The tree growth–herbivory relationship depends on functional traits across forest biodiversity experiments
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2025.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - The tree growth–herbivory relationship depends on functional traits across forest biodiversity experiments
AU - Li, Yi
AU - Schuldt, Andreas
AU - Bauhus, Jürgen
AU - Belluau, Michaël
AU - Berthelot, Sylvie
AU - Burghardt, Karin T.
AU - Bruelheide, Helge
AU - Castagneyrol, Bastien
AU - Chu, Chengjin
AU - Eisenhauer, Nico
AU - Ferlian, Olga
AU - Fründ, Jochen
AU - Gebauer, Tobias
AU - Gravel, Dominique
AU - Jactel, Hervé
AU - Li, Shan
AU - Liang, Yu
AU - Parker, John D.
AU - Parker, William C.
AU - Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael
AU - Staab, Michael
AU - Verheyen, Kris
AU - Schmid, Bernhard
AU - Ma, Keping
AU - Liu, Xiaojuan
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - While studies have demonstrated that higher tree species richness can increase forest productivity, the relationships between tree species richness, tree growth and herbivore damage remain insufficiently explored. Here we investigate these linkages using data from 8,790 trees across 80 species in 9 biodiversity experiments, spanning temperate and subtropical biomes. Despite considerable geographic variation, we reveal an overall positive relationship between tree species richness and insect herbivory, as well as between tree growth and herbivory, at individual, species and community levels. The tree growth–herbivory relationship is further influenced by leaf functional traits. In particular, we show that tree species with a higher carbon to nitrogen ratio and, to a lesser extent, tougher leaves, experienced higher herbivory when their growth rate increased. The associations between tree growth and herbivory are further modulated by climatic and soil variation among the sites. Our study highlights the role of functional traits in shaping the relationship between tree growth and herbivory, supporting the resource availability and plant vigour hypotheses.
AB - While studies have demonstrated that higher tree species richness can increase forest productivity, the relationships between tree species richness, tree growth and herbivore damage remain insufficiently explored. Here we investigate these linkages using data from 8,790 trees across 80 species in 9 biodiversity experiments, spanning temperate and subtropical biomes. Despite considerable geographic variation, we reveal an overall positive relationship between tree species richness and insect herbivory, as well as between tree growth and herbivory, at individual, species and community levels. The tree growth–herbivory relationship is further influenced by leaf functional traits. In particular, we show that tree species with a higher carbon to nitrogen ratio and, to a lesser extent, tougher leaves, experienced higher herbivory when their growth rate increased. The associations between tree growth and herbivory are further modulated by climatic and soil variation among the sites. Our study highlights the role of functional traits in shaping the relationship between tree growth and herbivory, supporting the resource availability and plant vigour hypotheses.
KW - Ecosystems Research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105014114671&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41559-025-02835-z
DO - 10.1038/s41559-025-02835-z
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:105014114671
JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution
JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution
SN - 2397-334X
ER -