Host plant frequency and secondary metabolites are concurrently associated with insect herbivory in a dominant riparian tree.

ABSTRACT: Herbivory is strongly influenced by different sources of plant variation, from traits such as secondary metabolites to features associated with population- and community-level variation. However, most studies have assessed the influence of these drivers in isolation. We conducted a large-scale study to evaluate the associations between multiple types of plant-based variation and insect leaf herbivory in alder ( Alnus glutinosa) trees sampled in riparian forests throughout northwestern Spain. We assessed the associations between insect leaf herbivory and alder mean production of leaf secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds), variation among neighbouring alder trees in leaf phenolics and community-related features including alder relative size and frequency and tree species phylogenetic di

SUBMITTER: Moreira X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6303511 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature