Collaborative Research: Herbivory on Freshwater Macrophytes: Quantifying Plant Damage and Mechanisms of Plant Resistance

小行星9408452 淡水群落中植物-食草动物相互作用的研究远远落后于陆地和海洋系统中的类似研究。 然而，对后两种栖息地的研究彻底改变了我们对动植物相互作用、生态系统功能和共同进化的理解。 该项目将为海洋食草动物系统开发的方法和途径扩展到很少研究的淡水食草动物系统。 调查人员正在记录：什么植物性状阻止食草动物的消费，淡水食草动物的选择性，以及通才与专科食草动物的影响。 这项研究将允许在陆地和海洋系统中开发的植物防御和草食动物的重要理论的测试，并提供了一个独特的机会，这三个系统之间的有价值的比较。 这项研究将提高我们对植物-草食动物相互作用的生态学和水生植物饲养者在水生生态系统功能中的作用的理解。 研究结果可应用于水生态系统的管理。

9408452 Lodge The study of plant-herbivore interactions in freshwater communities has lagged far behind similar investigations in terrestrial and marine systems. Yet research in the latter two habitats has revolutionized our understanding of plant-animal interactions, ecosystem function, and coevolution. This project extends methods and approaches developed for marine herbivore systems to little-studied freshwater herbivore systems. The investigators are documenting: what plant traits deter herbivore consumption, the selectivity of freshwater herbivores, and the impact of generalist vs. specialist herbivores. This research will allow the testing of important theories of plant defenses and herbivory developed in terrestrial and marine systems, and provide a unique opportunity for valuable comparisons between the three systems. This research will improve our understanding of the ecology of plant-herbivore interactions and the role of macrophyte feeders in the function of aquatic ecosystems. The results have application in the management of aquatic ecosystems.