Conlments on Host-Specificity of Tropical Herbivores and its Relevance to Species Richness

Abstract

We havc the working hypothesis th:lt the high species richness of lowland tropical forcsts is maintained in lllajor part by the herbivore COllllllllllity. The ecological proccss is that thcsc consumers prevcnt the best competitors within a given life form frolll becoming common cnough to eliminate competitively thc other species ('( th:lt life form from thc coml1lunity. In short, the herbivores arc llIaking space for the lloorer COIllpctitors. The dfectivcllcss of such a process depends in great 'part on the degree of hostspecificity displaycd by the members olthe herbivore community. In gL'ncral, the highly host-specific fr:1Ction of the herbivore community should be TespollSiblc for the dellSitydependent rnponscs that result in he.lvin dam;lge per plant as the plant or plant part becoll!es more abllndant.