We investigate two general plant-herbivore models: The 1st model involves a single plant species that has an increasing population dynamics with a decreasing growth function, while the 2nd model has a Holling type III function as its plant’s population dynamics. One key feature of these two models is that the boundary dynamics generate a unique interior equilibrium. The interior equilibrium goe...

• Herbivore-induced systemic resistance occurs in many plants and is commonly assumed to be adaptive. The mechanisms triggered by leaf-herbivores that lead to systemic resistance are largely understood, but it remains unknown how and why root herbivory also increases resistance in leaves. • To resolve this, we investigated the mechanism by which the root herbivore Diabrotica virgifera induces r...

1. While both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and plant and insect genotype are well known to influence plant and herbivore growth and performance, information is lacking on how these factors jointly influence the relationship between plants and their natural herbivores. 2. The aim of the present study was to investigate how a natural community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affects the grow...

The phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) is known to mediate herbivore resistance, while salicylic acid (SA) and non-expressor of PR-1 (NPR1) mediate pathogen resistance in many plants. Herbivore attack on Nicotiana attenuata elicits increases in JA and JA-mediated defenses, but also increases SA levels and Na-NPR1 transcripts from the plant's single genomic copy. SA treatment of wild-type plants in...

• A dual-isotope, microcosm experiment was conducted with Quercus rubra (red oak) seedlings to test the hypothesis that foliar herbivory would increase belowground carbon allocation (BCA), carbon (C) rhizodeposition and nitrogen (N) uptake. Plant BCA links soil ecosystems to aboveground processes and can be affected by insect herbivores, though the extent of herbivore influences on BCA is not w...

Most studies on the effects of elevated CO2 have focused on the effects on plant growth and ecosystem processes. Fewer studies have examined the effects of elevated CO2 on herbivory, and of these, most have examined feeding rates in laboratory conditions. Our study takes advantage of an open-top CO2 fertilization study in a Florida scrub-oak community to examine the effects of elevated CO2 on h...

* A dual-isotope, microcosm experiment was conducted with Quercus rubra (red oak) seedlings to test the hypothesis that foliar herbivory would increase belowground carbon allocation (BCA), carbon (C) rhizodeposition and nitrogen (N) uptake. Plant BCA links soil ecosystems to aboveground processes and can be affected by insect herbivores, though the extent of herbivore influences on BCA is not w...