Page 137 [137]
$ Quantitative characteristics | 135
and if 1000 Athonomus are present in 1000 flower buds, there will be no
pollinated flowers. In both cases, a series of populations will be excluded
from the coenosis. This is manifested in the degree of corrumpency of the
winter moth caterpillar population. If, because of an Eurygaster maura attack,
the shoot withers, there will be no support for an Oscinella frit or Oulema
melanopus semaphoront group. Ihe actual amount of biomass, or plant
resource, taken by the plant bug is a tiny quantity compared to the effects of
this feeding activity on the physiological consequences for the plant. This is
the transformative effect.
We can see the degree of corrumpency, based on the transformative effect,
for two reasons. One is that the effect can be measured, in biomass, surface
area or percentage loss. The second reason is that, according to all indications,
in terrestrial habitats, a given amount of plant biomass does not necessarily
assume the presence ofa given amount of animal biomass; the plant biomass
remains in considerable surplus (Heikertinger, 1951). The existence of a
plant-based energy source allows, potentially, the colonisation by certain
populations, or the formation of zoocoenoses, but to what degree this is
realised, is not related to a fixed proportion of the plant biomass. Consequently,
at least with our present knowledge, we cannot predict that on a quantity of
x of apples, a number of y codling moth larvae will develop as, for various
reasons, this number can be y+n as well as y-n. Therefore, the degree of
corrumpency can only be measured by the transformative effect, and if this
is 100% (i.e. all the energy source is used up), the degree of corrumpency
must also be 100%, as all other populations are excluded from the community.
The degree of corrumpency can change in an “island-like” manner, 100% in
a smaller part of the plant cover, while decreasing, gradually or precipitously,
in farther parts. The higher the abundance of a corrumpent, the greater the
degree of its corrumpency on groups of populations (species present, species
density), or effects on their abundance.
From this, the degree of corrumpency will be manifested within precedent
or plenary zoocoenoses. In initial zoocoenoses - organised around
corrumpents - we will only see cases where the catena in question is a relative
of other catenae in the catenarium. In such cases, it is possible that certain
obstant elements will be restricted. However, due to our scarce knowledge,
we cannot present an example of this expected phenomenon.
Based on the possible degree of corrumpency, the corrumpents of a
catenarium can be ranked. Given that the catenarium is composed of populations
dependent on a common energy source, the population that has the biggest
impact on the oecus will have the highest potential degree of corrumpency. A
precondition is that this population be present over extended period, and
attack vital parts of the plant. The population of decisive importance in the
given space exemplifies this, and the name of the catenarium can, logically,
only relate to one of these populations. If several such populations are present,
the catenarium is named after the one with the highest degree of corrumpency.