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Table 1 The effect of above- and belowground herbivory treatments on C and N concentration (percentage) and their ratios in leaves and roots of the tomato plants

From: Sequential above- and belowground herbivory modifies plant responses depending on herbivore identity

Tissue

Concentration (Mean ± SE; n = 15)

Ctrl

Nem

Aph

Aph + Nem

Spo

Spo + Nem

Leaf

C

38.99 ± 0.36a

38.60 ± 0.38a

38.66 ± 0.43a

38.37 ± 0.5a

38.61 ± 0.38a

38.56 ± 0.35a

N

2.89 ± 0.08b

2.92 ± 0.10b

2.98 ± 0.08ab

2.75 ± 0.04b

3.03 ± 0.09ab

3.27 ± 0.08a

C/N

13.63 ± 0.41a

13.41 ± 0.41a

13.11 ± 0.38ab

14.00 ± 0.25a

12.94 ± 0.41ab

11.88 ± 0.29b

Root

C

41.86 ± 0.56ab

43.37 ± 0.42a

41.06 ± 0.69b

43.05 ± 0.43ab

37.94 ± 0.51c

42.64 ± 0.56ab

N

2.46 ± 0.08b

3.02 ± 0.04a

2.61 ± 0.07b

2.68 ± 0.06b

2.53 ± 0.06b

3.08 ± 0.05a

C/N

17.18 ± 0.48a

14.38 ± 0.21cd

15.81 ± 0.36abc

16.15 ± 0.37ab

15.1 ± 0.39bcd

13.88 ± 0.21d

 

ANOVA results

AGH

BGH

AGH:BGH

F

P

F

P

F

P

Leaf

C

0.267

0.766

0.542

0.464

0.094

0.911

N

7.127

0.001

0.047

0.8281

4.279

0.017

C/N

6.418

0.003

0.194

0.6606

3.56

0.033

Root

C

9.706

<0.001

38.31

<0.001

4.751

0.011

N

3.28

0.042

61.39

<0.001

10.45

<0.001

C/N

12.58

<0.001

20.04

<0.001

9.95

<0.001

  1. Treatments: Ctrl: control (no herbivory), Nem nematode only, Aph aphids only, Aph + Nem aphids followed by nematodes, Spo S. exigua larvae only, Spo + Nem S. exigua larvae followed by nematodes. AGH and BGH stand for above- and belowground herbivory respectively. (AGH. df: 2, 84; BGH. df: 1, 84; AGH:BGH. df: 2, 84). Italic fonts indicate the significant effects (P < 0.05) of the treatments. Mean ± SE followed by different letters are significantly different from each other (Tukey HSD test: P < 0.05)