Increasing intraspecific plant chemical diversity at plot and plant level affects arthropod communities

Abstract

1. Plant chemistry mediates interactions between plants and their environment. While intraspecific chemodiversity at the plant level is well-studied, the effects of chemodiversity at the community level on arthropod interactions need more attention. We conducted a field experiment to test how intraspecific chemodiversity affects plant-arthropod interactions. 2. We manipulated plots of Tanacetum vulgare L., varying in chemotype richness and composition, and monitored four arthropod groups (herbivores, flower visitors, predators, and ants) over three seasons. We hypothesized that higher plot-level chemotype richness would enhance occurrence across all studied arthropod groups but have functional group-specific effects on abundance, resulting in reduced herbivore and ant abundance and increased flower visitor and predator abundance with increased chemotype richness. 3. Using mixed models, we found that increasing plot-level chemotype richness had a limited effect on most arthropod group occurrences but led to significant changes in abundance. Herbivore abundance decreased over time, and flower visitor abundance increased, while predatory arthropods and ants remained largely unaffected. Furthermore, we found that chemotype presence within a plot showed year-to-year variation in its effects, particularly on herbivores in which positive effects turned negative over time, and on flower visitors in which the presence of specific chemotypes positively affected their abundances. Predators and ants, on the other hand, showed weaker and more variable responses to specific chemotypes. 4. These results suggest that different arthropod groups may respond to plant chemicals through different ecological mechanisms. Our research underscores the role of plant chemical diversity in shaping insect communities and contributing to ecosystem dynamics.