Global patterns of herbivory and response to climatic factors

• Grant number: 25/04935-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 30, 2025
• End date: June 29, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Quevedo Romero
• Grantee: Luziene Seixas dos Santos
• Supervisor: Marjorie Weber
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/10486-2 - Global patterns of herbivory and responses to future climate changes, BP.DR

Abstract

Herbivory, including leaf consumption (folivory) and flower consumption (florivory) by insects, plays a crucial role in plant ecology and community structuring. However, significant gaps remain in understanding how environmental factors, such as climate and primary productivity, influence global variation in herbivory. The hypothesis of a latitudinal gradient in herbivory has been widely debated, with conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between latitude and insect-driven plant biomass consumption. Furthermore, interactions among climate, herbivory, and plant functional traits remain poorly explored. This research project, to be developed under the BEPE - Research Internship Fellowship Abroad, aims to assess the independent and combined effects of climate, primary productivity, and plant functional traits on herbivory intensity at a global scale. To achieve this, standardized global databases and climate modeling will be used to test whether herbivory patterns are driven by climatic factors and the phylogenetic relatedness of plant species. The expected results will contribute to a better understanding of ongoing and future climate impacts, as well as environmental changes on insect-plant interactions, supporting the development of conservation strategies for biodiversity and the maintenance of ecosystem services. (AU)