Intra and interspecific diversity in a tropical plant clade alter herbivory and ecosystem resilience

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.86988.2
• Publication Date: 2024-02-27T12:25:25Z
• Authors: Ari J. Grele; Tara J. Massad; Kathryn A. Uckele; Lee A. Dyer; Yasmine Antonini; Laura Braga; Matthew L. Forister; Lidia Sulca; Massuo J. Kato; Humberto G. Lopez; Andre R. Nascimento; Thomas L. Parchman; Wilmer R. Simbaña; Angela M. Smilanich; John O. Stireman; Eric J. Tepe; Thomas R. Walla; Lora A. Richards
• Keywords: Resilience

Declines in biodiversity generated by anthropogenic stressors at both species and population levels can alter emergent processes instrumental to ecosystem function resilience. As such, understanding the role of its response climate perturbation is increasingly important, especially tropical systems where responses changes are less predictable more challenging assess experimentally. Using large scale transplant experiments conducted five neotropical sites, we documented impacts intraspecific interspecific plant richness genus Piper on insect herbivory, richness, resilience perturbations water availability. We found that reductions diversity had measurable site specific effects herbivorous mortality. The these ecosystem-relevant reduced were often similar magnitude richness. Increased availability herbivory 4.2% overall, altered intra a dependent manner. Our results underscore as foundations importance community location contingencies controlling complex systems.