leaf economic spectrum

Leaf damage by herbivores and pathogens on New Zealand islands that differ in seabird densities

Seabirds impose a high-nutrient, high-disturbance regime on the islands on which they nest, resulting in higher nutrient cycling rates, plant nutrient uptake and leaf nutrient content. On islands off the coast of New Zealand, seabird-dominated islands support greater densities of soil- and litter-dwelling consumer biota. We predicted that islands with high seabird densities would have higher levels of leaf damage as a result of higher densities of foliar consumers (herbivores and pathogens).