Oldal 137 [137]
OCR
$ 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.
