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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
10:20
Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Environmental context determines within- and potential between-generation consequences of herbivory
Susan M Lin1, Laura F Galloway
1Mountain Lake Biological Station, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
Oecologia
|April 22, 2010
Summary
Deer browsing impacts plant tolerance to herbivory differently across forest light environments. Light-gap plants showed reduced tolerance and delayed flowering, leading to fewer high-fitness offspring.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Plant tolerance to herbivory is influenced by environmental factors and resource availability.
- Resource-rich environments can either increase or decrease plant tolerance to herbivory.
- Transgenerational effects of herbivory can alter plant tolerance across generations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the within- and between-generation effects of deer browsing on Campanulastrum americanum in different light habitats.
- To determine how environmental conditions (light gaps vs. understory) mediate plant tolerance to herbivory.
- To assess the impact of herbivory on reproductive phenology and offspring life history.
Main Methods:
- Campanulastrum americanum plants were subjected to deer-browsing, simulated herbivory, and control treatments.
- Experiments were conducted in both light-gap and understory forest habitats.
- Measurements included herbivore damage, vegetative recovery, flowering time, and fruit production.
Main Results:
- Plants in light gaps experienced earlier and more frequent browsing with less recovery compared to understory plants.
- Reduced tolerance to herbivory was observed in light gaps, even when damage levels were experimentally equalized.
- Deer browsing delayed flowering in light-gap plants, influencing the ratio of annual to biennial offspring.
Conclusions:
- Environmental context, particularly light availability, significantly modifies plant tolerance to herbivory.
- Deer herbivory imposes transgenerational costs on Campanulastrum americanum by altering offspring life history.
- Forest management strategies should consider habitat-specific plant responses to herbivory.
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