Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Performance of the cyclic autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata, in relation to birch mast seeding

  • Population Ecology
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The mast depression hypothesis has been put forward to explain the 9- to 10-year population cycle of the autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata; Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in northern Fennoscandia. We analysed long-term data from Finnish Lapland in order to evaluate the critical assumption of the mast depression hypothesis: that better individual performance of herbivores, followed by high annual growth rate of populations, occurs in the year following mast seeding of the host, the mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii). Since mast seeding has been suggested to occur at the expense of chemical defence against herbivores, we bioassayed the quality of birch leaves from the same trees by means of yearly growth trials with autumnal moth larvae. We also measured the size of wild adults as a determinant of potential fecundity of the species in different years. The relative growth rate of larvae was poorer in post-mast years compared to other years, rather than better as assumed by the hypothesis. Conversely, a slight indication of the increase in potential fecundity was observed due to the somewhat larger adult size in post-mast years. Population growth rate estimates, however, showed that the increase in fecundity would have to be much higher to facilitate population increase towards a cyclic peak with outbreak density. Accordingly, our two data sets do not support the assumption of a higher annual growth rate in autumnal moth populations subsequent to mast seeding of the host, thereby contradicting the predictions of the mast depression hypothesis. Temperatures, when indexed by the North Atlantic Oscillation and accumulated thermal sums, were observed to correlate with the abundance or rate of population change of the autumnal moth. The factors underlying the regular population cycles of the autumnal moth, however, remain unidentified. Overall, we suggest that the causal agents in cyclic insect population dynamics should be clarified by field experimentation, since trophic interactions are complex and are further modified by abiotic factors such as climate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2. A
Fig. 3. A
Fig. 4. A
Fig. 5. A

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ayres MP, MacLean SF Jr (1987) Development of birch leaves and the growth energetics of Epirrita autumnata (Geometridae). Ecology 68:558–568

    Google Scholar 

  • Berryman AA, Stenseth NC, Isaev AS (1987) Natural regulation of herbivorous forest insect populations. Oecologia 71:174–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Box GEP, Jenkins GM (1976) Time series analysis: forecasting and control. Holden Day, San Francisco, Calif.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bylund H (1995) Long-term interactions between the autumnal moth and mountain birch: the roles of resources, competitors, natural enemies, and weather. PhD thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl Å, Strandhede S–O (1996) Predicting the intensity of the birch pollen season. Aerobiologia 12:97–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross HL (1972) Crown deterioration and reduced growth associated with excessive seed production by birch. Can J Bot 50:2431–2437

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanhimäki S, Senn J (1992) Sources of variation in rapidly inducible responses to leaf damage in the mountain birch–insect herbivore system. Oecologia 91:318–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E (1982) Inducible defences of white birch to a geometrid defoliator, Epirrita autumata. In: Visser JH, Minks AK (eds) Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Insect-Plant Relationships. Pudoc, Wageningen, pp 199–203

  • Haukioja E (1990) Induction of defenses in trees. Annu Rev Entomol 36:25–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E (1991) Cyclic fluctuations in density: interactions between a defoliator and its host tree. Acta Oecol 12:77–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Neuvonen S (1985) The relationship between size and reproductive potential in male and female Epirrita autumnata (Lep., Geometridae). Ecol Entomol 10:267–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Kapiainen K, Niemelä P, Tuomi J (1983) Plant availability hypothesis and other explanations of herbivore cycles: complementary or exclusive alternatives? Oikos 40:419–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Neuvonen S, Hanhimäki S, Niemelä P (1988) The autumnal moth in Fennoscandia. In: Berryman AA (ed) Dynamics of forest insect populations: patterns, causes, and implications. Plenum, New York, pp 163–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Ossipov V, Lempa K (2002) Interactive effects of leaf maturation and phenolics on consumption and growth of a geometrid moth. Entomol Exp Appl 104:125–136

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks S, Helander M, Heino S (1994) Birch pollen production, transport and deposition for the period 1984–1993 at Kevo, northernmost Finland. Aerobiologia 10:183–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogstad O (1997) Population fluctuations of Epirrita autumnata Bkh. and Operophtera brumata (L.) (Lep., Geometridae) during 25 years and habitat distribution of their larvae during a mass outbreak in a subalpine birch forest in Central Norway. Fauna Norv Ser B 44:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm S-O (1994) Reproductive patterns of Betula pendula and B. pubescens coll. along a regional altitudinal gradient in northern Sweden. Ecography 17:60–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell JW (1995) Decadal trends in the North Atlantic Oscillation: regional temperatures and precipitation. Science 269:676–679

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell JW, Kushnir Y, Visbeck M (2001) The North Atlantic Oscillation. Science 291:603–605

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaitaniemi P, Ruohomäki K (1999) Effects of autumn temperature and oviposition date on timing of larval development and risk of parasitism in a spring folivore. Oikos 84:435–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaitaniemi P, Neuvonen S, Nyyssönen T (1999a) Effects of cumulative defoliations on growth, reproduction, and insect resistance in mountain birch. Ecology 80:524–532

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaitaniemi P, Ruohomäki K, Tammaru T, Haukioja E (1999b) Induced resistance of host tree foliage during and after a natural insect outbreak. J Anim Ecol 68:382–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kallio P, Lehtonen J (1973) Birch forest damage caused by Oporinia autumnata (Bkh.) in 1965-66 in Utsjoki, N. Finland. Rep Kevo Subarct Res Stn 10:55–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Kause A, Ossipov V, Haukioja E, Lempa K, Hanhimäki S, Ossipova S (1999) Multiplicity of biochemical factors determining quality of growing birch leaves. Oecologia 120:102–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly D (1994) The evolutionary ecology of mast seeding. Trends Ecol Evol 9:465–470

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemola T, Tanhuanpää M, Korpimäki E, Ruohomäki K (2002) Specialist and generalist natural enemies as an explanation for geographical gradients in population cycles of northern herbivores. Oikos 99:83–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig WD, Knops JMH (2000) Patterns of annual seed production by northern hemisphere trees: a global perspective. Am Nat 155:59–69

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koricheva J (2002) Meta–analysis of sources of variation in fitness costs of plant antiherbivore defenses. Ecology 83:176–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Krebs CJ (1972) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Harper & Row, New York

  • Linnaluoto ET, Koponen S (1980) Lepidoptera of Utsjoki, northernmost Finland. Kevo Notes 5:1–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen Y (1981) Random sampling in the study of microscopic slides. Rep Aerobiol Lab Univ Turku 5:27–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Masaka K, Maguchi S (2001) Modelling the masting behaviour of Betula platyphylla var. japonica using the resource budget model. Ann Bot 88:1049–1055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May RM (1981) Models for single populations. In: May RM (ed) Theoretical ecology: principles and applications, 2nd edn. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 5–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Messina FJ, Durham SL, Richards JH, McArthur ED (2002) Trade-off between plant growth and defense? A comparison of sagebrush populations. Oecologia 131:43–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuvonen S, Ruohomäki K, Bylund H, Kaitaniemi P (2001) Insect herbivores and herbivory effects on mountain birch dynamics. In: Wielgolaski FE (ed) Nordic mountain birch ecosystems. UNESCO, Paris, pp 207–222

  • Niemelä P (1979) Topographical delimination of Oporinia damages: experimental evidence of the effect of winter temperature. Rep Kevo Subarct Res Stn 15:33–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Niemelä P (1980) Dependence of Oporinia autumnata (Lep., Geometridae) outbreaks on summer temperature. Rep Kevo Subarct Res Stn 16:27–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilssen A, Tenow O (1990) Diapause, embryo growth and supercooling capacity of Epirrita autumnata eggs from northern Fennoscandia. Entomol Exp Appl 57:39–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Ottersen G, Planque B, Belgrano A, Post E, Reid PC, Stenseth NC (2001) Ecological effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Oecologia 128:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perala DA, Alm AA (1990) Reproductive ecology of birch: a review. For Ecol Manage 32:1–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Riipi M, Ossipov V, Lempa K, Haukioja E, Koricheva J, Ossipova S, Pihlaja K (2002) Seasonal changes in birch leaf chemistry: are there trade-offs between leaf growth and accumulation of phenolics? Oecologia 130:380–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruohomäki K, Virtanen T, Kaitaniemi P, Tammaru T (1997) Old mountain birches at high altitudes are prone to outbreaks of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Environ Entomol 26:1096–1104

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruohomäki K, Tanhuanpää M, Ayres MP, Kaitaniemi P, Tammaru T, Haukioja E (2000) Causes of cyclicity of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera, Geometridae): grandiose theory and tedious practice. Popul Ecol 42:211–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Selås V (1997) Cyclic population fluctuations of herbivores as an effect of cyclic seed cropping of plants: the mast depression hypothesis. Oikos 80:257–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Selås V (1998) Mast seeding and microtine cycles: a reply to Lennart Hansson. Oikos 82:595–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Selås V (2000a) Is there a higher risk for herbivore outbreaks after cold mast years? An analysis of two plant/herbivore series from southern Norway. Ecography 23:651–658

    Google Scholar 

  • Selås V (2000b) Seed production of a masting dwarf shrub, Vaccinium myrtillus, in relation to previous reproduction and weather. Can J Bot 78:423–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selås V, Steel C (1998) Large brood sizes of pied flycatcher, sparrowhawk and goshawk in peak microtine years: support for the mast depression hypothesis. Oecologia 116:449–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selås V, Hogstad O, Andersson G, von Proschwitz T (2001a) Population cycles of autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata, in relation to birch mast seeding. Oecologia 129:213–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selås V, Sonerud GA, Histøl T, Hjeljord O (2001b) Synchrony in short–term fluctuations of moose calf body mass and bank vole population density supports the mast depression hypothesis. Oikos 92:271–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Senn J, Hanhimäki S, Haukioja E (1992) Among–tree variation in leaf phenology and morphology and its correlation with insect performance in the mountain birch. Oikos 63:215–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Siemens DH, Garner SH, Mitchell–Olds T, Callaway RM (2002) Cost of defense in the context of plant competition: Brassica rapa may grow and defend. Ecology 83:505–517

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenseth NC, Mysterud A (2002) Climate, changing phenology, and other life history traits: Nonlinearity and match-mismatch to the environment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:13379–13381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stenseth NC, Mysterud A, Ottersen G, Hurrell JW, Chan K-S, Lima M (2002) Ecological effects of climate fluctuations. Science 297:1292–1296

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tammaru T (1998) Determination of adult size in a folivorous moth: constraints at instar level? Ecol Entomol 23:80–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tammaru T, Ruohomäki K, Saikkonen K (1996a) Components of male fitness in relation to body size in Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Ecol Entomol 21:185–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Tammaru T, Kaitaniemi P, Ruohomäki K (1996b) Realized fecundity in Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): relation to body size and consequences to population dynamics. Oikos 77:407–416

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanhuanpää M, Ruohomäki K, Turchin P, Ayres MP, Bylund H, Kaitaniemi P, Tammaru T, Haukioja E (2002) Population cycles of the autumnal moth in Fennoscandia. In: Berryman AA (ed) Population cycles: the case for trophic interactions. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 142–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Tenow O (1972) The outbreaks of Oporinia autumnata Bkh. and Operopthera spp. (Lep., Geometridae) in the Scandinavian mountain chain and northern Finland 1862–1968. PhD thesis. University of Uppsala, Sweden

  • Tenow O, Nilssen A (1990) Egg cold hardiness and topoclimatic limitations to outbreaks of Epirrita autumnata in northern Fennoscandia. J Appl Ecol 27:723–734

    Google Scholar 

  • Varley GC, Gradwell GR, Hassell MP (1973) Insect population ecology: an analytical approach. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen T, Neuvonen S (1999) Performance of moth larvae on birch in relation to altitude, climate, host quality and parasitoids. Oecologia 120:92–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen T, Neuvonen S, Nikula A (1998) Modelling topoclimatic patterns of egg mortality of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) with a geographical information system: predictions for current climate and warmer climate scenarios. J Appl Ecol 35:311–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Visser ME, Holleman LJM (2001) Warmer springs disrupt the synchrony of oak and winter moth phenology. Proc R Soc Lond B 268:289–294

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Kevo Subarctic Research Station for providing facilities for the study. We also thank the dozens of researchers and students who helped with the collection of the data; especially Saini Heino, who provided data on the onset of birch flowering, and Seppo Koponen, who provided data on autumnal moth densities. Otso Huitu, Lauri Kapari, Seppo Neuvonen and Vidar Selås are thanked for their helpful comments on the manuscript. Ellen Valle kindly checked the language. Funding for this study was provided by the Academy of Finland (project 48697 to K. R.).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Tero Klemola, Sinikka Hanhimäki, Kai Ruohomäki, Miia Tanhuanpää & Erkki Haukioja

  2. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland

    Josef Senn

  3. Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station, University of Helsinki, Hyytiäläntie 124, 35500, Korkeakoski, Finland

    Pekka Kaitaniemi

  4. Aerobiology Unit, Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Hanna Ranta

Authors
  1. Tero Klemola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sinikka Hanhimäki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kai Ruohomäki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Josef Senn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Miia Tanhuanpää
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Pekka Kaitaniemi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hanna Ranta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Erkki Haukioja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tero Klemola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Klemola, T., Hanhimäki, S., Ruohomäki, K. et al. Performance of the cyclic autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata, in relation to birch mast seeding. Oecologia 135, 354–361 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1194-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1194-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation