Resource Availability and Plant Antiherbivore Defense

TLDR

Resource availability shapes plant defense by favoring slow‑growing species that invest heavily in antiherbivore defenses, influencing defense amount, type, turnover, and the constraints imposed by different resource limitations. The authors compare these resource‑based proposals with other theories on the evolution of plant defenses.

Abstract

The degree of herbivory and the effectiveness of defense varies widely among plant species. Resource availability in the environment is proposed as the major determinant of both the amount and type of plant defense. When resource are limited, plants with inherently slow growth are favored over those with fast growth rates; slow rates in turn favor large investments in antiherbivore defenses. Leaf lifetime, also determined by resource availability, affects the relative advantages of defenses with different turnover rates. Relative limitation of different resources also constrains the types of defenses. The proposals are compared with other theories on the evolution of plant defenses.