Research Profile

Herbivory in the face of climate change: A long-term study

Global temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration have been rising steadily since the industrial revolution. These changes are likely to have dramatic effects on plant growth, and on plant-animal interactions. Increased carbon dioxide concentration is predicted to increase the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in leaves (making them poorer forage for animals), while increased temperatures might increase plant growth rates (potentially increasing the amount of food available). However, the many complicating factors mean than scientists are presently unable to predict the magnitude, or even the direction of likely changes in plant growth or plant-animal interactions.

Angela Moles tagging leaves as part of an herbivory study in the Congo.		Some herbivores from the Peruvian Amazon

We have just begun a long-term study to quantify the effects that global change is having on New Zealand’s plants and animals. We have established a site in native forest in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, and are quantifying:

1. Temperature and carbon dioxide concentration
2. Herbivory (the proportion of leaf area eaten)
3. Leaf chemical and physical defence (leaf toughness, C:N ratio, total phenolics and condensed tannins)
4. Maximum photosynthetic rate
5. Insect abundance

Profile Angela Moles Angela is a plant ecology lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington. Most of Angela’s research aims to understand more about the different ecological strategies that plants use in different ecosystems around the world.

All of the above variables will be measured on six common species for at least 30 years. We hope the resulting dataset will help us to understand the ways life on our planet is changing in response to human-induced climate change.

Papers & presentations

Angela Moles’ web page http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/angela_moles/

The World Herbivory Project website http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/angela_moles/herbivory.htm

Kawakawa leaf showing the effects of herbivores

Article Ref #0009
Published Feb 6, 2007