How plant-arthropod interactions modify the environment: Concepts and perspectives

Abstract

The concept of ecosystem engineering, although more often used to describe the effects of a single organism on its environment, can also be applied to plant-animal interactions in order to better understand their non-trophic effects on ecosystems. Here, we provide justification for and examples of how the ecosystem engineering concept has been and can be further applied to plant-animal interactions, focusing on the physical ecosystem impacts of plant-arthropod interactions. First, we provide a general overview about the ecosystem engineering concept, encompassing its origin and application. Then, we go deeper into the concept differentiating the two main divisions of ecosystem engineers, autogenic and allogenic engineers, and we provide several examples of these two engineering groups both below and above ground. After that, we discuss the implications of ecosystem engineering for biodiversity, and we conclude by pointing out some novel and underrepresented perspectives for future studies and comparisons. Overall, this chapter addresses the concepts, applications, biodiversity implications, and future perspectives for the study of ecosystem engineers, especially regarding plant-arthropod interactions.