Journal article
The impact of insect herbivory on biogeochemical cycling in broadleaved forests varies with temperature
Nature Communications, Vol.15, pp.1-11
2024
PMCID: PMC11254921
PMID: 39019847
Abstract
Herbivorous insects alter biogeochemical cycling within forests, but the magnitude of these impacts, their global variation, and drivers of this variation remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap and help improve biogeochemical models, we established a global network of 74 plots within 40 mature, undisturbed broadleaved forests. We analyzed freshly senesced and green leaves for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and silica concentrations, foliar production and herbivory, and stand-level nutrient fluxes. We show more nutrient release by insect herbivores at non-outbreak levels in tropical forests than temperate and boreal forests, that these fluxes increase strongly with mean annual temperature, and that they exceed atmospheric deposition inputs in some localities. Thus, background levels of insect herbivory are sufficiently large to both alter ecosystem element cycling and influence terrestrial carbon cycling. Further, climate can affect interactions between natural populations of plants and herbivores with important consequences for global biogeochemical cycles across broadleaved forests.
Details
- Title
- The impact of insect herbivory on biogeochemical cycling in broadleaved forests varies with temperature
- Authors
- Bernice C. Hwang (Corresponding Author) - Lund UniversityChristian P. Giardina - Pacific Southwest Research StationStephen Adu-Bredu - Forestry Research Institute of GhanaM. Noelia Barrios-Garcia - University of VermontJulio C. Calvo-Alvarado - Instituto Tecnológico de Costa RicaGreta C. Dargie - University of LeedsHaoyu Diao - Institute of Applied EcologyVirginia G. Duboscq-Carra - National University of ComahueAndreas Hemp - University of BayreuthClaudia Hemp - University of BayreuthWalter Huaraca Huasco - University of OxfordAleksandr V. Ivanov - Institute of Geology and Nature Management, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of SciencesNels G. Johnson - Pacific Southwest Research StationDries P. J. Kuijper - Mammal Research InstituteSimon L. Lewis - University of LeedsPaulina Lobos-Catalán - Austral University of ChileYadvinder Malhi - University of OxfordAndrew R. Marshall - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research InstituteLevan Mumladze - Ilia State UniversityAlain Senghor K. Ngute - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research InstituteAna C. Palma - James Cook UniversityIon Catalin Petritan - Transylvania University of BrașovMariano A. Rordriguez-Cabal - University of VermontIfo A. Suspense - Marien Ngouabi UniversityAsiia Zagidullina - Université du Québec en Abitibi-TémiscamingueTommi Andersson - University of TurkuDarcy F. Galiano-Cabrera - National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in CuzcoMylthon Jiménez-Castillo - Austral University of ChileMarcin Churski - Mammal Research InstituteShelley A. Gage - The University of QueenslandNina Filippova - Yugra State UniversityKainana S. Francisco - Pacific Southwest Research StationMorgan Gaglianese-Woody - Appalachian State UniversityGiorgi Iankoshvili - Ilia State UniversityMgeta Adidas Kaswamila - Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreHerman Lyatuu - Reforest AfricaY. E. Mampouya Wenina - Marien Ngouabi UniversityBrayan Materu - Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreM. Mbemba - Marien Ngouabi UniversityRuslan Moritz - Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and BiochemistryKarma Orang - Ministry of Agriculture and ForestsSergey Plyusnin - Syktyvkar State UniversityBeisit L. Puma Vilca - University of TurkuMaria Rodríguez-Solís - Instituto Tecnológico de Costa RicaPavel Šamonil - Landscape Research InstituteKinga M. Stępniak - Mammal Research InstituteSeana K. Walsh - National Tropical Botanical GardenHan Xu - Chinese Academy of ForestryDaniel B. Metcalfe - Lund University
- Publication details
- Nature Communications, Vol.15, pp.1-11
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-024-50245-9
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- PMID
- 39019847; PMC11254921
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- The data generated in this study have been deposited to the online repository figshare. The source data are provided in the Source Data file. Additional source data are referenced in the Supplementary Data 1 file. Source data are provided with this paper.
- Organisation Unit
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991048964802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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