Our study investigated the role of photoperiod sensitivity in plant phenology, focusing on germination and flowering patterns across species in Australia and globally. We found that most species show...

Wood anatomy underpins plant function. Across 58 evergreen species thicker vessel walls increased hydraulic safety in cold and dry sites. Smaller vessels increased safety at warm sites yet hydraulic ....

We demonstrate that key functional traits undergo shifts in their relationship with growth as plants mature. Therefore, it will be valuable to shift our understanding of plant strategies away from th...

Everything you need to do your research before voting at the 2025 Federal Election. Discover your local candidates & see how they're approaching key issues.

Terrestrial plant diversity plays a pivotal role in influencing the abundance, diversity, and impacts of herbivores and pathogens (collectively, plant consumers). However, it is unclear whether the relationships between biodiversity and herbivory reflect the same underlying ecological mechanisms as the relationships between biodiversity and disease. This uncertainty results in part from decades of independent, siloed research on each consumer group. We propose that, across herbivores and pathogens, plant diversity–consumer relationships arise from five fundamental factors: (1) density of a focal plant, (2) total plant biomass, (3) plant neighborhood quality, (4) resource diversity, and (5) structural complexity. By matching established hypotheses to these five fundamental factors, we highlight opportunities for growth in the rapidly developing field of plant–consumer interactions.