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Article: Plant-specific response to herbivory: simulated browsing of suppressed balsam fir on Isle Royale. (Michigan)
- Article from:
- Ecology
- Article date:
- January 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Ecological Society of America. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INTRODUCTION
The variety and complexity of responses of plants to herbivores compel ecologists to seek mechanistic models for interactions along specified gradients of environmental factors when describing herbivory (Belsky 1986, Whitham et al. 1991). Debate about whether herbivores impose negative or positive effects on their forage should be replaced by a holistic view of organization in an ecosystem. Moreover, this view must encompass two-way feedbacks between plants and animals in the context of plant succession, nutrient cycling, and competition within a trophic level (Maschinski and Whitham 1989, DeAngelis 1992, Jefferies et al. 1994). It must acknowledge the ...