Asynchrony and stability data for trees and herbivore from BEF-China(2016-2022)

The dataset was used to analyze the mechanisms underlying herbivore community stability in a species-rich subtropical forest ecosystem (BEF-China experiment), assessing key properties of herbivore communities and the extent to which these are coupled to the dynamics and diversity of their host communities under changing tree diversity. We used time series data (17 replicated sampling seasons of six years from 2017 to 2022 in 52 study plots) of a dominant group of insect herbivores (lepidopteran larvae) and their host tree communities in a large-scale tree biodiversity experiment (BEF-China).

Specifically, we tested the relative importance of functional diversity, community asynchrony, and average population stability of both the herbivore and their host tree communities on the temporal stability of herbivore abundance and species richness.