Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores02:26

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores

23.7K
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.
23.7K
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

13.0K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
13.0K
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

16.2K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
16.2K
Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

27.9K
Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
27.9K
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

35.4K
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.
35.4K
Short-distance Transport of Resources02:12

Short-distance Transport of Resources

16.0K
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
16.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quantifying leaf herbivory: A guide to methodological trade-offs and best practices.

Ecology·2026
Same author

Effects of a heat wave event on the chemical ecology of species interactions in the potato agroecosystem.

Environmental entomology·2025
Same author

Signaling defenses with color: a meta-analysis of leaf color variation, palatability, and herbivore damage.

The New phytologist·2025
Same author

Mean plant toxicity modulates the effects of plant defense variability.

Ecology·2025
Same author

Large Differences in Herbivore Performance Emerge From Simple Herbivore Behaviours and Fine-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity in Phytochemistry.

Ecology letters·2024
Same author

The frequency and chemical phenotype of neighboring plants determine the effects of intraspecific plant diversity.

Ecology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
10:28

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling

Published on: December 18, 2011

16.4K

Neutrality in plant-herbivore interactions.

Vincent S Pan1,2,3, William C Wetzel1,2,3,4

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, Easting Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 20, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Random sampling of herbivores explains unequal plant damage, challenging traditional views. This neutral model, using just one parameter, accurately predicts herbivory patterns across diverse plant species and latitudes.

Keywords:
R packagefunctional equivalenceherbivoryintraspecific variationneutral theorysub-individual variation

More Related Videos

Detached Leaf Assays to Simplify Gene Expression Studies in Potato During Infestation by Chewing Insect Manduca sexta
05:56

Detached Leaf Assays to Simplify Gene Expression Studies in Potato During Infestation by Chewing Insect Manduca sexta

Published on: May 15, 2019

6.7K
Characterizing Herbivore Resistance Mechanisms: Spittlebugs on Brachiaria spp. as an Example
06:52

Characterizing Herbivore Resistance Mechanisms: Spittlebugs on Brachiaria spp. as an Example

Published on: June 19, 2011

13.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
10:28

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling

Published on: December 18, 2011

16.4K
Detached Leaf Assays to Simplify Gene Expression Studies in Potato During Infestation by Chewing Insect Manduca sexta
05:56

Detached Leaf Assays to Simplify Gene Expression Studies in Potato During Infestation by Chewing Insect Manduca sexta

Published on: May 15, 2019

6.7K
Characterizing Herbivore Resistance Mechanisms: Spittlebugs on Brachiaria spp. as an Example
06:52

Characterizing Herbivore Resistance Mechanisms: Spittlebugs on Brachiaria spp. as an Example

Published on: June 19, 2011

13.8K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Plant-herbivore interactions are central to ecology, with damage distribution patterns often attributed to plant or herbivore heterogeneity.
  • The influence of stochastic processes on structuring these interactions has been largely overlooked in previous research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of neutral stochastic processes in explaining variation in herbivore damage patterns.
  • To develop and test a neutral model based on metabolic theory and random herbivore sampling.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a neutral model assuming random herbivore feeding on identical plants.
  • Validated model predictions against 765 herbivory datasets from 496 species across diverse latitudes (Herbivory Variability Network).
  • Utilized a single free parameter (attack rate) for model fitting.

Main Results:

  • The neutral model accurately approximated the observed frequency distribution of herbivore damage among plants and leaves.
  • Model performance was consistent across a wide range of species and geographical locations.
  • The model's success was achieved with minimal assumptions and a single adjustable parameter.

Conclusions:

  • Neutral stochastic processes play a significant, underappreciated role in generating variation in herbivory.
  • These processes can explain the often low predictability of plant-herbivore interaction patterns.
  • Stochasticity should be considered a powerful and fundamental force in plant-herbivore ecology.