Precipitation, not CO2 enrichment, drives insect herbivore frass deposition and subsequent nutrient dynamics in a mature Eucalyptus woodland

Background and aims Herbivorous insects are important nutrient cyclers that produce nutrient-rich frass. The impact of elevated atmospheric [CO2] on insect-mediated nutrient cycling, and its potential interaction with precipitation and temperature, is poorly understood and rarely quantified. We tested these climatic effects on frass deposition in a nutrient-limited mature woodland.