Hyperaccumulators and herbivores-A Bayesian meta-analysis of feeding choice trials

Abstract

The leading hypothesis for the evolution of the metal hyperaccumulation trait in plants is as a defense against herbivores. A central piece of evidence expected for this hypothesis is that plants benefit from herbivores being deterred from eating high metal tissues. While many studies have investigated whether or not herbivores are deterred by high metal feeds, there has been no quantitative synthesis of these studies. We performed a Bayesian meta-analysis of 31 feeding choice trials from ten published studies, where invertebrates were offered diets of plant tissue from hyperaccumulating species with high and low metal concentrations. Results of individual trials ranged from distinct prefere..