Herbivore dung quality affects plant community diversity

Elena Valdés-Correcher1,2, Judith Sitters1,3, Martin Wassen4

  • 1Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.

Scientific Reports
|April 7, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Herbivore dung nutrient content, not just quantity, significantly impacts plant diversity and community makeup. Stoichiometric variation in dung nutrients plays a key role in plant ecosystems.

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Plant Diversity02:22

Introduction to Plant Diversity

From Water to Land
48.8K
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores02:26

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores

Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
29.5K
What are Populations and Communities?00:30

What are Populations and Communities?

Overview
37.5K
Plant Tissue Culture02:57

Plant Tissue Culture

Plant tissue culture is widely used in both primary and applied science. Applications range from plant development studies to functional gene studies, crop improvement, commercial micropropagation, virus elimination, and conservation of rare species.
40.4K
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
47.2K
Diversity of Archaea I01:30

Diversity of Archaea I

Archaea, a domain of single-celled microorganisms, are classified into five major phyla based on genetic and biochemical characteristics: Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, Korarchaeota, and Nanoarchaeota. Among these, the phylum Euryarchaeota is notable for its remarkable diversity in morphology, metabolism, and ecological adaptations.Morphological and Metabolic DiversityMembers of Euryarchaeota exhibit a variety of cellular shapes, including rods and cocci. Their metabolic pathways...
569