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March 4, 2026Plant EcologyOpen Access

Selective mortality of seedlings in response to predation by the slug Arion vulgaris (Mollusca: Arionidae)

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Authors

ZMZdeňka MartinkováSPStano PekárAHAlois Honěk

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Overview

Field and laboratory experiments show selective predation on seedlings by slugs, suggesting impacts on herb composition.

Key Points

  • The aim is to investigate how predation by Arion vulgaris affects seedlings of different herb species.
  • Conducted field experiment with 25 herb species exposed to slugs in a controlled setup.
  • Measured mortality rates of seedlings at the cotyledon stage after 7 days in the field.
  • Performed laboratory experiment exposing seedlings of 11 species to slugs for 9 hours at 20 °C.
  • Analyzed the correlation between field and laboratory mortality rates of seedlings.
  • Mortality rates of seedlings varied significantly, with some species showing over 95% mortality.
  • Larger seedlings had higher mortality rates compared to smaller ones.
  • Mortality patterns differed between therophytes and hemicryptophytes.
  • Field and laboratory experiments showed a marginally significant correlation in mortality rates.

Cite This Study

Martinková et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a7cd5ed48f933b5eed99b1https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-025-01594-y
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