Synchronous leaf production and herbivory in juveniles of Gustavia superba

Synchronous leaf production has been proposed as a mechanism to reduce herbivore damage to young leaves by satiating herbivores. To test this hypothesis, I measured leaf production, leaf survivorship, and herbivore damage on juveniles of Gustavia superba (H.B.K.) Berg (Lecythidaceae), in two sites in Central Panama. Leaves were produced throughout the year, but there were peaks in leaf production at the beginning of the wet scason. Plants that produced leaves synchronously with conspecifics received significantly less damage than plants that produced leaves out of synchrony, and high levels of leaf damage were correlated with shorter leaf lifetimes. These data suggest that plant phenology can influence risks of herbivory.