Authors
Alejandro C Costamagna, Douglas A Landis, Christina D Difonzo
Publication date
2007/3
Journal
Ecological Applications
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
441-451
Publisher
Ecological Society of America
Description
Top‐down regulation of herbivores in terrestrial ecosystems is pervasive and can lead to trophic cascades that release plants from herbivory. Due to their relatively simplified food webs, agroecosystems may be particularly prone to trophic cascades, a rationale that underlies biological control. However, theoretical and empirical studies show that, within multiple enemy assemblages, intraguild predation (IGP) may lead to a disruption of top‐down control by predators. We conducted a factorial field study to test the separate and combined effects of predators and parasitoids in a system with asymmetric IGP. Specifically we combined ambient levels of generalist predators (mainly Coccinellidae) of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, with controlled releases of the native parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) and measured their impact on aphid population growth and soybean biomass and yield. We …
Total citations
20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202447131281412111761011773673