Leaf Herbivores Decrease Fitness of a Tropical Plant
- 2 November 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 226 (4674) , 537-539
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.226.4674.537
Abstract
Damage by insect herbivores to neighboring individuals of the shrub Piper arieianum in a neotropical wet forest varies greatly. This differential damage has a genetic basis and results in a 2-year decrease in growth, seed production, and seed viability, with larger plants recovering before smaller plants. The results provide evidence that leaf herbivores represent a potentially strong selective force for the evolution of plant defenses.Keywords
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