Roots and insect herbivory

The challenges of living in soil: Why are plant roots underutilised by herbivorous insects?

Timetable: 01.09.2024- 31.08.2028

Project status: Active

Principal Investigator

Kozlov, Mikhail

Unit

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Funders: Academy of Finland

Project budget: 850 000€ - 900 000€

Strategic research and education profiles: Luonnon monimuotoisuus ja kestävyys

Sustainable development goals: Ilmastotekoja; Maanpäällinen elämä

Keywords

Summary: Roots comprise a quarter of plant biomass, potentially providing an ample food source for herbivores. However, relative root consumption by insects in boreal forests is ten folds lower than relative consumption of leaves, and global species-level diversity of root-feeding insects is about 100 times lower relative to leaf-feeding insects. The reasons behind these phenomena remain unclear. By combining experiments, analyses of observational data and research synthesis we will test the hypotheses that relatively low consumption of plant roots by insects is explained by i) properties of soil as a habitat, which imposes extremely high energetic cost of locomotion on soil-dwelling macrofauna, and/or ii) mechanical and chemical properties of roots as a food for insects. We will also attempt uncovering conditions, in which insects may have evolved feeding with plant roots, and explain low diversification of root feeders relative to leaf feeders.