Field evidence for indirect interactions between foliar-feeding insect and root-feeding nematode communities on Nicotiana tabacum

1. As herbivory often elicits systemic changes in plant traits, indirect interactions via induced plant responses may be a pervasive feature structuring herbivore communities. Although the importance of this phenomenon has been emphasised for herbivorous insects, it is unknown if and how induced responses contribute to the organisation of other major phytoparasitic taxa. 2. Survey and experimental field studies were used to investigate the role of plants in linking the dynamics of foliar-feeding insects and root-feeding nematodes on tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum. 3. Plant-mediated interactions between insects and nematodes could largely be differentiated by insect feeding guild, with positive insect-nematode interactions predominating with leaf-chewing insects (caterpillars) and negative interactions occurring with sap-feeding insects (aphids). For example, insect defoliation was positively correlated with the abundance of root-feeding nematodes, but aphids and nematodes were negatively correlated. Experimental field manipulations of foliar insect and nematode root herbivory also tended to support this outcome. 4. Overall, these results suggest that plants indirectly link the dynamics of divergent consumer taxa in spatially distinct ecosystems. This lends support to the growing perception that plants play a critical role in propagating indirect effects among a diverse assemblage of consumers.