Leaf traits linked to structure and palatability drive plant–insect interactions within three forested ecosystems

Abstract

Premise: Plant traits and insect herbivory have been highly studied within the modern record but only to a limited extent within the paleontological. Preservation influences what can be measured within the fossil record but modern methods are also not compatible with paleobotanical methods. To remedy this knowledge gap, a comparable framework was created here using modern and paleobotanical methods allowing for future comparisons within the fossil record.Methods: Insect feeding damage on selected tree species at Harvard Forest, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and La Selva was quantified using the damage type system prevalent within paleobotanical studies, and compared to leaf traits. Linear models and random forests analyses tested the influence of leaf traits on total, specialized, gall, and mine frequency and diversity.Results: Structural traits like LMA and palatability traits including lignin and phosphorus concentrations are important variables affecting gall and mine damage. The significance and strength of trait‐herbivory relationships varied across forest type, which is likely driven by differences in local insect populations.Conclusions: This work addresses the persistent gap between modern and paleoecological studies focusing on the influence of leaf traits on insect herbivory. This is important as modern climate change alters our understanding of plant‐insect interactions providing a need for contextualizing these relationships within evolutionary time. The fossil record provides information on terrestrial response to past climatic events and thus, should be implemented when considering how to preserve biodiversity under current and future global change.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.