Ecological and environmental determinants of phytochemical variability in forest trees

Phytochemistry Reviews, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 24, 2025

Language: Английский

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The evolution of chemodiversity in plants—From verbal to quantitative models

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 27(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Plants harbour a great chemodiversity, that is diversity of specialised metabolites (SMs), at different scales. For instance, individuals can produce large number SMs, and populations differ in their metabolite composition. Given the ecological economic importance plant it important to understand how arises maintained over evolutionary time. other dimensions biodiversity, species genetic diversity, quantitative models play an role addressing such questions. Here, we provide synthesis existing hypotheses models, mathematical computer simulations, for evolution chemodiversity. We describe each model's ingredients, biological processes shape scales considers whether has been formalized as model. Although identify several not all are dynamic many influential have remained verbal. To fill these gaps, outline our vision future chemodiversity modelling. used variation may be adapted present flexible framework creation individual-based address combine ingredients bring this about.

Language: Английский

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Testing the role of biotic interactions in shaping elevational diversity gradients: An ecological metabolomics approach

Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 106(4)

Published: April 1, 2025

Abstract Seminal hypotheses in ecology and evolution postulate that stronger more specialized biotic interactions contribute to higher species diversity at lower elevations latitudes. Plant‐chemical defenses mediate between plants their natural enemies provide a highly dimensional trait space which chemically mediated niches may facilitate plant coexistence. However, the role of shaping communities remains largely untested across large‐scale ecological gradients. Here, we used metabolomics quantify chemical dissimilarity foliar metabolomes among 473 tree 16 tropical along an elevational gradient Bolivian Andes. We predicted would be climates where co‐occurring are dissimilar exhibit faster secondary metabolites (lower phylogenetic signal). Further, these relationships should especially pronounced for known include antiherbivore antimicrobial relative primary metabolites. Using structural equation models, quantified direct effects rarefied median signal on diversity, as well indirect climate. found with respect all had positive climate (higher temperature precipitation, seasonality) by increasing dissimilarity. In contrast, was unrelated Chemical metabolite classes negative indicating diverse communities. Climate effect but did not indirectly affect through signal. Our results support hypothesis shape gradients imposing selection divergence maintaining warmer, wetter, stable climates. study also illustrates promise biogeography, community ecology, complex high‐diversity ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Plant chemical diversity enhances defense against herbivory

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 121(51)

Published: Dec. 11, 2024

Multiple hypotheses have been put forth to understand why defense chemistry in individual plants is so diverse. A major challenge has teasing apart the importance of concentration vs. composition compounds and resolving mechanisms diversity effects that determine plant resistance against herbivores. Accordingly, we first outline nonexclusive by which phytochemical may increase toxicity a mixture compared average effect each compound alone. We then leveraged independent vitro, vivo transgenic, organismal experiments test equimolar concentrations purified milkweed toxins isolation mixtures on specialist sequestering monarch butterfly. show cardenolide toxin from enhance this herbivore equal single compounds. In mixtures, highly potent dominated inhibition monarch’s target enzyme (Na + /K -ATPase) revealing toxin-specific affinity for adapted absence other physiological adaptations monarch. Mixtures also caused increased mortality CRISPR-edited adult Drosophila melanogaster with vivo, whereas wild-type flies showed lower survival regardless type. Finally, although experimentally administered were not more toxic caterpillars than overall, increasing caterpillar sequestration resulted an burden growth Phytochemical likely provides economical acting multiple aspects physiology be particularly effective

Language: Английский

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Mean plant toxicity modulates the effects of plant defense variability

Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 106(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Abstract Plant trait variation is thought to suppress herbivore performance, but experiments typically manipulate only a single mean level of the trait. We manipulated and concentration plant toxin in model plant–herbivore system across three field greenhouse experiments. Plants with leaves painted higher exhibited increased fitness resistance herbivores; however, at high concentrations, reduced defensive effect, while lower enhanced it. This reversal aligns models that include food selectivity, our simulations revealed benefits selectivity for herbivores were minimal. Instead, nonlinear averaging physiological tracking effects likely drove patterns herbivores. suggest defense plants may be widespread phenotype, well‐defended plants, inadvertently promote niche expansion.

Language: Английский

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Genetic and environmental drivers of intraspecific variation in foliar metabolites in a tropical tree community

New Phytologist, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 18, 2025

Summary Plant interactions with abiotic and biotic environments are mediated by diverse metabolites, which crucial for stress response defense. These metabolites can not only support diversity shaping species niche differences but also display heritable plastic intraspecific variation, few studies have quantified in terms of their relative contributions. To address this shortcoming, we used untargeted metabolomics to annotate quantify foliar restriction‐site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing assess genetic distances among 300 individuals 10 locally abundant from a tropical community Southwest China. We the contributions relatedness environment metabolite considering different biosynthetic pathways. Intraspecific variation contributed most community‐level diversity, followed species‐level variation. Biotic factors had largest effect on total secondary while strongly influenced primary particularly carbohydrates. The importance these varied widely across pathways species. Our findings highlight that is an essential component diversity. Furthermore, rely distinct classes adapt environmental pressures, genetic, abiotic, playing pathway‐specific roles driving

Language: Английский

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Plant Functional Traits Better Explain the Global Latitudinal Patterns of Leaf Insect Herbivory than Climatic Factors

Plants, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 14(9), P. 1303 - 1303

Published: April 25, 2025

Herbivory reflects the interaction between plants and insects in ecosystems, its latitudinal patterns at global scale have attracted widespread attention. While many studies support herbivory hypothesis, it remains contentious. This study, based on a dataset of 1206 records, explored insect leaves their influencing factors. We found that decreased with increasing latitude from equator to poles, supporting hypothesis. Latitude affected variation climate, soil nutrients, plant functional traits, which ultimately herbivory. Plant traits were key factors affecting herbivory, climatic playing an important regulatory role, while nutrients had relatively minor impact, explaining 7.3%, 4.66%, 0.98% respectively. Specifically, height mean annual temperature most drivers 3.39% 3.03%, Our study focused two new perspectives—plant nutrients. Although influence we emphasized significant impact findings provide insights into understanding predicting geographic ecological interactions context climate change, offering references significance.

Language: Английский

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Climate warming impacts chewing Spodoptera litura negatively but sucking Corythucha marmorata positively on native Solidago canadensis

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 923, P. 171504 - 171504

Published: March 7, 2024

Language: Английский

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Insect herbivory on woody broadleaf seedlings along a subtropical elevational gradient supports the resource concentration hypothesis

American Journal of Botany, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 111(6)

Published: June 1, 2024

Abstract Premise Theories of plant–herbivore interactions hold that seedlings are more vulnerable to herbivory in warmer and stable climates at lower elevations. Hypotheses plant apparency, resource concentration, availability have been proposed explain variability leaf herbivory. However, seasonal differences the effects these hypotheses on remain unclear. Methods We evaluated three by comparing percentage frequency understory broadleaf a subtropical forest May (spring) October (autumn) along an elevational gradient (290–1370 m a.s.l.). In total, we measured 2890 leaves across 696 belonging 95 species used beta regressions test apparency (e.g., area, seedling height), concentration diversity), canopy openness, soil available N P) Results Seedlings exhibited unimodal patterns elevation, with drivers varying month. Variation was best explained hypothesis diversity) both months, sites higher diversity. Plant height) weakly supported only spring, evidence for nutrients) mixed. Conclusions This study supports reveals importance difference understanding diversity forests.

Language: Английский

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Tree phytochemical diversity and herbivory are higher in the tropics

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8(8), P. 1426 - 1436

Published: June 27, 2024

Language: Английский

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