Plant structural complexity mediates trade-off in direct and indirect plant defense by birds

Abstract

Direct and indirect defenses are predicted to trade-off due to costs associated with redundancy in plant defense, but the factors mediating a plant's position along this trade-off axis are unknown. We conducted a bird exclusion experiment of nine sympatric shrub species to assess convergent associations among direct defense, indirect defense from birds, and shrub structural complexity, a trait predicted to influence bird foraging. We found high variation in defense; direct resistance varied four-fold, with indirect defense ranging from a 59% reduction to a 32% increase in herbivore density. These resistance strategies traded off and were mediated by plant structure; high complexity was associated with weaker indirect defense from birds, strong direct defense, and more predatory arthropods. Our findings suggest that species with growth forms that inhibit bird foraging invest more in direct defense and may provide refuge for arthropod predators. Accordingly, we provide evidence for a potentially widespread mechanism underlying the evolution of plant defenses.