Interactive Effects of Nutrients and Temperature on Plant-Herbivore Interactions

Global climate change is expected to affect plant-herbivore interactions both directly and indirectly. Increased nutrient deposition from the atmosphere and runoff can affect the concentration of nutrients and defensive compounds in plant tissues, which can indirectly affect the herbivores that feed on those plants. Many herbivores are ectotherms and are therefore also directly impacted by increased temperature.

My current research focuses on how nutrients and temperature interact to affect herbivore growth and life history traits. To study this, I use a Brussels's sprout-cabbage white butterfly study system. My objectives are to:

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1) Test how soil nutrients and temperature interact to affect plant growth, composition, and chemical defenses in Brussels sprouts

2) Test how nutrient and temperature treatments and their effects on plant quality affect Pieris rapae herbivory rates, caterpillar growth, adult body size, and egg production

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