Question 1

How does insect herbivory influence soil nutrient dynamics?

Accepted Answer

Insect herbivores can return nitrogen through frass and cadavers, alter decomposition rates during defoliator outbreaks, and change nutrient chemistry of precipitation through throughfall. They also modify the quantity and quality of leaf litter entering the soil.

Question 2

Why does the article separate herbivore effects from mutualism theories?

Accepted Answer

Plant productivity is measured at the community level and in different units than plant fitness, which is tracked at the individual level across generations. The article argues that herbivore-mediated nutrient cycling does not require assuming herbivores act as mutualists.

Question 3

What scope does the article use when discussing herbivore impacts?

Accepted Answer

The discussion is limited primarily to foliar-feeding herbivores and their effects on soil nutrient dynamics and subsequent productivity, while noting that wood-boring and root-feeding insects affect nutrients differently.