The aphid addition and exclusion experiment was started in 2011 by Katherine Muller. The original experiment included 100 plants selected from exPt01 that were each assigned to have aphids either added or excluded across multiple years. The intention is to assess the impact of the specialist herbivore Aphis Echinaceae on Echinacea fitness.
In 2025, 32 of the original 100 plants were alive, 12 addition and 20 exclusion plants. Unfortunately, no aphids were found in exP01 but many aphids were found in other remnant plots this year. As soon as I can I will transfer aphids from the plants out in remnants to plants in exP01 to get this experiment on the move.
- Start year: 2011
- Location: Experimental Plot 1
- Overlaps with: Phenology and fitness in P1
- Data collected:
- Plant status (basal, flowering, not present), aphids present, ants present, herbivory (number of leaves significantly chewed on), and the number of aphids added/removed (depending on specific treatment)
- Protocols and datasheets are located at ~Dropbox\aphidAddEx\aphids2025
- Samples collected: NA
- Products:
- Andy Hoyt’s poster presented at the Fall 2018 Research Symposium at Carleton College
- 2016 paper by Katherine Muller and Stuart on aphids and foliar herbivory damage on Echinacea
- 2015 paper by Ruth Shaw and Stuart on fitness and demographic consequences of aphid loads
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