Plant Defensive Traits: Translation of Their Effects on Herbivorous Insects Into Reduced Plant Damage (Evolution, Feeding Compensation, Predation)

Plant traits can have four basic negative effects on herbivores: reduced individual growth, reduced population growth, directly lethal effects, and reduced preference for the plant. The first part of this thesis provides a theoretical overview of the potential mechanisms through which these negative effects, on herbivorous insects, can be translated into reduced herbivore damage to the plant expressing the trait. Some of the more important constraints on the manifestation of those mechanisms are identified, and the probable relative importance of these constraints is discussed. It is argued that the reduction of herbivore growth and perhaps reduction of population growth are more important bases for the evolution of defensive traits than is generally realized. However, the translation of these effects into reduced damage will generally involve very complex ecological interactions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Bouton, Carl Earnest

• Biology, Ecology

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8502077

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/71095