How plant traits respond to and affect vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores-Are measurements comparable across herbivore types?

Despite plants realistically being affected by vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores simultaneously, fundamental differences in the ecology and evolution of these two herbivore guilds often means their impacts on plants are studied separately. A synthesis of the literature is needed to understand the types of plant traits examined and their response to, and effect on (in terms of forage selection) vertebrate and invertebrate herbivory, and to identify associated knowledge gaps. Focusing on grassland systems and species, we found 138 articles that met our criteria: 39 invertebrate, 97 vertebrate and 2 focussed on both vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores. Our study identified invertebrate focussed research, research conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and research on nondomesticated herbivores was significantly underrepresented based on our search and should be a focus of future research. Differences in study focus (trait response or trait effect), along with differences in the types of traits examined, led to limited opportunity for comparison between the two herbivore guilds. This review therefore predominantly discusses the response and effect of plant traits to each herbivore guild separately. In future studies, we suggest this review be used as a guide for trait selection, to improve comparability and the broader significance of results.

Automated summary

Despite the impact of vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores on plants, their studies are often conducted separately due to fundamental differences in their ecology and evolution. This synthesis of literature aimed to understand the plant traits examined and their response to, and effect on, the two groups of herbivores, and to identify knowledge gaps. The findings suggest underrepresentation of invertebrate-focused research, research in the Southern Hemisphere, and research on nondomesticated herbivores. Differences in study focus and traits examined restrict the comparison between vertebrate and invertebrate herbivore guilds.