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Title: The effects of atmospheric CO/sub 2/ on insect herbivores and their hosts plants: Progress report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6150858· OSTI ID:6150858

The overall goal of the research program is to determine how plant/herbivore interactions change with increasing atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentration and how these changes affect community structure and functioning. Five specific objectives have been developed to approach these goals over the grant period. These objectives are to determine: (1) if specialist feeding herbivores respond to host plant CO/sub 2/ enrichment in the same manner as generalist feeders, (2) if the impact of defoliation is lessened under enriched CO/sub 2/conditions, (3) the biochemical basis for the altered nutritional value of leaves resulting from elevated CO/sub 2/, (4) the demographic and consumption responses of an herbivore to CO/sub 2/ regimes, and (5) whether plants with the C/sub 4/ photosynthetic pathway will also have altered relationships with herbivores. Significant progress has been made on three of these goals. Manuscripts are appended. A revised study plan to complete the remaining objectives is appended.

Research Organization:
South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA). Dept. of Biological Sciences
DOE Contract Number:
FG09-84ER60255
OSTI ID:
6150858
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60255-5; ON: DE89011830
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English