Study Site
We conducted this study at the Scientific Station at Las Joyas (Estación Cientifica Las Joyas) (19o35’20.7”N, 104o15’52.1”W) in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, Mexico. Elevation reaches about 2400m above sea level. The forests transition from dry-deciduous, pine-oak, and cloud, as the elevation increases.
Study Species
We studied a white flowered plant with green berries and un-toothed leaves (most likely Solanum schlechtendalianum) from the genus Solanum, as it was abundant in Las Joyas and occurred in patches, which was essential to our study design.
Data Collection
We collected data from 16 different patches (see Appendix A for coordinates) in the cloud and pine-oak forests of Las Joyas. A patch was defined as an area that has the Solanum plant in high density, where neighbouring plants are all within a meter. We measured each patch with a string that was marked by 1 meter increments, in length and width to the nearest quartile of a meter. Then we photographed the bottom, middle, and top leaves on a gridded background for analysis of five plants that were picked haphazardly from the patch.
All pictures were imported into ImageJ version 1.49 where the overall area of the leaf and the area of accommodating holes in the leaves, if present, we computed using the Measure …show more content…
Linear regression models were applied to data that had two continuous variables (y~x: average % herbivory ~ patch size/elevation). An ANOVA was applied to data that included the categorical variable of leaf placement on the plants stem or canopy cover, or all 3 variables for interaction analysis, (y~x*z; average % herbivory~patch size*leaf placement/canopy/patch size*canopy*elevation). Assumptions of models were checked under the gvlma package version 1.0.0.2. Data was log-transformed if it did not satisfy all assumptions. Ggplot2 package version 2.2.1 was used to graph the data (see Appendix B for R markdown
We conducted this study at the Scientific Station at Las Joyas (Estación Cientifica Las Joyas) (19o35’20.7”N, 104o15’52.1”W) in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, Mexico. Elevation reaches about 2400m above sea level. The forests transition from dry-deciduous, pine-oak, and cloud, as the elevation increases.
Study Species
We studied a white flowered plant with green berries and un-toothed leaves (most likely Solanum schlechtendalianum) from the genus Solanum, as it was abundant in Las Joyas and occurred in patches, which was essential to our study design.
Data Collection
We collected data from 16 different patches (see Appendix A for coordinates) in the cloud and pine-oak forests of Las Joyas. A patch was defined as an area that has the Solanum plant in high density, where neighbouring plants are all within a meter. We measured each patch with a string that was marked by 1 meter increments, in length and width to the nearest quartile of a meter. Then we photographed the bottom, middle, and top leaves on a gridded background for analysis of five plants that were picked haphazardly from the patch.
All pictures were imported into ImageJ version 1.49 where the overall area of the leaf and the area of accommodating holes in the leaves, if present, we computed using the Measure …show more content…
Linear regression models were applied to data that had two continuous variables (y~x: average % herbivory ~ patch size/elevation). An ANOVA was applied to data that included the categorical variable of leaf placement on the plants stem or canopy cover, or all 3 variables for interaction analysis, (y~x*z; average % herbivory~patch size*leaf placement/canopy/patch size*canopy*elevation). Assumptions of models were checked under the gvlma package version 1.0.0.2. Data was log-transformed if it did not satisfy all assumptions. Ggplot2 package version 2.2.1 was used to graph the data (see Appendix B for R markdown