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Leaf palatability, life expectancy and herbivore damage.

T R E Southwood1, V K Brown2, P M Reader2

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3PS, Oxford, UK.

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|March 18, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Leaf palatability to insects is linked to leaf lifespan. While less palatable leaves experience less damage initially, their longer life leads to greater accumulated herbivory over time, impacting plant defense strategies.

Keywords:
ApparencyHerbivoryLeavesLife-expectancyPalatability

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Plant-insect interactions
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Plant defense mechanisms are crucial for survival against herbivores.
  • Leaf life-expectancy is a key factor influencing plant-herbivore dynamics.
  • Existing theories on plant palatability include the apparency theory and resource availability theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between leaf palatability to insect herbivores and leaf life-expectancy.
  • To determine how leaf life-expectancy influences the total amount of herbivore damage accumulated over time.
  • To contextualize these findings within current ecological theories of plant defense and habitat suitability.

Main Methods:

  • Observations of insect herbivory on leaves across diverse plant life-forms (ruderals to trees).
  • Correlation analysis between leaf palatability and leaf life-expectancy.
  • Comparison of accumulated herbivore damage on leaves with varying palatability and life-expectancy.

Main Results:

  • Leaf palatability to insect herbivores is strongly correlated with leaf life-expectancy.
  • The amount of field damage is inversely correlated with palatability; less palatable leaves accumulate more damage over their longer lifespan.
  • Only extremely well-defended evergreen leaves experience less total damage than less palatable, short-lived leaves.

Conclusions:

  • Leaf life-expectancy is a critical determinant of accumulated herbivore damage, moderating the effects of palatability.
  • Plant defense strategies must balance immediate herbivory rates with the longevity of plant tissues.
  • Findings support and extend current theories on plant palatability and defense within the habitat templet framework.