Purpose of review Forests are frequently exposed to natural disturbances, which are likely to
increase with global change, and may jeopardize the delivery of ecosystem services. Mixed …

Highlights•The magnitude of variation in plant traits, as well as the combined influence of
key plant and consumer traits determines plant diversity effects on associated insects.• …

The performance and population dynamics of insect herbivores depend on the nutritive and
defensive traits of their host plants. The literature on plant–herbivore interactions focuses on …

Insect herbivore damage and abundance are often reduced in diverse plant stands.
However, few studies have explored whether this phenomenon is a result of plant diversity …

Understanding how plant diversity influences higher trophic levels is important for predicting
the consequences of global biodiversity loss. While early studies have focused on the effects …

Our understanding of the linkages between plant diversity and soil carbon and nutrient
cycling is primarily derived from studies at the species level, while the importance and …

Highlights•Relevance of existing ecological concepts on predation for the microscale
unclear.•Micro-predators of bacteria (protists, predatory bacteria, phages) differ in prey …

In a growing developing world, innovative cropping systems are necessary to obtain
continuous and sustainable supplies of food, feed, fuel, and bio-based products. Double …

The 'dilution effect'(DE) hypothesis predicts that diverse host communities will show reduced
disease. The underlying causes of pathogen dilution are complex, because they involve non …

Intraspecific plant diversity can modify the properties of associated arthropod communities
and plant fitness. However, it is not well understood which plant traits determine these …