Direct Effects of Carpophagous Insects on the Germination Ability and Early Abscission of Oak Acorns.docVIP

Acta Silv. Lign. Hung., Vol. 2 (2006) 57-68 Direct Effects of Carpophagous Insects on the Germination Ability and Early Abscission of Oak Acorns Gy?rgy CSóKA* – Anikó HIRKA Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Mátrafüred, Hungary Abstract – Carpophagous insects play an important role in decreasing the viability of acorns in both direct and indirect ways. Therefore they significantly influence the reproductive potential of oaks. As a direct effect, their feeding on the embryo and on the cotyledons may prevent the germination of the acorn and on the other hand, their damage causes premature acorn abscission. During 3 years, 60 acorn samples from five oak species (Turkey oak – Quercus cerris, pedunculate oak – Quercus robur, sessile oak – Quercus petraea, downy oak – Quercus pubescens, red oak – Quercus rubra) have been investigated. The average rate of damage varied a lot between years, but was always significant (2000: 36%, 2001: 61%, 2002: 51%). The insects’ influence causing premature acorn abscission was significant both for pedunculate and Turkey oaks. The premature acorn abscission was 34% of the total crop in 2000 for pedunculate oak (Curculio spp. 26%, Cydia spp. 2% and Andricus quercuscalicis 6%) and 39% in 2001 (Curculio spp. 14%, Cydia spp. 2%, Andricus quercuscalicis 13%, Callirhytis glandium 10%). In case of Turkey oak it was 29% in 2001 (C. glandium 16%, Neuroterus saliens 13%, and 12% in 2002 (C. glandium 10%, N. saliens 2%). oaks / Quercus, / acorn / carpophagous insects / germination ability/ early abscission Kivonat – A karpofág rovarok k?zvetlen hatása t?lgymakkok csíraképességére és korai hullására. A karpofág rovarok k?zvetlenül és k?zvetve is egyaránt jelent?s szerepet játszanak a t?lgymakkok csíraképességének cs?kkenésében, ezáltal a t?lgyek reprodukciós képességében. K?zvetlen szere