Soil legacy effects on aboveground plant-insect interactions

Heinen, R. (2019)

Doctoral Thesis

In this thesis, the role of plant-mediated soil legacy effects in shaping aboveground plant-insect interactions was investigated. This work shows that soil legacy effects on plant-insect interactions are a common phenomenon in nature, both in individual responding plant species and their associated herbivores, as well as in responding plant communities and associated herbivores. This thesis elucidates two potential mechanisms how soils can influence aboveground insects. First, soils can alter the way plants defend them selves in terms of secondary chemistry and phytohormonal defenses. Second, soils can also directly impact aboveground insects by changing the insect microbiome. This work shows that a large part of the insect microbiome is taken up directly from the soil microbiome, and leads to exciting new research directions on the longterm and evolutionary implications of soils for aboveground insects.

• Soil legacy effects
• Plant herbivore interactions
• Herbivory
• Plant soil feedback
• Grasslands
• Soil
• Microbiomes
• Plant defenses
• Insects
• Entomology

• All authors: Heinen, R.
• Supervisor: Bezemer, T.M.
• Co-supervisor: Harvey, J.M.; Biere, A.
• Committee: Wezel, G.P. van; Klinkhamer, P.G.L.; Memelink, J.; Hemerik, L.; Rasmann, S.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Institute of Biology (IBL), Faculty of Science, Leiden University
• Date: 2019-12-04
• ISBN (print): 9789463325783
• Sponsorship: The work was supported by a NWO VICI grant (865.14.006) to Martijn Bezemer