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On comparing herbivore damage in Australian and north temperate systems
L. R. FOX,
P. A. MORROW,
L. R. FOX
Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Search for more papers by this authorP. A. MORROW
Department of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Search for more papers by this authorL. R. FOX,
P. A. MORROW,
L. R. FOX
Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Search for more papers by this authorP. A. MORROW
Department of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Two recent reports suggested that Eucalyptus trees in Australia sustain less insect damage than previously reported (Ohmart 1984; Ohmart et al. 1983a). Those conclusions were based partly on new data and partly on a survey of reports describing herbivory in Australian and in northern forest ecosystems. In this paper the present authors argue that the logic and data interpretations in Oh mart (1984) and Ohmart et al. (1983a) are flawed, and a re-evaluation of arguments and existing data about levels of herbivory is presented.
We also discuss several broader issues raised by this dispute. In particular, we emphasize that the variability that troubles some investigators is a fundamental component of the ecological and evolutionary processes in these systems. This variability generates differences in patterns that are not the result of inaccurate techniques nor of biased observers. It is argued, further, that it is not possible to predict the ecological or management consequences of either large or small amounts of herbivory from assessments of mean levels in natural systems.
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