Leaf quality, predators, and stochastic processes in the assembly of a diverse herbivore community

• DOI: 10.1890/10-0125.1
• Publication Date: 2010-08-19T21:00:33Z
• Authors: Nicholas A. Barber; Robert J. Marquis
• Keywords: Community

Ecological communities are structured by both deterministic, niche-based processes and stochastic such as dispersal. A pressing issue in ecology is to determine when for which organisms each of these types important community assembly. The roles deterministic have been studied a variety communities, but very few researchers addressed their contribution insect herbivore structure. Insect niches often described largely shaped the antagonistic pressures predation host plant defenses. However plants frequently discrete patches habitat, spatial arrangement can affect dispersal patterns. We predation, quality, proximity assembly diverse on Quercus alba (white oak) across two growing seasons. examined abundances feeding guilds if ecologically similar species responded similarly variation niches. Most leaf preferring high-nitrogen, low-tannin plants, particularly late season, while bird had little impact abundance. high-quality tended be larger and, some cases, greater richness. analyzed composition correlating indices similarity with predator presence, quality similarity, proximity. Birds did not composition. Community was significantly associated distance between uncorrelated similarity. Thus although affected total abundance herbivores plant, cases leading increased richness, limitation may weaken this relationship. driven rather than characteristics or differential insectivorous birds.