Insect herbivory and non-woody plants

Abstract

Herbaceous plants are usually relatively short-lived and lack the resistant structural materials found in the woody plants. Thus, the whole plant is potentially susceptible to insect herbivory. Much of the literature dealing with the effects of insects on such plants relates to agricultural crops and there is little detailed information on noneconomic species. Nevertheless, ideas derived from insect—crop plant relationships are generally applicable and we can examine the relationship at both the individual plant and the plant population level. Many of the ideas presented are also applicable to the woody plants such as trees (see Chapter 5) but because of their larger size and longer lifespan trees are more difficult to study.