1 Provenance Variation in Fuchsia (Fuchsia Excorticata) in Relation to Palatability to Possums (original) (raw)

2013

Abstract

Summary: Fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) has been heavily browsed and often killed by brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in many New Zealand indigenous forests, but remains healthy at some sites despite long histories of possum occupation. To determine whether fuchsia varied genetically in its palatability to possums, material from six widely dispersed stands (provenances) was propagated, and leaf chemistry, leaf morphology, growth rate, and palatability to captive possums was compared. Leaf specific gravity, nitrogen, and phosphorous levels in field-collected foliage varied between palatable and apparently unpalatable provenances of fuchsia. However, these variables, and palatability to captive possums, were similar in propagated material from all provenances. To test the hypothesis that selective browsing had eliminated the more palatable or susceptible genotypes at sites where possums have been present for long periods, we tested the relationship between variation within pro...

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