE, Dahlsten DL (1986) Coexistence of three species of leaf-feeding aphids (Homoptera) on Betula pendula. Oecologia (Berlin) 68:380–386
Hari P, Raunemaa T (1985) The effect of changes in atmospheric composition on forest growth in Finland. In: Symposium on the Effects of Air Pollution on forest and Water Ecosystems Helsinki April 23–24, 1985. The Foundation for Research of Natural Resources in Finland, Lahti, pp 17–23
Heliövaara K, Terho E, Koponen M (1982) Parasitism in the eggs of the pine bark-bug, Aradus cinnamomeus (Heteroptera, Aradidae). Ann Ent Fenn 48:31–32
Hughes PR, Potter JH, Weinstein LH (1981) Effects of air pollution on plant-insect interactions: Reactions of the Mexican bean beetle to SO2-fumigated Pinto beans. Environ Entomol 10:741–744
Hurlbert SH (1984) Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments. Ecol Monogr 54:187–211
Jeffords MR, Endress AG (1984) Possible role of ozone in tree defoliation by the Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Environ Entomol 13:1249–1252
Kulmala A (1985) Air quality in Finland. In: Symposium on the Effects of Air Pollution on forest and Water Ecosystems Helsinki April 23–24, 1985. The Foundation for Research of Natural Resources in Finland, Lahti, pp 3–15
Matzner E (1985) Effect of acid precipitation on soils-principles demonstrated in two forest ecosystems of North Germany. In: Symposium on the Effects of Air Pollution on forest and Water Ecosystems Helsinki April 23–24, 1985. The Foundation for Research of Natural Resources in Finland, Lahti, pp 47–56
Morrison IK (1984) Acid rain. A review of literature on acid deposition effects in forest ecosystems. Forestry Abstracts 45:483–506
Neuvonen S, Haukioja E (1985) How to study induced plant resistance? Oecologia (Berlin) 66:456–457
Port GR (1981) Auchenorrhyncha on roadside verges. A preliminary survey. Acta Entomol Fennica 38:29–30
Sierpinski Z (1984) Über den Einfluß von Luftverunreinigungen auf Schadinsekten in polnischen Nadelbaumbeständen. Forstwiss Centralbl 103:83–91
Ulrich B (1983) A concept of forest ecosystem stability and of acid deposition as driving force for destabilization. In: Ulrich B, Pankrath J (eds). Effects of Accumulation of Air Pollutants in Forest Ecosystems. D Reidel Publ Comp, Dordrecht pp 1–29
Ulrich B (1984) Effects of air pollution on forest ecosystems and waters — the principles demonstrated at a case study in central Europe. Atmosph Environ 18:621–628
Ulrich B, Matzner E (1983) Ökosystemare Wirkungsketten beim Wald-und Baumsterben. Forst Holzwirt 38:468–474
Villemant C (1980) Influence de la pollution atmospherique sur les microlepidopteres du pin en foret de Roumare (Seine-Maritime). Acta Oecologia Oecol Applic 1:291–306
Villemant C (1981) Influence de la pollution atmospherique sur les populations d'aphides du pin sylvestre en foret de Roumare (Seine-Maritime). Environ Pollut (Ser A) 24:245–263
White TCR (1984) The abundance of invertebrate herbivores in relation to the availability of nitrogen in stressed food plants. Oecologia (Berlin) 63:90–105
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neuvonen, S., Lindgren, M. The effect of simulated acid rain on performance of the aphid Euceraphis betulae (Koch) on silver birch. Oecologia 74, 77–80 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377348
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377348