Data from: Tree diversity increases robustness of multi-trophic interactions

Multi-trophic interactions maintain critical ecosystem functions.
Biodiversity is declining globally, while responses of trophic
interactions to biodiversity change are largely unclear. Thus, studying
responses of multi-trophic interaction robustness to biodiversity change
is crucial for understanding ecosystem functioning and persistence. We
investigate plant-Hemiptera- (antagonism) and Hemiptera-ant- (mutualism)
interaction networks in response to experimental manipulation of tree
diversity. We show increased diversity at both higher trophic levels
(Hemiptera and ants) and increased robustness through redundancy of lower
level species of multi-trophic interactions when tree diversity increased.
Hemiptera and ant diversity increased with tree diversity through
non-additive diversity effects. Network analyses identified that tree
diversity also increased the number of tree and Hemiptera species utilized
by Hemiptera and ant species, and decreased the specialization on lower
trophic level species in both mutualistic and antagonist interactions. Our
results demonstrate that bottom-up effects of tree diversity ascend
through trophic levels regardless of interaction type. Thus, local tree
diversity is a key driver of multi-trophic community diversity and
interaction robustness in forests.