Indirect defence, the adaptive top‐down control of herbivores by plant traits that enhance predation, is a central component of plant–herbivore interactions. However, the scope of interactions that comprise indirect defence and associated ecological and evolutionary processes has not been clearly defined. We argue that the range of plant traits that mediate indirect defence is much greater than previously thought, and we further organise major concepts surrounding their ecological functioning. Despite the wide range of plant traits and interacting organisms involved, indirect defences show commonalities when grouped. These categories are based on whether indirect defences boost natural enemy abundance via food or shelter resources, or, alternatively, increase natural enemy foraging efficiency via information or alteration of habitat complexity. The benefits of indirect defences to natural enemies should be further explored to establish the conditions in which indirect defence generates a plant–natural enemy mutualism. By considering the broader scope of plant–herbivore–natural enemy interactions that comprise indirect defence, we can better understand plant‐based food webs, as well as the evolutionary processes that have shaped them.

中文翻译：

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概括植物的间接防御和抗性。

间接防御，即通过增强捕食能力的植物性状对草食动物的自上而下的控制，是植物与草食动物相互作用的重要组成部分。但是，包括间接防御以及相关的生态和进化过程在内的相互作用的范围尚未明确定义。我们认为介导间接防御的植物性状的范围比以前认为的要大得多，并且我们围绕其生态功能进一步组织了主要概念。尽管涉及多种植物性状和相互作用的生物，但间接防御在分组时显示出共性。这些类别的依据是间接防御是通过食物或庇护所资源增加天敌的数量，还是通过信息或改变栖息地的复杂性来提高天敌的觅食效率。应该进一步探索间接防御对天敌的好处，以建立间接防御产生植物与天敌共生的条件。通过考虑范围更广的包括间接防御的植物-草食动物-天敌互动，我们可以更好地了解基于植物的食物网以及形成它们的进化过程。