Functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants drive herbivory in a highly diverse forest.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity loss may alter ecosystem processes, such as herbivory, a key driver of ecological functions in species-rich (sub)tropical forests. However, the mechanisms underlying such biodiversity effects remain poorly explored, as mostly effects of species richness - a very basic biodiversity measure - have been studied. Here, we analyze to what extent the functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plant communities affect herbivory along a diversity gradient in a subtropical forest. We assessed the relative effects of morphological and chemical leaf traits and of plant phylogenetic diversity on individual-level variation in herbivory of dominant woody plant species across 27 forest stands in south-east China. Individual-level variation in herbivory was best explained by multivariate,

SUBMITTER: Schuldt A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4235298 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature