{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1890/15-0302.1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:20:44Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-07-13", "title": "Nutrient fluxes from insect herbivory increase during ecosystem retrogression in boreal forest", "description": "Abstract

Ecological theory, developed largely from ungulates and grassland systems, predicts that herbivory accelerates nutrient cycling more in productive than unproductive systems. This prediction may be important for understanding patterns of ecosystem change over time and space, but its applicability to other ecosystems and types of herbivore remain uncertain. We estimated fluxes of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from herbivory of a common tree species (Betula pubescens) by a common species of herbivorous insect along a ~5000\uffe2\uff80\uff90yr boreal chronosequence. Contrary to established theory, fluxes of N and P via herbivory increased along the chronosequence despite a decline in plant productivity. The herbivore\uffe2\uff80\uff90mediated N and P fluxes to the soil are comparable to the main alternative pathway for these nutrients via tree leaf litterfall. We conclude that insect herbivores can make large contributions to nutrient cycling even in unproductive systems, and influence the rate and pattern of ecosystem development, particularly in systems with low external nutrient inputs.Inappropriate grazing management is one of the most common causes of grassland degradation, and thus, an assessment of soil properties under different grazing intensities is critical for understanding its effects on ecosystem nutrient cycling and for formulating appropriate management strategies. However, the responses of certain main elements, including soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, to grazing in alpine meadow ecosystems remain insufficiently clarified. Here, we measured carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents in the topmost 30 cm of soil in an alpine meadow under three grazing intensities (light, moderate, and heavy) and found clear differences in soil physical and chemical properties among different grazing intensities and soil layers. As grazing intensity increased, soil water content, carbon and nitrogen contents and stocks, and carbon to phosphorus and nitrogen to phosphorus ratios decreased, whereas soil bulk density increased. However, soil phosphorus and carbon to nitrogen ratio remained stable. Our findings highlight the negative impacts of heavy grazing intensity, in terms of soil carbon and nitrogen loss and phosphorus mineralization. Moreover, we emphasize that further related studies are necessary to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of grazing on grassland ecosystems, and thereby provide information for sustainable management practices and eco-compensation policies.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "China", "Livestock", "Nitrogen", "soil nitrogen", "Phosphorus", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Grassland", "Article", "Carbon", "12. Responsible consumption", "grazing intensity", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "soil phosphorus", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "alpine meadow", "Biomass", "Herbivory", "soil carbon", "Environmental Monitoring"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/11/2584/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112584"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/International%20Journal%20of%20Environmental%20Research%20and%20Public%20Health", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/ijerph15112584", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/ijerph15112584", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/ijerph15112584"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-11-19T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5061/dryad.5dv41nsd1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:22:13Z", "type": "Dataset", "created": "2024-01-22", "title": "Data and R code used in: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defenses in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations", "description": "unspecified# Data and R code used in: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defenses in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations ## Description of the data and file structure * **00_ReadMe_DescriptonVariables.csv**: A list with the description of variables from each file used. * **00_Metadata_Coordinates.csv :** A dataset that includes the coordinates of each Plantago lanceolata population used. * **00_Metadata_Climate.csv :** A dataset that includes coordinates, bioclimatic parameters, and the results of PCA. The dataset was created based on the script '1_Environmental variables.qmd' * **00_Metadata_Individuals.csv:** A dataset that includes general information about each plant individual. Information about root traits and chemistry is missing in four samples since we lost the samples. * **01_Datset_PlantTraits.csv:** Size-related and resource allocation traits measured of *Plantago lanceolata* and herbivore damage. * **02_Dataset_TargetedCompounds.csv:** Phytohormones, Iridoid glycosides, Verbascoside and Flavonoids quantification of the leaves and roots of *Plantago lanceolata*. Data generated from HPLC * **03_Dataset_Volatiles_Area.csv:** Area of identified volatile compounds. Data generated from GC-FID * **03_Dataset_Volatiles_Compounds.csv:** Information on identified volatile compounds. Data generated from GC-MS. * **04_Dataset_Metabolome_Negative_Metadata.txt:** Metadata for files in negative mode * **04_Dataset_Metabolome_Negative_Intensity.xlsx :** File with the intensity of the metabolite features in negative mode. The file was generated from Metaboscape and adapted as required for the Notame package. * **04_Dataset_Metabolome_Negative_Intensity_filtered.xlsx:** File generated after preprocessing of features in negative mode. During the notadame pacakged preprossesing 0 were converted to na * **04_Dataset_Metabolome_Negative.msmsonly.csv:** File with a intensity of the the metabolite features in negative mode with ms/ms data. File generated from Metaboscape. * **04_Results_Metabolome_Negative_canopus_compound_summary.tsv:** Feature classification. Results generated from Sirius software. * **04_Results_Metabolome_Negative_compound_identifications.tsv:** Feature identification. Results generated from Sirius software. * **05_Dataset_Metabolome_Positive_Metadata.txt:** Metadata for files in positive mode * **05_DatasetMetabolome_Positive_Intensity.xlsx :** File with a intensity of the the metabolite features in positive mode. File generated from Metaboscape and adapted as required for the Notame package. * **05_Dataset_Metabolome_Positive_Intensity_filtered:** File generated after preprocessing of features in positive mode.During the notadame pacakged preprossesing 0 were converted to na ## ## Code/Software * **1_Environmental vairables.qmd:** Rscript to Retrieve bioclimatic variables from based on the coordinates of each population and then perform a principal components analysis to reduce the axes variation and included the first principal component as an explanatory variable in our model to estimate trait differences between native and introduced populations. Figure 1b and 1d * **2_PlantTraits_and_Herbivory:** Rscript for statistical anaylsis of size-related traits, resource allocation traits and herbivore damage. Figure 2. It needs to source: Model_1_Fucntion.R, Model_2_Fucntion.R, Plot_Function.R * **3_Metabolome:** Rscript for statistical anaylsis of *Plantago lanceolata* metabolome. Figure 3. It needs to source: Metabolome_preprocessing_R, Model_1_Fucntion.R, Model_2_Fucntion.R, Plot_Function.R. * **4_TargetedCompounds:** Rscript for statistical anaylsis of *Plantago lanceolata* targeted compounds. Figure 4. It needs to source: Model_1_Fucntion.R, Model_2_Fucntion.R, Plot_Function.R * **5_Volatilome:** Rscript for statistical anaylsis of *Plantago lanceolata* metabolome. Figure 5. It needs to source: Model_1_Fucntion.R, Model_2_Fucntion.R, Plot_Function.R * **Model_1_Function.R** : Function to run statistical models * **Model_2_Function.R** : Function to run statistical models * **Plots_Function.R** : Function to run plot graphs * **Metabolome_prepocessing.R:** Script to preprocess features", "keywords": ["environmental gradient", "FOS: Biological sciences", "Metabolomics", "Herbivory", "Volatile organic compounds", "iridoid glycosides", "verbascoside", "plant invasion"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Medina-van Berkum, Pamela, Schm\u00f6ckel, Eric, Bischoff, Armin, Carrasco-Farias, Natalia, Catford, Jane, Feldmann, Reinart, Groten, Karin, Henry, Hugh, Bucharova, Anna, H\u00e4nniger, Sabine, Luong, Justin, Meis, Julia, Oetama, Vincensius S. P., P\u00e4rtel, Meelis, Power, Sally, Villellas, Jesus, Welk, Erik, Wingler, Astrid, Rothe, Beate, Gershenzon, Jonathan, Reichelt, Michael, Roscher, Christiane, Unsicker, Sybille B.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5dv41nsd1"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5061/dryad.5dv41nsd1", "name": "item", "description": "10.5061/dryad.5dv41nsd1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5061/dryad.5dv41nsd1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-02-08T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3897/neobiota.55.46874", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:22:01Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-04-06", "title": "In-season leaf damage by a biocontrol agent explains reproductive output of an invasive plant species", "description": "

One of the biggest challenges in classical biological control of invasive weeds is predicting the likelihood of success. Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a North American plant species that has become invasive in Europe, causes economic losses due to health problems resulting from its huge amount of highly allergenic pollen and as a weed to agricultural crops resulting from high seed densities. Here we assessed whether the pollen and seed output of the annual A. artemisiifolia (at the end of the season) is related to in-season abundance of, or damage by, the accidentally introduced biological control agent Ophraella communa. We monitored the growth and leaf damage of individually labelled A. artemisiifolia plants at four locations in Northern Italy and recorded abundance of different O. communa life stages at regular intervals. We found that the in-season level of leaf damage by O. communa consistently helped to explain seed production in combination with plant volume and site throughout the season. Feeding damage, plant volume and site also explained pollen production by A. artemisiifolia six weeks before male flower formation. At three out of four sites, plants with more than 10% leaf damage in mid-June or early July had a very low likelihood of seed formation. Leaf damage proved to be a better explanatory variable than O. communa abundance. Our results suggest that the monitoring of the in-season leaf damage can help to project the local impact of O. communa on A. artemisiifolia at the end of the season and thus inform management regarding the needs for additional measures to control this prominent invader. 0.75), and suggests that compensatory plant responses to grazing are an important means of how herbivores might maintain or increase SOC in tropical grasslands.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0106 biological sciences", "Ecology", "QH301-705.5", "R", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Soil carbon", "01 natural sciences", "Leaf area", "Grazing", "Medicine", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Herbivory", "Biology (General)", "Compensation"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Mark E. Ritchie", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.233"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PeerJ", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.7717/peerj.233", "name": "item", "description": "10.7717/peerj.233", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.7717/peerj.233"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2014-01-16T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/359327", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:42Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-12-06", "title": "Plant affinity to extreme soils and foliar sulphur mediate species-specific responses to sheep grazing in gypsum systems", "description": "Closed Access[Aims] In order to assess whether gypsum specialist species might be favoured at higher grazing levels and to detect the traits involved, we evaluated the responses of gypsum specialists vs. generalists to three intensities of livestock pressure.", "keywords": ["Semiarid systems", "0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Gypsophiles", "Elemental composition", "Gypsum soils", "Herbivory", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Functional traits"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17550874.2022.2155079"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10261/359327"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20Ecology%20%26amp%3B%20Diversity", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/359327", "name": "item", "description": "10261/359327", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/359327"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2318/1735590", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:26:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-04-06", "title": "In-season leaf damage by a biocontrol agent explains reproductive output of an invasive plant species", "description": "

One of the biggest challenges in classical biological control of invasive weeds is predicting the likelihood of success. Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a North American plant species that has become invasive in Europe, causes economic losses due to health problems resulting from its huge amount of highly allergenic pollen and as a weed to agricultural crops resulting from high seed densities. Here we assessed whether the pollen and seed output of the annual A. artemisiifolia (at the end of the season) is related to in-season abundance of, or damage by, the accidentally introduced biological control agent Ophraella communa. We monitored the growth and leaf damage of individually labelled A. artemisiifolia plants at four locations in Northern Italy and recorded abundance of different O. communa life stages at regular intervals. We found that the in-season level of leaf damage by O. communa consistently helped to explain seed production in combination with plant volume and site throughout the season. Feeding damage, plant volume and site also explained pollen production by A. artemisiifolia six weeks before male flower formation. At three out of four sites, plants with more than 10% leaf damage in mid-June or early July had a very low likelihood of seed formation. Leaf damage proved to be a better explanatory variable than O. communa abundance. Our results suggest that the monitoring of the in-season leaf damage can help to project the local impact of O. communa on A. artemisiifolia at the end of the season and thus inform management regarding the needs for additional measures to control this prominent invader.Ecological theory, developed largely from ungulates and grassland systems, predicts that herbivory accelerates nutrient cycling more in productive than unproductive systems. This prediction may be important for understanding patterns of ecosystem change over time and space, but its applicability to other ecosystems and types of herbivore remain uncertain. We estimated fluxes of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from herbivory of a common tree species (Betula pubescens) by a common species of herbivorous insect along a ~5000\uffe2\uff80\uff90yr boreal chronosequence. Contrary to established theory, fluxes of N and P via herbivory increased along the chronosequence despite a decline in plant productivity. The herbivore\uffe2\uff80\uff90mediated N and P fluxes to the soil are comparable to the main alternative pathway for these nutrients via tree leaf litterfall. We conclude that insect herbivores can make large contributions to nutrient cycling even in unproductive systems, and influence the rate and pattern of ecosystem development, particularly in systems with low external nutrient inputs.

Grazing represents the most extensive use of land worldwide. Yet its impacts on ecosystem services remain uncertain because pervasive interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil properties, and biodiversity may occur but have never been addressed simultaneously. Using a standardized survey at 98 sites across six continents, we show that interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil, and biodiversity are critical to explain the delivery of fundamental ecosystem services across drylands worldwide. Increasing grazing pressure reduced ecosystem service delivery in warmer and species-poor drylands, whereas positive effects of grazing were observed in colder and species-rich areas. Considering interactions between grazing and local abiotic and biotic factors is key for understanding the fate of dryland ecosystems under climate change and increasing human pressure.

", "keywords": ["[SDE] Environmental Sciences", "Climate", "Edafolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "630", "3104 Producci\u00f3n Animal", "Dryland", "Soil", "636", "2511.06 Conservaci\u00f3n de Suelos", "591.5", "Climate change", "3104.90 Sistemas de Producci\u00f3n Ganadera", "biodiversity", "2. Zero hunger", "2417.13 Ecolog\u00eda Vegetal", "Qu\u00edmica", "Biodiversity", "2502 Climatolog\u00eda", "Grazing", "2401.06 Ecolog\u00eda Animal", "[SDE]Environmental Sciences", "ddc:570", "Rangeland", "581.5", "Ecolog\u00eda (Biolog\u00eda)", "570", "632.11", "Ecosystem services (ES)", "Livestock", "Climate Change", "631.45", "Wild", "SDG-02: Zero hunger", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Humans", "Ecosystem services", "grazing", "Herbivory", "14. Life underwater", "climate", "Institut f\u00fcr Biochemie und Biologie", "631.585", "Ecosystem", "551.583", "SDG-15: Life on land", "3103.10 Pastos", "Systems", "Drylands", "15. Life on land", "13. Climate action", "58.032.3", "Veterinaria", "ecosystem services"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10451/56169/1/abq4062_CombinedPDF_v4.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2263/91312"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2263/91312", "name": "item", "description": "2263/91312", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2263/91312"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-11-25T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "27008782", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Closed Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:26:52Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-07-13", "title": "Nutrient fluxes from insect herbivory increase during ecosystem retrogression in boreal forest", "description": "Abstract

Ecological theory, developed largely from ungulates and grassland systems, predicts that herbivory accelerates nutrient cycling more in productive than unproductive systems. This prediction may be important for understanding patterns of ecosystem change over time and space, but its applicability to other ecosystems and types of herbivore remain uncertain. We estimated fluxes of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from herbivory of a common tree species (Betula pubescens) by a common species of herbivorous insect along a ~5000\uffe2\uff80\uff90yr boreal chronosequence. Contrary to established theory, fluxes of N and P via herbivory increased along the chronosequence despite a decline in plant productivity. The herbivore\uffe2\uff80\uff90mediated N and P fluxes to the soil are comparable to the main alternative pathway for these nutrients via tree leaf litterfall. We conclude that insect herbivores can make large contributions to nutrient cycling even in unproductive systems, and influence the rate and pattern of ecosystem development, particularly in systems with low external nutrient inputs.Herbivores can exert major controls over biogeochemical cycling. As invertebrates are highly sensitive to temperature shifts (ectothermal), the abundances of insects in high\uffe2\uff80\uff90latitude systems, where climate warming is rapid, is expected to increase. In subarctic mountain birch forests, research has focussed on geometrid moth outbreaks, while the contribution of background insect herbivory (BIH) to elemental cycling is poorly constrained. In northern Sweden, we estimated BIH along 9 elevational gradients distributed across a gradient in regional elevation, temperature, and precipitation to allow evaluation of consistency in local versus regional variation. We converted foliar loss via BIH to fluxes of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from the birch canopy to the soil to compare with other relevant soil inputs of the same elements and assessed different abiotic and biotic drivers of the observed variability. We found that leaf area loss due to BIH was ~1.6% on average. This is comparable to estimates from tundra, but considerably lower than ecosystems at lower latitudes. The C, N, and P fluxes from canopy to soil associated with BIH were 1\uffe2\uff80\uff932 orders of magnitude lower than the soil input from senesced litter and external nutrient sources such as biological N fixation, atmospheric deposition of N, and P weathering estimated from the literature. Despite the minor contribution to overall elemental cycling in subarctic birch forests, the higher quality and earlier timing of the input of herbivore deposits to soils compared to senesced litter may make this contribution disproportionally important for various ecosystem functions. BIH increased significantly with leaf N content as well as local elevation along each transect, yet showed no significant relationship with temperature or humidity, nor the commonly used temperature proxy, absolute elevation. The lack of consistency between the local and regional elevational trends calls for caution when using elevation gradients as climate proxies.Plants are unsurpassed biochemists that synthesize a plethora of molecules in response to an ever-changing environment. The majority of these molecules, considered as specialized metabolites, effectively protect the plant against pathogens and herbivores. However, this defense most probably comes at a great expense, leading to reduction of growth (known as the \uffe2\uff80\uff98growth\uffe2\uff80\uff93defense trade-off\uffe2\uff80\uff99). Plants employ several strategies to reduce the high metabolic costs associated with chemical defense. Production of specialized metabolites is tightly regulated by a network of transcription factors facilitating its fine-tuning in time and space. Multifunctionality of specialized metabolites\uffe2\uff80\uff94their effective recycling system by re-using carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, thus re-introducing them back to the primary metabolite pool\uffe2\uff80\uff94allows further cost reduction. Spatial separation of biosynthetic enzymes and their substrates, and sequestration of potentially toxic substances and conversion to less toxic metabolite forms are the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff99s solutions to avoid the detrimental effects of metabolites they produce as well as to reduce production costs. Constant fitness pressure from herbivores, pathogens, and abiotic stressors leads to honing of specialized metabolite biosynthesis reactions to be timely, efficient, and metabolically cost-effective. In this review, we assess the costs of production of specialized metabolites for chemical defense and the different plant mechanisms to reduce the cost of such metabolic activity in terms of self-toxicity and growth.Plants are unsurpassed biochemists that synthesize a plethora of molecules in response to an ever-changing environment. The majority of these molecules, considered as specialized metabolites, effectively protect the plant against pathogens and herbivores. However, this defense most probably comes at a great expense, leading to reduction of growth (known as the \uffe2\uff80\uff98growth\uffe2\uff80\uff93defense trade-off\uffe2\uff80\uff99). Plants employ several strategies to reduce the high metabolic costs associated with chemical defense. Production of specialized metabolites is tightly regulated by a network of transcription factors facilitating its fine-tuning in time and space. Multifunctionality of specialized metabolites\uffe2\uff80\uff94their effective recycling system by re-using carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, thus re-introducing them back to the primary metabolite pool\uffe2\uff80\uff94allows further cost reduction. Spatial separation of biosynthetic enzymes and their substrates, and sequestration of potentially toxic substances and conversion to less toxic metabolite forms are the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff99s solutions to avoid the detrimental effects of metabolites they produce as well as to reduce production costs. Constant fitness pressure from herbivores, pathogens, and abiotic stressors leads to honing of specialized metabolite biosynthesis reactions to be timely, efficient, and metabolically cost-effective. In this review, we assess the costs of production of specialized metabolites for chemical defense and the different plant mechanisms to reduce the cost of such metabolic activity in terms of self-toxicity and growth.Herbivorous insects alter biogeochemical cycling within forests, but the magnitude of these impacts, their global variation, and drivers of this variation remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap and help improve biogeochemical models, we established a global network of 74 plots within 40 mature, undisturbed broadleaved forests. We analyzed freshly senesced and green leaves for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and silica concentrations, foliar production and herbivory, and stand-level nutrient fluxes. We show more nutrient release by insect herbivores at non-outbreak levels in tropical forests than temperate and boreal forests, that these fluxes increase strongly with mean annual temperature, and that they exceed atmospheric deposition inputs in some localities. Thus, background levels of insect herbivory are sufficiently large to both alter ecosystem element cycling and influence terrestrial carbon cycling. Further, climate can affect interactions between natural populations of plants and herbivores with important consequences for global biogeochemical cycles across broadleaved forests.Herbivores can exert major controls over biogeochemical cycling. As invertebrates are highly sensitive to temperature shifts (ectothermal), the abundances of insects in high\uffe2\uff80\uff90latitude systems, where climate warming is rapid, is expected to increase. In subarctic mountain birch forests, research has focussed on geometrid moth outbreaks, while the contribution of background insect herbivory (BIH) to elemental cycling is poorly constrained. In northern Sweden, we estimated BIH along 9 elevational gradients distributed across a gradient in regional elevation, temperature, and precipitation to allow evaluation of consistency in local versus regional variation. We converted foliar loss via BIH to fluxes of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from the birch canopy to the soil to compare with other relevant soil inputs of the same elements and assessed different abiotic and biotic drivers of the observed variability. We found that leaf area loss due to BIH was ~1.6% on average. This is comparable to estimates from tundra, but considerably lower than ecosystems at lower latitudes. The C, N, and P fluxes from canopy to soil associated with BIH were 1\uffe2\uff80\uff932 orders of magnitude lower than the soil input from senesced litter and external nutrient sources such as biological N fixation, atmospheric deposition of N, and P weathering estimated from the literature. Despite the minor contribution to overall elemental cycling in subarctic birch forests, the higher quality and earlier timing of the input of herbivore deposits to soils compared to senesced litter may make this contribution disproportionally important for various ecosystem functions. BIH increased significantly with leaf N content as well as local elevation along each transect, yet showed no significant relationship with temperature or humidity, nor the commonly used temperature proxy, absolute elevation. The lack of consistency between the local and regional elevational trends calls for caution when using elevation gradients as climate proxies.Insect herbivores play important roles in shaping many ecosystem processes, but how climate change will alter the effects of insect herbivory are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified for the first time how insect frass and cadavers affected leaf litter decomposition rates and nutrient release along a highly constrained 4.3\uffc2\uffb0C mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient in a Hawaiian montane tropical wet forest. We constructed litterbags of standardized locally sourced leaf litter, with some amended with insect frass + cadavers to produce treatments designed to simulate ambient (Control\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa0no amendment), moderate (Amended\uffe2\uff80\uff90Low\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa02\uffe2\uff80\uff89\uffc3\uff97\uffe2\uff80\uff89Control level), or severe (Amended\uffe2\uff80\uff90High\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa011\uffe2\uff80\uff89\uffc3\uff97\uffe2\uff80\uff89Control level) insect outbreak events. Multiple sets of these litterbags were deployed across the MAT gradient, with individual litterbags collected periodically over one\uffe2\uff80\uff89year to assess how rising MAT altered the effects of insect deposits on litter decomposition rates and nitrogen (N) release. Increased MAT and insect inputs additively increased litter decomposition rates and N immobilization rates, with effects being stronger for Amended\uffe2\uff80\uff90High litterbags. However, the apparent temperature sensitivity (Q10) of litter decomposition was not clearly affected by amendments. The effects of adding insect deposits in this study operated differently than the slower litter decomposition and greater N mobilization rates often observed in experiments which use chemical fertilizers (e.g., urea, ammonium nitrate). Further research is required to understand mechanistic differences between amendment types. Potential increases in outbreak\uffe2\uff80\uff90related herbivore deposits coupled with climate warming will accelerate litter decomposition and nutrient cycling rates with short\uffe2\uff80\uff90term consequences for nutrient cycling and carbon storage in tropical montane wet forests.