Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 August 2009
Introduction
Herbivore attack is hypothesized to contribute to the high level of plant species richness common in many tropical terrestrial communities (Janzen 1970; Connell 1971). Janzen and Connell independently proposed that seed and seedling predation in tropical forests would prevent any one highly competitive plant species from excluding other species. Two sets of observations served as the basis for the initial hypothesis. Firstly, high seed and seedling predation is common for many tropical tree species, potentially influencing the population dynamics of those species (Janzen 1970; Connell 1971). Secondly, predation on a superior competitor in an adjacent lower trophic level in temperate marine systems was shown to reduce the likelihood of competitive exclusion (Connell 1971) or actually to reduce exclusion (Paine 1966). Since this hypothesis was first proposed (Janzen 1970; Connell 1971), herbivory and seed predation, at least for temperate systems, have been shown to influence the richness and diversity of plant species (Dirzo 1984; Augustine & McNaughton 1998; Howe & Brown 1999), vegetation structure (Brown & Heske 1990) and plant succession (Brown & Gange 1992). In turn, herbivory (Rausher & Feeny 1980; Doak 1992; Ehrlen 1995) and predispersal seed predation (Louda & Potvin 1995; Ehrlen 1996; Kelly & Dyer 2002) have been demonstrated to influence plant population dynamics in temperate systems.
Support for the impacts of herbivores on plant diversity in tropical systems is much less complete. At least five hypotheses have been proposed.
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