Herbivores : Between Plants and Predators

Herbivores play a keystone role in the evolution, organization and functioningof populations, communities and ecosystems.

Ranging from small insects tomegaherbivores such as elephants, herbivores have a major impact on vegetationsuccession and nutrient cycling.

Conversely, many plant features constrain thefood intake, population dynamics and community interactions of herbivores.

Thedynamics of plant-herbivore systems is in turn affected by higher trophiclevels, such as parasitoids and predators.

This book brings together authorsfrom different disciplines including evolutionary ecology, entomology, plant andanimal ecology, biochemistry, physiology and behavioural ecology.

By takingherbivores as the point of focus, it provides a series of comprehensive reviewsemphasizing the links between these different fields of interest.

The bookprovides an up-to-date overview of knowledge in the field, and suggests manyinteresting directions for future research.