Damon Mcknight
Australia is home to a diverse array of introduced and native ferns, with close to 400 species. Ferns are not a popular food source for animals due to the toxins in their leaves, but some vertebrates and insects do eat them. While there is limited information on what specifically eats Australian ferns, it is known that ferns are eaten by some animals and insects in other parts of the world. For example, the European wood mouse eats the spores of the European fern, while deer and rabbits eat young bracken ferns. In this paragraph, we will explore what is known about the animals and insects that eat ferns in Australia and discuss the unique characteristics of Australian ferns that may impact their consumption by various creatures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Animals that eat ferns | Cattle, sheep, deer, the European woodmouse, the short-tailed bat, the eastern cottontail rabbit, the Azores Bullfinch, the sawfly, caterpillars, the Peruvian fern insect, aphids, whiteflys, cutworms, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers |
| Ferns that are eaten | Common nardoo, stag horn fern, European fern Culcita macrocarpa, bracken fern |
| Number of Australian fern species | Close to 400 |
| Number of Australian fern genera | 103 |
| Number of Australian fern families | 30 |
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What You'll Learn
Australian tree ferns are more tree than fern
Australian tree ferns are a hardy plant species that can be a spectacular addition to a garden. They are commonly grown in greenhouses or tropical public parks, but also in home gardens. They are shade-loving plants but can also thrive in partial sun or dappled sun locations where they receive six hours of light a day. They can tolerate a variety of soil conditions, including sand, loam, and clay, but will thrive best in a moist, loamy mixture that is rich but well-draining with a neutral to acidic pH level.
The Australian tree fern is a fairly hardy tree fern that can tolerate occasional low winter temperatures of 20 degrees. They are susceptible to root rot, so it is important to ensure that the container has large drainage holes if growing in a pot. They are also not drought-tolerant and need weekly watering. In extremely dry weather conditions, their need for moisture and humidity is extremely important.
The Australian tree fern is usually one of the larger varieties of fern, with a 'trunk'-like structure that is actually a greatly enlarged rhizome. This gives it a more tree-like appearance than other ferns. The 'trunk' of the Australian tree fern can also sometimes be used for food by certain animals, such as feral pigs in Hawaii, which sets it apart from other types of ferns.
The Australian tree fern is also unique in that it reproduces naturally through spores, rather than seeds. This means that they cannot be propagated from cuttings, but only through spores. This method of reproduction is more commonly associated with trees than ferns, further blurring the line between the two plant types.
In conclusion, Australian tree ferns exhibit characteristics of both trees and ferns, but their size, 'trunk'-like structure, and method of reproduction set them apart from other ferns and give them a more tree-like appearance and functionality.
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Bracken ferns are toxic to animals
Ferns are not a popular food choice for animals due to the toxins they produce in their leaves. However, some animals do eat ferns, and the bracken fern, in particular, has been found to be toxic to animals.
Bracken ferns are toxic to domestic livestock such as cows and horses, and if consumed in large quantities over time, the toxins can be lethal. The toxins in bracken ferns have been linked to various blood disorders, a decrease in vitamin B1 levels (which can lead to blindness), and cancer. The most toxic parts of the plant are the rhizomes (underground stems), followed by the fiddleheads and young leaves.
Poisoning in animals caused by bracken ferns is almost always fatal once clinical disease develops. Postmortem examinations often reveal multiple hemorrhages or bruises throughout the carcass, as well as necrotic and hemorrhagic ulcers in the GI tract. The bladder mucosa may also contain small hemorrhages, dilated vessels, or neoplasms.
Ptaquiloside, a norsesquiterpene glucoside, is the primary cause of enzootic hematuria and is one of the toxic compounds found in bracken ferns. It is a potent radiomimetic compound that initially damages the bone marrow and later causes cancer, primarily in the urinary tract. Ptaquiloside is also associated with immunosuppression, which can enhance the risk of papillomavirus infection.
To avoid poisoning, it is crucial to remove animals from bracken fern exposure and improve pasture management to encourage the growth of alternative forage. Alternating between bracken fern-contaminated and non-contaminated pastures at 3-week intervals can help minimize the risk of poisoning. Additionally, regular cutting, deep plowing, and herbicide treatment can effectively reduce bracken fern density.
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Insects that eat ferns
Ferns are not a popular food choice for the animal kingdom. They produce a toxin in their leaves that discourages most vertebrates from eating them. However, there are some insects that are able to feed on ferns.
The sawfly, for example, is a common fern eater. Sawflies tend to feed on the bracken fern, a species of fern that is notorious for its toxins. Bracken fern is also eaten by several species of caterpillar, as well as by deer and the eastern cottontail rabbit, who tend to eat the young bracken ferns.
Lepidoptera larvae, cutworms, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers also feed on fern fronds. These insects do not feed all year round, and some only feed at night, so it is important to monitor the ferns to determine if they are currently being damaged.
Other insects that eat ferns include aphids, whiteflies, and the Peruvian fern insect, which exclusively eats ferns.
In Australia, there have been reports of flying ants or wasps eating stag horn ferns.
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Animals that eat ferns
Ferns are not a very popular food item in the animal kingdom. This is due to the toxins in their leaves, which act as a deterrent to most vertebrates. However, there are some animals that have been known to eat ferns, and even thrive off them.
The mountain beaver, a burrowing rodent living in the Pacific Northwest, is one such example. More than 75% of its diet consists of ferns, mostly bracken and sword fern. Bracken fern is notorious for its toxins, and if cows and horses eat a lot of it, the cumulative effects of the toxins can be lethal. Bracken contains compounds that cause various blood disorders, depress levels of vitamin B1 (which can lead to blindness), and cause cancer. Despite this, the mountain beaver seems to be resistant to these toxins.
The sawfly and several species of caterpillar also eat the bracken fern. The Peruvian fern insect exclusively eats ferns. Other insects that eat ferns include aphids, whiteflies, cutworms, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and moths.
Some vertebrates, such as the European wood mouse, nibble on the spores from the spore-containing packets (called sori) commonly found on the underside of fern fronds. The endemic short-tailed bat of New Zealand also collects spores, and the Azores bullfinch eats both spores and leaves in winter and spring. Deer and the eastern cottontail rabbit often eat young bracken ferns.
Humans also eat ferns, sometimes as a springtime change of diet, and sometimes more regularly. Fiddlehead ferns are a well-known springtime edible, with ostrich fern fiddleheads being the most popular.
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Ferns are one of the oldest plants
Ferns are one of the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with fossils dating back to the middle Devonian period of 383-393 million years ago. They thrived during the Carboniferous period, 299-369 million years ago, growing in vast swamps and sinking to the bottom when they died. Over millions of years, these ferns became the natural gas and coal that we use today. Fossils of the cinnamon fern, or Osmunda cinnamomea, have been found in 70-million-year-old rocks, with no differences between the ancient fossil and the fern as it exists today.
Ferns were even food for herbivorous dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Triceratops, and they prevailed through the extinction of the dinosaurs. According to the fossil record, a fern from 180 million years ago was almost identical to its descendants today.
There are around 10,500 living species of ferns, and they grow in tropic, arctic, and temperate climates on every continent except Antarctica. Ferns tend to be sparse in high altitudes or dry conditions, but they can adapt to less suitable terrain. They grow in shady places and prefer wet areas.
Ferns produce a toxin in their leaves that discourages most vertebrates from eating them. However, some animals do eat ferns, including deer, the eastern cottontail rabbit, and feral pigs in Hawaii, which eat the starchy tree-fern trunks. The most notable fern-eater is the mountain beaver, a burrowing rodent living in the Pacific Northwest, whose diet consists of more than 75% ferns, mostly bracken and sword fern. Insects that eat ferns include sawflies, caterpillars, aphids, whiteflies, cutworms, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and the Peruvian fern insect, which exclusively eats ferns.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian fern, also known as Common Nardoo, is consumed by cattle and sheep on grazing properties in inland Australia. It is also a food source for Aboriginal people and waterfowl.
Ferns produce a toxin in their leaves that deters most vertebrates from eating them. However, certain animals and insects, such as deer, the European woodmouse, the short-tailed bat, and the eastern cottontail rabbit, consume specific fern species during particular seasons.
Insects like sawflies, caterpillars, aphids, whiteflies, cutworms, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers are known to feed on ferns.
Yes, most ferns in North America are not edible, and consuming unidentified fern species is not recommended.
Australian flora boasts nearly 400 fern species, with a variety of growing habits, forms, and sizes. Popular choices include the Birds Nest Fern, the Sword Fern, and the Australian Tree Fern.
