Tree canopy arthropods have idiosyncratic responses to plant ecophysiological traits in a warm temperate forest complex.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity studies on forest canopies often have narrow arthropod taxonomic focus, or refer to a single species of tree. In response, and to better understand the wide range of drivers of arthropod diversity in tree canopies, we conducted a large-scale, multi-taxon study which (a) included effect of immediate surroundings of an individual tree on plant physiological features, and (b), how these features affect compositional and functional arthropod diversity, in a warm, southern Afro-temperate forest. We found that tree species differed significantly in plant physiological features and arthropod diversity patterns. Surprisingly, we found negative correlation between surrounding canopy cover, and both foliar carbon and arthropod diversity in host trees, regardless of tree species. Subtle,

SUBMITTER: Swart RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7670454 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature