Herbivore spatio-temporal dynamics in BEF-China (2017-2022)

Insect herbivores moderate forest functioning under global environmental change, which makes understanding herbivore community dynamics a key challenge of ecological research. Plant-regulated bottom-up effects and climatic conditions determine herbivore fluctuations, but their role in driving herbivore community composition and stability over time and space remains understudied. We unravel the relative importance of tree species richness, functional diversity, trait composition, tree growth, and climate in driving herbivore spatio-temporal stability and the resulting patterns in abundance, richness, and phylogenetic diversity. Our results revealed strong positive bottom-up effects of tree species richness on herbivore abundance, richness, and phylogenetic diversity, moderated by herbivore community stability. Tree growth and microclimate had additional effects that were largely independent of tree richness. These patterns varied across seasons and years due to changes in environmental conditions and the turnover of herbivore species. Our study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying herbivore dynamics and their contribution to ecosystem functioning.