Description

Spanish language webinars are always free for both members and non-members. 

Presenter: Celeste Franceschini

Click here to watch the recording.

Neotropical wetlands show the highest values of macrophyte diversity and endemism, having high rates of plant productivity and biomass in comparison to those from temperate and cold regions. In the Neotropics, (mainly in the Northeast of Argentina), large mammal herbivores have low abundance and diversity, and therefore, macrophytes are impacted mainly by small herbivores, as invertebrates. Historically, the abundance of the small invertebrate herbivores and their influence on macrophyte communities have been little considered as a biotic process. In this webinar, we analyze and discuss the following questions (1) How important is invertebrate herbivory on Neotropical macrophytes? (2) Are herbivores really scarce within the invertebrate assemblages in these wetland ecosystems? (3) How does the herbivore-macrophyte interaction work in artificial wetlands (rice paddies) and what is its relevance for pest management? Finally, the role of invertebrate herbivores in Neotropical wetlands is discussed, comparing the results with those obtained in the Afrotropics.