Cascading effects of induced terrestrial plant defences on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem function.

ABSTRACT: Herbivores induce plants to undergo diverse processes that minimize costs to the plant, such as producing defences to deter herbivory or reallocating limited resources to inaccessible portions of the plant. Yet most plant tissue is consumed by decomposers, not herbivores, and these defensive processes aimed to deter herbivores may alter plant tissue even after detachment from the plant. All consumers value nutrients, but plants also require these nutrients for primary functions and defensive processes. We experimentally simulated herbivory with and without nutrient additions on red alder (Alnus rubra), which supplies the majority of leaf litter for many rivers in western North America. Simulated herbivory induced a defence response with cascading effects: terrestrial herbivores and aquatic

SUBMITTER: Jackrel SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4389606 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature