Landscape-level variability and insect herbivore outbreak captured within modern forests provides a framework for interpreting the fossil record
Temporal patterns of plant–insect interactions are readily observed within fossil datasets but spatial variability is harder to disentangle without comparable modern methods due to limitations in preservation. This is problematic as spatial variability influences community structure and interactions...
Saved in:
Published in | Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 9701 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing Group UK
15.06.2023
Nature Publishing Group Nature Portfolio |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | Temporal patterns of plant–insect interactions are readily observed within fossil datasets but spatial variability is harder to disentangle without comparable modern methods due to limitations in preservation. This is problematic as spatial variability influences community structure and interactions. To address this we replicated paleobotanical methods within three modern forests, creating an analogous dataset that rigorously tested inter- and intra-forest plant–insect variability. Random mixed effects models, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations, and bipartite network- and node-level metrics were used. Total damage frequency and diversity did not differ across forests but differences in functional feeding groups (FFGs) were observed across forests, correlating with plant diversity, evenness, and latitude. Overall, we found higher generalized herbivory within the temperate forests than the wet-tropical, a finding also supported by co-occurrence and network analyses at multiple spatial scales. Intra-forest analyses captured consistent damage type communities, supporting paleobotanical efforts. Bipartite networks captured the feeding outbreak of
Lymantria dispar
caterpillars; an exciting result as insect outbreaks have long been unidentifiable within fossil datasets. These results support paleobotanical assumptions about fossil insect herbivore communities, provide a comparative framework between paleobotanical and modern communities, and suggest a new analytical framework for targeting modern and fossil outbreaks of insect feeding. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2045-2322 2045-2322 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-023-36763-4 |