Plant-mediated Interactions Among Insects within a Community Ecological Perspective

Summary

Plants may be visited by many species of insects during their life-time. These insects include harmful herbivores above and belowground as well as beneficial natural enemies of herbivores and pollinators. Moreover, these interactions may take place sequentially or simultaneously. Responses of plants in interactions with one species result in phenotypic changes that subsequently affect the performance and behaviour of other species. Plants, thus, mediate interactions among their associated community members and such indirect trait-mediated interactions affect the structure of insect communities. As a consequence, plant-mediated species interactions may also affect plant fitness.