The role of inbreeding and outbreeding in herbivore resistance and tolerance in Vincetoxicum hirundinaria

Background and Aims Inbreeding via self-fertilization may have negative effects on plant fitness (i.e. inbreeding depression). Outbreeding, or cross-fertilization between genetically dissimilar parental plants, may also disrupt local adaptation or allelic co-adaptation in the offspring and again lead to reduced plant fitness (i.e. outbreeding depression). Inbreeding and outbreeding may also increase plant vulnerability to natural enemies by altering plant quality or defence. The effects of inbreeding and outbreeding on plant size and response to herbivory in the perennial herb, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, were investigated. Methods Greenhouse experiments were conducted using inbred and outbred (within- and between-population) offspring of 20 maternal plants from four different populations, quantifying plant germination, size, resistance against the specialist folivore, Abrostola asclepiadis, and tolerance of simulated defoliation. Key Results Selfed plants were smaller and more susceptible to damage by A. asclepiadis than outcrossed plants. However, herbivore biomass on selfed and outcrossed plants did not differ. The effects of inbreeding on plant performance and resistance did not differ among plant populations or families, and no inbreeding depression at all was found in tolerance of defoliation. Between-population outcrossing had no effect on plant performance or resistance against A. asclepiadis, indicating a lack of outbreeding depression. Conclusions Since inbreeding depression negatively affects plant size and herbivore resistance, inbreeding may modify the evolution of the interaction between V. hirundinaria and its specialist folivore. The results further suggest that herbivory may contribute to the maintenance of a mixed mating system of the host plants by selecting for outcrossing and reduced susceptibility to herbivore attack, and thus add to the growing body of evidence on the effects of inbreeding on the mating system evolution of the host plants and the dynamics of plant-herbivore interaction

Plant Chemistry and Local Adaptation of a Specialized Folivore

Local adaptation is central for creating and maintaining spatial variation in plant-herbivore interactions. Short-lived insect herbivores feeding on long-lived plants are likely to adapt to their local host plants, because of their short generation time, poor dispersal, and geographically varying selection due to variation in plant defences. In a reciprocal feeding trial, we investigated the impact of geographic variation in plant secondary chemistry of a long-lived plant, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, on among-population variation in local adaptation of a specialist leaf-feeding herbivore, Abrostola asclepiadis. The occurrence and degree of local adaptation varied among populations. This variation correlated with qualitative and quantitative differences in plant chemistry among the plant populations. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms driving variation in local adaptation in this specialized plant-herbivore interaction

Jaksamisellasi on väliä : Hyvinvoinnin työkalu varhaisen puuttumisen ja uupumisen ennaltaehkäisyn avuksi mielenterveyspotilaan läheiselle

Tämän opinnäytetyön taustalla oli Mielenterveysomaiset Pirkanmaa FinFami ry:n Ankkuri aallokossa -hanke, jonka tarkoituksena on tukea psyykkisesti sairastuneen henkilön omaisia. Hankkeen tarkoituksena on huomioida ja tukea omaisen hyvinvointia. Osaksi Ankkuri-pakettia oli tarkoitus tuottaa omaisen jaksamista tukeva hyvinvoinnin työkalu, jonka avulla omainen voi löytää keinoja tukea omaa jaksamistaan sekä ennaltaehkäistä uupumistaan. Hyvinvoinnin työkalu on esitemuotoinen lehtinen, joka puhuttelee ja luo toivoa omaiselle. Työkalusta löytyvien ehdotusten ja neuvojen avulla omainen voi löytää keinoja tukemaan omaa jaksamistaan sekä kiinnittää huomiota niihin asioihin, joista voi löytää voimavaroja. Opinnäytetyön tutkimustehtävänä oli selvittää omaiskokemusasiantuntijoiden avulla omaisten keinoja pitää huolta itsestään silloin, kun läheinen on sairastunut psyykkisesti. Opinnäytetyön aineisto kerättiin kokemusasiantuntijoiden kirjoittamien tarinoiden avulla ja analysoinnissa käytettiin aineistolähtöistä sisällönanalyysia. Kokemusasiantuntijoita pyydettiin kirjoittamaan omakohtainen tarina siitä, kuinka selvisivät vaikean vaiheen yli ja kuinka pitivät huolta omasta hyvinvoinnistaan. Tulokset jakautuivat kolmeen pääluokkaan, joita olivat itsestä löytyvät voimavarat, jo olemassa olevat voimavarat sekä ulkopuolinen apu ja tuki. Tulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että omaisen hyvinvointia tukevia asioita ovat muun muassa oman, itsenäisen elämän ylläpitäminen ja oman ajan ottaminen, sosiaaliset suhteet, omien harrastusten ylläpitäminen, asioista avoimesti puhuminen sekä vertaistuki ja omaisyhdistystoiminta. Jatkotutkimusehdotukset: kokemusasiantuntijatoiminnan kehittäminen ja hyötyjen tutkiminen omaisten näkökulmasta, sekä psyykkisesti sairastuneen lapsen vanhempien jaksaminen, että psyykkisesti sairaan vanhemman lapsen kokemukset vanhemman sairauden vaikutuksesta lapsen maailmaan. Lisäksi olisi hyvä tutkia omaisten kokemuksia sairastunutta läheistä hoitavan hoitohenkilökunnan antamasta tuesta.The objective of this study was to gather information on how people cope when a person has been diagnosed with a mental illness. The purpose was to plan and produce an informative leaflet for their relatives to support person’s wellbeing and provide tools for coping with the new situation. The leaflet was created as a part of a project together with FinFami Pirkanmaa ry and was attached to their Anchor-package aimed for the relatives of persons with a mental illness. The information was collected by gathering narratives from the experts by experience of FinFami Pirkanmaa ry. Narratives were written based on their own experience about how they coped and what were the key elements that helped them move on when their relative was diagnosed with mental illness. The collected information was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. The results were grouped into three main categories; existing resources within oneself, other already existing resources and external help and support. The results show that elements supporting person’s relative's wellbeing are for example taking time for yourself and maintaining an independent life, keeping up with your social connections and hobbies, talking openly about the situation and your feelings and taking advantage of peer support. It is known that relatives of persons with a mental illness experience a lot of physical and emotional stress so acknowledging the relative's wellbeing is vital. Emphasizing this, supporting and giving instructions to relatives on looking after themselves are important.Opinnäytetyön tuotoksena tuotettu esite löytyy Mielenterveysomaiset Pirkanmaa FinFami ry:ltä

Data from: Genetic factors affecting food-plant specialization of an oligophagous seed predator

Several ecological and genetic factors affect the diet specialization of insect herbivores. The evolution of specialization may be constrained by lack of genetic variation in herbivore performance on different food plant species. By traditional view, trade-offs, i.e., negative genetic correlations between the performance of the herbivores on different food-plant species favour the evolution of specialization. To investigate whether there is genetic variation or trade-offs in herbivore performance between different food plants that may influence specialization of the oligophagous seed-eating herbivore, Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera), we conducted a feeding trial in laboratory using four food-plant species. Although L. equestris is specialized on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria (Apocynaceae) to some degree, it occasionally feeds on alternative food-plant species. We did not find significant negative genetic correlations between mortality, developmental time, and adult biomass of L. equestris on the different food-plant species. We found genetic variation in mortality and developmental time of L. equestris on some of the food plants, but not in adult biomass. Our results suggest that trade-offs do not affect adaptation and specialization of L. equestris to current and novel food-plant species, but the lack of genetic variation may restrict food-plant utilization. Since food-plant specialization of herbivores may have wide-ranging effects for instance on coevolving plant-herbivore interactions and speciation, it is essential to thoroughly understand the factors behind the specialization process. Our findings provide valuable information about the role of genetic factors in food-plant specialization of this oligophagous herbivore

Feeding trials of Lygaeus equestris

Data from laboratory experiment. Data file created with Excel 2010

Mean (± S.E.) concentrations of five chemical compounds in the leaves of <i>Vincetoxicum hirundinaria</i> from three populations.

<p>All concentrations are presented as mg/g dry weight. Overall, the concentrations differ significantly among the populations (MANOVA, Pillai's trace F_10,48 = 2.84, <i>p</i> = 0.007). The <i>F</i>- and <i>p</i>- values represent the results of one-way ANOVAs for differences among the populations for each compound separately. The letters indicate significant difference (<i>p</i><0.05) in the amount of each chemical compound between plant populations.</p

Appendix C. Characteristics of the studied Vincetoxicum hirundinaria populations.

Characteristics of the studied Vincetoxicum hirundinaria populations

Mean (± S.E.) pupal mass of <i>Abrostola asclepiadis</i> in a reciprocal feeding trial.

<p>In a reciprocal feeding trial, <i>A. asclepiadis</i> larvae from three sites (Herbivore population) were grown on plants from the same three sites (Plant population). S denotes sympatric combinations of plant and herbivore populations. The asterisk and “ns” indicate statistical significance (<i>P</i><0.05 or <i>P</i>>0.05, respectively) of contrasts comparing pupal mass of herbivores feeding on sympatric host plants to that on allopatric host plants from the two other populations.</p

Effects of chlorogenic acid content on pupal mass of <i>Abrostola asclepiadis</i> from three populations.

<p>Effects of chlorogenic acid content on pupal mass of <i>Abrostola asclepiadis</i> from three populations.</p