Tri-trophic interactions

Plant defense mediate tri-trophic interactions. A plant’s response to a threat can influence herbivore mutations and eventually predator mutations. Plant defenses directly reduce herbivore performance, but they can also indirectly benefit herbivores because they can acquire new traits from the new chemicals made by the plant they are consuming. Since pollinators are herbivores (they consume nectar and pollen from plants), they also can acquire new traits from the nectar and pollen containing new plant defenses.