Differential impacts on herbivore diversity and scale dependence of tree diversity in subtropical forests

• Published in: The Journal of ecology 2023-03, Vol.111 (3), p.666-675
• Main Authors: Li, Yi, Wang, Ming‐Qiang, Chesters, Douglas, Anttonen, Perttu, Guo, Shi‐Kun, Guo, Peng‐Fei, Chen, Jing‐Ting, Ma, Keping, Bruelheide, Helge, Schuldt, Andreas, Zhu, Chao‐Dong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; BEF‐China; Biodiversity; biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; Community structure; functional diversity; Habitats; Herbivores; Host plants; Lepidoptera; neighbourhood effects; phylogenetic diversity; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Plant diversity; plant–herbivore interactions; Species diversity; Species richness; Tropical forests
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.14054

Plant diversity has been found to increase herbivore diversity, including abundance, species richness and phylogenetic diversity. However, it is yet to be established at which spatial scale these effects are strongest, because host finding and community assembly may be shaped by host diversity both in local habitat patches and at larger scales. Using arthropod herbivore data collected from a large biodiversity and ecosystem function experiment in China (BEF‐China), we analysed how habitat patch (individual study plots) and larger‐scale (surrounding study plots) tree diversity relates to species richness, abundance, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity of herbivore assemblages on focal plants. Tree diversity of both the focal habitat patch and larger‐scale patch neighbourhood affected herbivore diversity patterns and host plant selection, with the effect being greater for the former. Furthermore, focal and neighbouring trees that are phylogenetically related were found more likely to share similar herbivores. Synthesis. By focusing on tree diversity effects of both the local habitat patch and wider patch neighbourhoods, our findings highlight the importance of considering additional scales to give a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying herbivore community structure and diversity patterns in species‐rich forests. 摘要 植物多样性可以促进植食者多样性，包括物种丰富度、多度及系统发生多样性。植食者对其宿主植物的寻找及其群落格局可能受到局域生境斑块以及更大尺度斑块的植物多样性影响，然而植物多样性对植食者的这种生态学效应在不同空间尺度上的表现尚不清楚。 我们通过采集来自中国亚热带生物多样性与生态系统功能 (BEF‐China)野外实验平台的植食性昆虫(鳞翅目幼虫)，分析了局域生境斑块(样方水平)以及更大尺度(周边邻居样方)的植物多样性与中心样方植食者的物种丰富度、多度、功能多样性和系统发生多样性之间的关系。 我们发现，中心样方和邻居样方的植物多样性均显著影响了植食者多样性格局及其对寄主植物的选择，但前者影响更大。此外，中心样方和邻居样方隶属于同属、且系统发生关系近的植物更倾向于共享亲缘关系近的植食性昆虫。 本研究通过关注局域斑块和更大范围邻域斑块的植物多样性对植食者多样性的影响表明，考虑更大尺度的植物多样性效应能够有助于我们更好地理解物种丰富的亚热带森林中植食性昆虫的群落结构和及其多样性格局的形成机制。 By focusing on tree diversity effects of both the local habitat patch and wider patch neighbourhoods, our findings highlight the importance of considering additional scales to give a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying herbivore community structure and diversity patterns in species‐rich forests.