Defence against vertebrate herbivores trades off into architectural and low nutrient strategies amongst savanna Fabaceae species

摘要: Herbivory contributes substantially to plant functional diversity and in ways that move far beyond direct defence trait patterns, as effective growth strategies under herbivory require modification of multiple traits are indirectly related defence. In order understand how has shaped diversity, we need consider the physiology architecture herbivores this constrains strategies. Here by mammals savanna communities range from semi-arid humid conditions. We posited saplings trees can be grouped into two contrasting against mammals, namely architectural versus low nutrient provide a mechanistic explanation for these different based on fact plants competing selection pressures limit herbivore damage outcompete neighbouring plants. Plant competitiveness depends rate, itself function leaf mass fraction (LMF) nitrogen per unit (Nm). Architectural vertebrates (which includes spinescence) limits access materials, partly leaf-size reduction, thereby compromising LMF. Low requires material is insufficient value support vertebrate metabolic requirements, which Nm. Thus there an enforced tradeoff between LMF Nm, leading distinct suites each strategy. demonstrate showing numerous distinguished 28 spinescent (architectural defenders) non-spinescent (low Fabaceae tree species savannas, where mammalian important constraint growth. Distributions along LMF-Nm further provides predictive parsimonious uneven distribution across water gradients.