Comment on "Why are there so many species of herbivorous insects in tropical rainforests?".
Novotny et al. (Reports, 25 August 2006, p. 1115) argued that higher herbivore diversity in tropical forests results from greater phylogenetic diversity of host plants, not from higher host specificity. However, if host specificity is related to host abundance, differences in relative host abundance between tropical and temperate regions may limit any general conclusion that herbivore diversity scales directly with host-plant diversity.
Norton
David A
DA
School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Didham
Raphael K
RK
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D002980:Climate; D007313:Insecta; D010802:Phylogeny; D011156:Population Density; D014197:Trees; D014329:Tropical Climate