Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41545086›Full record

ArticleEcology2026

Phytochemical diversity and seasonality are associated with a critical transition in plant-herbivore network structure.

Leandro G Cosmo, Kate P Maia, Paulo R Guimarães, Martin Pareja

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Ecology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Leandro G CosmoDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2541-2645
Kate P MaiaDepartamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Paulo R GuimarãesDepartamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Martin ParejaDepartamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil.

Funding

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 307134/2017-2Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior 001Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 2018/14809-0Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 2019/21732-6Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 2019/22146-3Fundo de Apoio ao Ensino, à Pesquisa e Extensão, Universidade Estadual de Campinas 3322/24Royal Society CHL/R1/180156Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung 197201
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Understanding critical transitions in ecological systems is fundamental for addressing various natural phenomena, from population outbreaks to sudden ecosystem collapses. Ecological interactions are key drivers of these transitions, and theory suggests that the networks formed by these interactions can undergo their own critical transition. By examining interactions between plant individuals and insect species in a tropical forest, we first identified a critical network structural transition between the rainy and dry seasons. Next, we showed that seasonal changes and the phytochemical diversity of plants are associated with this transition. Finally, we quantified the consequences of the critical transition, which significantly increases the number of pathways and the potential for cascading effects among plants and herbivores in the network. Our findings reveal that ecological networks can experience abrupt changes on shorter timescales than previously recognized, with profound implications for cascading effects and the impacts of human-induced perturbations on the stability of ecological assemblages.

Indexed as

BiodiversityHerbivoryInsectaPhytochemicalsPlantsSeasonsAnimalsPhytochemicalschemical ecologychemodiversitycritical transitionsecological networksgiant componentplant–insect interactions

Identifiers

PMID41545086
PMCPMC12811071

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.