Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory.
Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
ISSN: 1095-9203
Titre abrégé: Science
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0404511
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 11 2023
10 11 2023
Historique:
medline:
13
11
2023
pubmed:
9
11
2023
entrez:
9
11
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of herbivory for 503 plant species at 790 sites across 116° of latitude. With these data, we show that within-population variability in herbivory increases with latitude, decreases with plant size, and is phylogenetically structured. Differences in the magnitude of variability are thus central to how plant-herbivore biology varies across macroscale gradients. We argue that increased focus on interaction variability will advance understanding of patterns of life on Earth.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37943897
doi: 10.1126/science.adh8830
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM