Patterns of Herbivory on Macaranga peltata , a Pioneer Species in the Mid-Elevation Forests of the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

The spatial complexity in plant-herbivore dynamics has been identified as an area requiring more detailed studies. Among the key attempts to explain relationships between plant diversity and herbivore populations, from the herbivores' point of view, Elton's 'enemies hypothesis' states that less diverse plant communities undergo greater herbivory due to presence of fewer predators in contrast to complex communities.