Insect herbivory in novel Quercus ilex L. forests: the role of landscape attributes, forest composition and host traits

Insect herbivory in novel Quercus ilex L. forests is a highly context- and scale-dependent process. We show that forest composition, tree height and fine-scale spatial location, as well as tree genetic relatedness and ontogeny, can all influence herbivore activity at local to landscape scale. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of herbivory in novel expanding forests is essential to envisage their role for biodiversity...