Ecological research conducted over the past five decades has shown that increasing tree species richness at forest stands can improve tree resistance to insect pest damage. However, the commonality ...of this finding is still under debate. In this review, we provide a quantitative assessment (i.e., a meta-analysis) of tree diversity effects on insect herbivory and discuss plausible mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. We provide recommendations and working hypotheses that can serve to lay the groundwork for research to come. Based on more than 600 study cases, our quantitative review indicates that insect herbivory was, on average, lower in mixed forest stands than in pure stands, but these diversity effects were contingent on herbivore diet breadth and tree species composition. In particular, tree species diversity mainly reduced damage of specialist insect herbivores in mixed stands with phylogenetically distant tree species. Overall, our findings provide essential guidance for forest pest management.
Infectious diseases of humans, wildlife, and domesticated species are increasing worldwide, driving the need to understand the mechanisms that shape outbreaks. Simultaneously, human activities are ...drastically reducing biodiversity. These concurrent patterns have prompted repeated suggestions that biodiversity and disease are linked. For example, the dilution effect hypothesis posits that these patterns are causally related; diverse host communities inhibit the spread of parasites via several mechanisms, such as by regulating populations of susceptible hosts or interfering with parasite transmission. However, the generality of the dilution effect hypothesis remains controversial, especially for zoonotic diseases of humans. Here we provide broad evidence that host diversity inhibits parasite abundance using a meta-analysis of 202 effect sizes on 61 parasite species. The magnitude of these effects was independent of host density, study design, and type and specialization of parasites, indicating that dilution was robust across all ecological contexts examined. However, the magnitude of dilution was more closely related to the frequency, rather than density, of focal host species. Importantly, observational studies overwhelmingly documented dilution effects, and there was also significant evidence for dilution effects of zoonotic parasites of humans. Thus, dilution effects occur commonly in nature, and they may modulate human disease risk. A second analysis identified similar effects of diversity in plantâherbivore systems. Thus, although there can be exceptions, our results indicate that biodiversity generally decreases parasitism and herbivory. Consequently, anthropogenic declines in biodiversity could increase human and wildlife diseases and decrease crop and forest production.
The dilution effect hypothesis suggests that diverse ecological communities limit disease spread via several mechanisms. Therefore, biodiversity losses could worsen epidemics that harm humans and wildlife. However, there is contentious debate over whether the hypothesis applies broadly, especially for parasites that infect humans. We address this fundamental question with a formal meta-analysis of >200 assessments relating biodiversity to disease in >60 hostâparasite systems. We find overwhelming evidence of dilution, which is independent of host density, study design, and type and specialization of parasites. A second analysis identified similar effects of diversity in plantâherbivore systems. Thus, biodiversity generally decreases parasitism and herbivory. Consequently, human-induced declines in biodiversity could increase human and wildlife diseases and decrease crop and forest production.
Abstract Neighbouring plant species can indirectly affect each other's fitness through insect herbivores. For instance, the number of eggs an insect deposits on a focal plant can be influenced by the ...presence of a neighbouring plant species because of the herbivore's relative host plant preferences. Yet, the relationship between oviposition preferences (measured in no‐choice tests) and the strength and direction of such indirect effects among neighbouring plants remains poorly understood. We performed a lab experiment using bean beetles ( Callosobruchus maculatus ) and five species of beans to determine if beetles' no‐choice preferences for a neighbouring bean species correlated with the number of eggs laid on a focal species in two‐species environments (diculture). We predicted that as the preference for the neighbouring beans increased compared to the focal host, beetles would lay fewer eggs on the focal bean host. Across all pair‐wise combinations, our prediction was supported: as the relative no‐choice preference of neighbouring beans increased, the number of eggs laid on focal beans decreased. However, this relationship was relatively weak. We also found that beetles tended to lay more eggs in diculture compared to arenas with one bean species. These results provide empirical evidence linking herbivores' no‐choice preferences to the strength of neighbourhood effects and suggest that even within a relatively controlled environment, neighbourhood effects can be weak. Our results also highlight that unexpected changes to the total number of eggs laid by herbivores in mixed‐plant patches relative to monoculture can complicate predictions.
•Here are the revised Highlights, with the adequate number of characters.•Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mediate plant-biotic interactions; yet, the role of VOCs in competition remains largely ...unexplored.•We review potential roles of VOCs in plant competition.•Possible roles include modifying interactions with other trophic levels, neighbour detection, chemical camouflage, and VOC-mediated allelopathy.•We identify challenges to the study of VOCs in plant competition and highlight aspects of interest for future research.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major currency in plant communication where they mediate above- and below-ground interactions between plants and the surrounding organisms (i.e., other plants, microorganisms, pollinators, seed dispersers, herbivores, and their natural enemies). Considering the multiple interactions mediated by VOCs and their impact on a plant’s reproductive success and survival, they can be a crucial weapon in plant-plant competition. However, this particular role of VOCs is underrepresented in the literature. Mechanisms by which volatiles can mediate plant competition can be direct or indirect. Direct mechanisms include establishing a neighbour’s identity and status to select adequate responses and affecting competitor’s seed germination or growth through VOC-mediated allelopathy. Indirect mechanisms can affect the plant's competitive ability by modifying interactions with other trophic levels, for instance, through associational resistance or chemical camouflage. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and can be seen as part of a continuum. In this review, we present evidence from the literature to illustrate these roles and indicate how they could influence competition in plant communities. We propose new research avenues to test if and how these mechanisms affect competitive outcomes and suggest that, in addition to morphological traits, future competition studies should also incorporate data on plant-volatile emissions and measure their effects on the surrounding plants and other trophic levels. This information would allow us to understand competition from a broader perspective by acknowledging the existence of multiple (possibly coexisting) competition strategies and the role of other trophic levels in shaping competitive outcomes.
According to the stress gradient hypothesis (SGH), ecological interactions between organisms shift positively as environmental stress increases. In the case of associational resistance, habitat is ...modified to ameliorate stress, benefitting other organisms. The SGH is contentious due to conflicting evidence and theoretical perspectives, so we adopted a meta‐analytic approach to determine if it is widely supported across a variety of contexts, including different kingdoms, ecosystems, habitats, interactions, stressors, and life history stages. We developed an extensive list of Boolean search criteria to search the published ecological literature and successfully detect studies that both directly tested the hypothesis, and those that were relevant but never mentioned it. We found that the SGH is well supported by studies that feature bacteria, plants, terrestrial ecosystems, interspecific negative interactions, adults, survival instead of growth or reproduction, and drought, fire, and nutrient stress. We conclude that the SGH is indeed a broadly relevant ecological hypothesis that is currently held back by cross‐disciplinary communication barriers. More SGH research is needed beyond the scope of interspecific plant competition, and more SGH research should feature multifactor stress. There remains a need to account for positive interactions in scientific pursuits, such as associational resistance in tests of the SGH.
According to the Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH), ecological interactions between organisms shift positively as environmental stress increases. This hypothesis is contentious due to conflicting evidence, so we adopted a meta‐analytic approach to determine if it is widely supported across a variety of contexts, including different kingdoms, ecosystems, habitats, interactions, stressors, and life history stages. Our findings indicate that the Stress Gradient Hypothesis is well supported in a variety of contexts, not just in the context of botany or competition.
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•Pine stand colonization by PPM increases with pine density.•The proportion of attacked pines decreases with pine density.•Birch provides pure associational resistance by reducing ...pine apparency.•Apparency effects occur within and between stands.•Associational resistance fades with time.
Mixed forests are thought to be less prone to pest insect damage than monocultures. This may result from reduced host availability (i.e., density effect) or from non-host trees reducing the physical or chemical apparency of host trees (i.e., associational resistance, AR). However, associational and density effects are often confounded in mixed forests. We aimed to disentangle their relative contribution to attacks of pine trees by a specialist pest, the pine processionary moth (PPM, Thaumetopoea pityocampa). We assessed pine infestation by PPM by counting the number of winter nests during three consecutive years along an experimental gradient of pine density in presence or absence of a fast growing species, namely birch. The total number of PPM nests per plot increased with pine density (maximum in high density monocultures), while the proportion of attacked pine trees decreased along the same gradient. Birch provided associational resistance via reduced pine apparency due to their greatest higher. This mechanism occurred at two spatial scales, whenever birch was planted within pine plots or in adjacent plots. Associational resistance was stronger in dense stands, probably due to reduced distance between pines and neighboring birches. But AR faded with time, pines becoming taller than birches, making density effects preeminent over apparency effects. Our findings suggest that mixing tree species to trigger resistance to pest insects requires taking into account the relative growth rate of associated species together with the relative proportion of associated species, both within and between stands.
Understanding how plant diversity influences higher trophic levels is important for predicting the consequences of global biodiversity loss. While early studies have focused on the effects of plant ...species richness, more recently a growing number of experiments have explored the effects of plant intraspecific diversity by manipulating the genotypic richness of plant communities.
By combining 162 estimates of effect size from 60 experimental studies, we examined the effects of plant genotypic richness on arthropods, one of the most diverse and abundant taxa which play a crucial role in many ecosystem processes and services. We have also compared the effects of plant genetic and species diversity on arthropods when both were manipulated within the same study.
Species richness and abundance of most trophic groups of arthropods were higher in genetically diverse plant stands. Interestingly, the effects of plant genetic diversity on natural enemies of herbivores were stronger than the effects of plant genetic diversity on herbivores, suggesting that plant genetic diversity effects on predators might be driven by mechanisms independent of herbivores.
Herbivore and predator abundance increased with plant genetic diversity in studies using wild plants whereas predator abundance was unaffected and herbivore abundance was reduced by crop genetic diversity. Damage by generalist herbivores was reduced by plant genetic diversity whereas damage by specialist herbivores was not affected.
When the effects of plant genetic and species diversity on arthropods were compared within the same study, the magnitude of plant genetic diversity effects was comparable to that of plant species diversity.
Our results suggest that plant genetic diversity has significant effects on the diversity of arthropods across several trophic levels, thus highlighting the importance of maintaining high levels of both plant species and genetic diversity for arthropod conservation. However, the potential of using crop genetic mixtures in agriculture for pest control appears to be limited as even though herbivore abundance was reduced in genetically diverse plots, herbivore damage and predator abundance were not affected by crop genotypic richness.
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Specific plant associations may decrease (associational resistance, AR) or increase (associational susceptibility, AS) the likelihood of detection by, and/or vulnerability to, herbivores. We discuss ...presumed mechanisms leading to AR and AS, suggest others, and conduct meta-analyses on plant and herbivore traits affecting AR and AS, and the effects of habitat. Specific plant associations determine the likelihood of detection and/or vulnerability of focal plants to herbivores. AS is more likely with insects and AR more likely with mammals. Unpalatable neighbors increase the likelihood of AR. An herbivore's feeding guild, diet breadth, and habitat type do not influence the likelihood of AR or AS. The effectiveness of AR in reducing herbivore abundance is independent of whether neighboring plants are within a plot of focal crops or along the edge of a plot. AR and AS may be applicable to associations among herbivores, and may be appropriately studied from a landscape perspective.
Mixedwood stands are composed of hardwoods and softwoods, with neither comprising greater than 75%-80% of basal area or aboveground biomass. By conferring associational resistance and greater ...resilience to forests when stressed or disturbed, the more diverse composition of mixedwood stands contributes to forest health. We analyzed three examples where mixedwood stands are more resistant to insect infestations in eastern North America. In balsam fir (Abies balsamea L. Mill.) and spruce (Picea spp.) forests, susceptibility and vulnerability to spruce budworm infestations is reduced with increasing hardwood density. In mid-Atlantic oak-dominated forests, oak mortality following gypsy moth infestations was much greater in oak-dominated forests than in oak-pine mixedwoods, while pine mortality during southern pine beetle infestations was greater in pine-dominated forests than in oak-pine mixedwoods. Overall, mixedwood stands have greater resistance to infestations of defoliators and bark beetles and recover more rapidly from disturbances, reducing economic losses associated with tree mortality and mitigating short-term impacts to ecosystem functioning resulting from insect damage, especially carbon sequestration. Finally, we discuss challenges and opportunities for mixedwood management to minimize insect damage. Management strategies that incorporate mixedwood stands may provide better continuity in supply of forest products and ecosystem services in the face of projected increases in insect infestations associated with changing climate.
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