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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Herbivore pressure increases toward the equator.

Diego Salazar¹, Robert J Marquis

¹Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St Louis, St Louis, MO 63121-4499, USA. diegosalazar@mail.umsl.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|July 18, 2012

Summary

Species diversity and density of herbivores increase towards the equator. However, contrary to expectations, this did not lead to increased plant damage, suggesting stronger plant defenses at lower latitudes.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Zoology

Background:

Species diversity and density generally increase from higher to lower latitudes.
The ecological and evolutionary consequences of these diversity gradients are not well understood.
It is hypothesized that increased species diversity at lower latitudes intensifies ecological interactions, such as plant-herbivore interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the latitudinal patterns of herbivore diversity, abundance, and leaf damage on Piper species.
To test the prediction that lower latitudes experience more intense plant-herbivore interactions.
To explore the role of generalist vs. specialist herbivores in latitudinal diversity gradients.

Main Methods:

A large-scale latitudinal transect was established from Mexico to Bolivia.
Leaf damage, herbivore diversity, and abundance of lepidopteran larvae were quantified.
Two widely distributed Piper (Piperaceae) host plant species were studied.

Main Results:

Herbivore density and species richness peaked at the equator and decreased with increasing latitude.
Increased herbivore diversity at lower latitudes was driven by a rise in generalist species, not specialists.
Higher herbivore density at lower latitudes did not correlate with increased plant damage.

Conclusions:

The lack of a latitudinal damage gradient suggests enhanced plant anti-herbivore defenses at lower latitudes.
Latitudinal differences in herbivore communities may stem from distinct selective pressures.
The findings challenge the assumption of uniformly intensifying ecological interactions with decreasing latitude.