Effects of Plant Diversity on Plant-Herbivore Interactions (Ecological Studies, 255)

Plant diversity shapes far more than the appearance of ecosystems-it fundamentally alters how herbivores find, feed on, and interact with their hosts.Effects of Plant Diversity on Plant-Herbivore Interactions shows how mixed plant communities reduce herbivore damage through associational resistance, disrupt the cues herbivores rely on, and support populations of natural predators and parasitoids.Diverse ecosystems also harbor a broader range of defensive traits, strengthening plants’ collective resilience to herbivory. Despite decades of research, important questions remain.How do specific combinations of plant species and traits influence herbivory under different environmental conditions?What roles do complex tri trophic interactions-among plants, herbivores, and predators-as well as belowground communities play in shaping these outcomes? And how can these insights be translated into predictive models that inform forest management, agriculture, and conservation?This book addresses th